It may or may not be the first important consequence of the French intifada. But, for a while it looked that Tony Blair would lose his bid to permit police to hold terror suspects up to 90 days without charge.

However, a poll showing that 64% of the people support such a measure and his willingness to add a sunset provision, has changed the parliamentary dynamics. Now it looks as if Tony Blair is going to get his way.

Well, he failed to get his way. He only got 28 days. Does this mean that Blair is finished? Clearly, his backbenchers want him to go.

The fact that Australia's new terror legislation raised the number of day a suspect can be held to 14, the numer of days already permitted in Britian did not help either. He would be missed.