Airstrip One

Unfinished Tales

The terrorist bombing on September 11th last year postponed the debate that the trade unions had wished to hold with Tony Blair over the Private Finance Initiative. Now, that can start over as they employ Iraq to muster opposition to the government on Labour's left and with the Liberal Democrats. (Charles Kennedy will address the TUC conference this year confirming the leftist leanings of the third party). For the first time since 1997, foreign developments are defining parts of the political debate and fracturing the 'big tent' that Blair spent so much time piecing together. They got a mention on the state Iraqi news agency.

The Labour Party are demonstrating constitutional labour pains as the convention of parliamentary debate on any initiation of hostilities clashes with Blair's firm use of the royal prerogative to bypass the House of Commons and export the army to any theatre he deems appropriate. The Labour MPs view Iraq as an issue, in step with public opinion, that allows the left-wing to regain the initiative and use the parliamentary party to act as a counterweight to Number 10.

Thus, Jack Straw's current emphasis on a legal review concerning the legitimacy of an invasion and the willingness to discuss weapons inspections, whilst Iraq shows no sign of complying fully with UN resolutions. This administration will make enough noises to show that they have deliberated over the decision, allow a debate and then probably go ahead anyway, in tandem with the US.

Iraq is likely to end up as roadkill on the third way.