National Government

Diane Abbot has described Blair's position of potential reliance on the Conservatives as being 'Ramsay MacBlair' in a reference to the first Labour Prime Minister's role as the leader of the National Government that followed the Wall Street Crash and resultant Great Depression.

There is, however, a crucial distinction. When Macdonald was running the National Government (or at least pretending to) he was doing it with the support of a significant number of National Labour MPs (35 compared to 52 non-National Labour MPs). Blair increasingly looks like a coalition partner of 1. His latest attempt to stave off defeat in the Commons by running up the white flag smacks of desperation. How long before a Scottish MP tugs at his coat telling him to "sit down man, you're a bloody tragedy"?

Incidentally, isn't it interesting that Gordon Brown has written a biography of Maxton...