Blair’s outbreak of courage deserves the respect of natural conservatives

You could call it the Elizabeth Bennett moment. It’s what Isolde felt when she fell into Tristan’s arms. It’s the point you reach when you give up fighting your feelings, abandon the antipathy bred into your bones, and admit that you were wrong about the man. By God, it’s still hard to write this, but I’m afraid I’ve got to be honest. Tony Blair is proving an outstanding Prime Minister at the moment.

This news is, of course, the last thing the Prime Minister needs. Mr Blair faces a difficult enough task in the Commons today trying to rally the