WITH European neighbours, church leaders, backbench MPs, and millions of ordinary peace protestors ganging up on him, the pressure on Tony Blair can never have been so great.

But at least he can take comfort from the fact that he doesn't have to worry about an Opposition.

The continuing in-fighting among the Tories is one of the few consolations available to the beleaguered Mr Blair in these troubled times.

This is the time when the Tories should be gathering strength, taking determined aim at a Prime Minister whose personal rating is plummeting faster than Sunderland's league position.

Instead, we have a Tory leader who seems set on the same anti-modernisation course which brought about the downfall of his predecessor.

If the Tories are to be credible contenders for power, they must be an inclusive, compassionate party, with wide appeal. Instead, Iain Duncan Smith has signalled a shift to the traditional right-wing with the dismissal of chief executive Mark MacGregor in favour of Barry Legg.

Meanwhile, leadership failure Michael Portillo has been quick to bang the drums of disharmony by suggesting that Theresa May is about to be ditched as chairman as part of a right-wing takeover.

On the day after IDS scored an embarrassing own goal by congratulating Newcastle United's European success while speaking in Sunderland territory, it all adds to the perception that the Tory leader is rapidly losing any sense of direction he might have had.