Tony Blair on Friday pulled off one of the most stunning surprises of his nine-year premiership. For the past 10 days, the prime minister has been besieged by appalling headlines suggesting his time in Downing Street is rapidly drawing to a close. His government has been mired in allegations of sleaze. His home secretary let hundreds of foreign criminals roam the streets when many of them should have been deported. His deputy prime minister was revealed to have had a tawdry affair with his secretary.
Then, on Thursday, came what should have been the coup de grace for most political leaders: a dismal performance by Labour in England’s local elections, which saw Mr Blair’s party losing more than 300 council seats while the Conservatives, under David Cameron, their vibrant new leader, emerged triumphant.
