A smart piece by Tim Luckhurst explains why British PM Tony Blair's current political problems have more to do with his rogue state than Saddam Hussein's.

[T]he primary reason isn't Iraq. It's that when it comes to the core public services Blair was elected to reform, the electorate believes things have gotten worse, not better. The same poll revealed that only 29 percent of Labour voters believe public services have improved since Blair became prime minister. Small wonder. The National Health Service is staggering under a burden of long waiting lists and historic underinvestment. The railway network, incompetently privatized by the Conservatives and still less competently partially renationalized by Labour, is inefficient, plagued by strikes, and seemingly incapable of delivering commuters to work. Standards in state schools are in decline, and teachers are threatening to make things worse by striking for shorter hours and higher pay. Meanwhile the Post Office, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, openly admits its inability to provide expected levels of service.
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