Saint Tony, Messiah Tony, Sanctimonious Tony, Manic Preacher Tony. At Hagley Road to Ladywood we've long harboured the suspicion that Mr Blair is honestly convinced is at the good end of the hotline to God.

 

When his website announced the creation of his Faith Foundation, many instantly pictured the next step: St Tony revealing it was God who invested him of such a divine, magnificent task. We'll spare you the bleeding obvious - too many are the articles pointing out the irony of Blair preaching "interfaith harmony and respect" after graduating at the school of the arms trade and bombing the shit out of nations.

 

The pattern is eerily peculiar: blatant lies (you may wonder what his mate God thinks of that), starting a war, invading a country - then preach about peace and harmony, " a fairer and better world".

 

The danger is that Blair's former employees may find the temptation to emulate him too hard to fend off. Picture the scene: David Blunkett setting up a "Monogamy task-force", John Prescott taking up the unique role as "Ambassador for Five-A-Day" or Peter Mandelson chairing the "Anti-Poverty Network". Stranger things have happened.

 

(read MORE about dysfunctional British politics on Hagley Road to Ladywood)