OUR Prime Minister is becoming an increasingly isolated figure.

In Europe he is the only political leader willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush. He alone is prepared to join the US in military action with or without the backing of the United Nations.

More alarming for Tony Blair is that he is becoming more and more isolated in his own country.

Many members of his own party are openly critical of his stance.

And it is apparent from the latest opinion poll that there is a lack of public support for war.

Not since the Suez Crisis nearly half a century ago has a British Prime Minister contemplated committing his armed forces to battle in the face of such hostile public opinion.

Mr Blair is waging a valiant campaign to win over a seriously sceptical public. People are clearly not convinced by the argument for disarmament alone.

More and more we are seeing both the US and UK administrations attempt to weave links between Saddam Hussein's regime and international terrorism. This is despite the fact that consistently over previous weeks we were told there were no proven ties.

And yesterday in the Commons Mr Blair changed tack again, putting forward the 'moral' case for war.

However, his insistence that sanctions over the long term would cost more innocent lives than a short war assumes that sanctions and military might are the only alternatives by which Saddam can be disarmed.

The plain truth is that Saddam Hussein today is weaker than he has ever been. His nation is surrounded by the opposing forces, and UN inspectors are in his midst watching every move.

Public opinion will only accept war against Iraq if it is a last resort, when all other options to cancel out any threat from Iraq are exhausted.

We have yet to reach that point.

If Mr Blair sincerely wants to have public opinion on his side he must play the waiting game and keep the UN on board at every step, and persuade President Bush to do likewise.