Airstrip One

Labour rebels are rallying round opposition to an Iraq invasion. They seem to be playing a canny game , coalescing around popular concerns such as the Euro and health spending. Where will it take us?

They are unlikely to split, and unlikely to find enough support to topple Blair (there are too many Labour MPs sitting in naturally Tory seats to risk losing Blair).

An interesting snippet in the sadly off line Private Eye. Tony Benn has reportedly been saying nice things about Iain Duncan Smith, and even going so far as to deny that he would think of "doing a Balfe" and going over to the Tories. Of course the Tories would welcome him with open arms, he did more to drum up votes for Thatcher than her entire cabinet.