The drowning man

At his monthly news conference today, Tony blair refused to name a date for a leadership handover, but guaranteed an orderly transition.

The term "mutually exclusive" springs to mind.

However, Mr Blair's administration hasn't allowed a lack of linguistic logic to become a clog on policy in the past, as the Iraqi situation testifies.

"To state a timetable now," he said, "would simply paralyse the proper working of government."

Excuse me?

He referred to Labour's implicit defeat in last week's local council elections as a "distraction" from "the necessary changes", which the party under his leadership is making for Britain.

Is this man reading the papers?

Has he forgotten the arguments his father in law, playing the part of a certain "Scouse Git" in the sitcom "Til Death Do Us Part", had with his in-law "Alf Garnett"?

Has he even seen it?

Does he even care?

Give it up, sir.

Blair soldiers on in the face of unrest