Blair's toughest election decision is whether to renew tax pledge.

P

REPARE yourselves for 2001, a general election year E probably. I will be eating my words, well seasoned, with my hat if it isn't. Theoretically, a full five-year parliament followed by a month-long campaign means that Tony Blair need not "go to the country" until June 2002. We could face another couple of Labour budgets, another annual report and a Queen's Speech before our voices are heard.

In practice, discount a long parliament thanks to the awful example of John Major. He teased his mandate out until the last possible moment only to be buried under th