• It will go down to the wire

  There is evidence of Fianna Fáil voters rallying to support an embattled Taoiseach and Government in the latest Irish Times /TNS mrbi opinion poll, but that bounce is not on the scale of last October and may not halt the impetus towards the formation of an alternative coalition. A significant change has occurred. A majority of people who favour the election of a Fine Gael/Labour Party/Green Party government now believe such an outcome is possible, to the detriment of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats. p
  

• Blair names the day

  Tony Blair's speech announcing his retirement yesterday was graceful, well judged and to the point. Stressing how much has changed for the better in Britain over his ten years in office as prime minister he allowed that several great expectations remain unfulfilled and that his critics are unforgiving. He did as he did out of conviction - "doing what you genuinely believe is right for the country". This expresses very well the self-confidence which has sustained him throughout his 13 years as Labour Party leader and 10 as prime minister. p
  

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