Bush's Poodle? Or perhaps not..

The People's Republic of Seabrook notices British attitudes towards the relationship between Tony Blair and Emperor Bush

It seems that Shrub has a new pet, and the British public is none too amused. Especially since most Britons see Shrub as a greater threat to world peace than Saddam Hussein.

It would seem that all that saber-rattling doesn't playing well overseas....

Maybe, but maybe not. I hope that Blair is playing a more subtle game, and using his influence to act as a restraint, balancing the Dr Strangelove types in the Bush camp like Richard Perle. America has acted with remarkable restraint, given the beliefs and ideologies the hard-right.

Tony Blair is taking a huge gamble - if the Bush administration decides to stick two fingers up to the UN and Blair still backs unilateral US action, we're going to end up isolated in Europe. And one of these days we'll need European allies when the US decides to do something nasty (can you say "Steel tariffs"? Banana wars?) to us.

I hope I live long enough to read the Cabinet minutes when they're published in thirty years time. They'll make fascinating reading.