Two salient facts define the national political predicament this autumn. The first is a growing sense of disquiet about Tony Blair. Experts often speak of the lack of ‘trust’ which shows up in opinion polls. But there is more to it than that. People are beginning to sense that there is something rum about this Prime Minister, and that he is no longer quite 16 annas to the rupee.

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Paul Robinson says the Tories are so frightened of challenging Blair on the war that their favourite think-tank will not tolerate dissent.

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At the time of writing, the hostage Ken Bigley, so far as we know, lives. While he endures his ordeal, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary said that they could not negotiate with his tormentors. That would be to ‘give in to terrorism’. Those — who must include Mr Blair and Mr Straw, as well as the rest of us — who want so much for Mr Bigley to live must rely on intermediaries such as the two eloquent Muslims from Britain who have gone to Iraq to do what they can.