Farewell then to prime minister Tony Blair, the dominant British political figure of the past decade and among the most talented politicians of my lifetime. Farewell also to Gordon Brown, longest serving chancellor of the Exchequer since the 19th century. The UK has a new chancellor, in Alistair Darling. This is an opportunity. I do not expect it to be taken. But it should be.

The opportunity is to undo mistakes. It will take some courage to take on the prime minister. But Mr Brown has shown it can be done. Mr Darling should dare to do as Mr Brown did while chancellor, not as he now says as prime minister. The new chancellor should also use a few of the ideas advanced by his shadow, George Osborne, in a thoughtful recent speech to the think-tank, Reform. That cannot be unthinkable. It is shrewd politics.