A personal minute, written in perfunctory terms to David Blunkett, makes it clear that he is less than happy with the Work and Pensions Secretary's progress in reforming the scandal of benefits.

His concerns are not misplaced. While we enjoy improving health, and work accidents have declined, the number claiming incapacity benefit - 2.6million - has risen four-fold over 30 years.

Vouchers were the Government's answer to curbing benefits to asylum seekers. It ended in farce. Demonising doctors is shooting the messenger and typifies this Government's fetish for bullying. And are we really surprised that the hard-working middle classes - penalised through pension raids, higher national insurance contributions and stamp duty - will be singled out?

From a Prime Minister who made such a mess of the smoking ban, these proposals call to mind scribblings on the back of a packet of extra-light cigarettes.

Mr Blair seems increasingly frenetic. As his hold on domestic affairs grows ever more tenuous, he retreats more and more into foreign policy: witness his swift and bellicose response to Iran.

He has taken us to war four times in eight years and may even now be seeking a fight to detract from his impotency at home. If so, we should look no further than Iraq to remind us of action taken in haste for dubious reasons.

These are difficult times for a man whose reason for remaining in Downing Street is unclear. Welfare reform should have been tackled eight years ago when Mr Blair had the overwhelming support of his party and the public. His latest hashed-up proposals are more likely to hasten his departure than secure his place in history.

No one is yet sure of the peril posed by bird flu. That is why it is vital Ministers be forthright and thorough in outlining measures to combat a threat with such potentially dire consequences.

So what do we see from Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett? Her department has been caught advising the Minister not to tell Parliament that birds had been incinerated before they could be tested for the virus. Now the veracity of her claims over the Government's opposition to a ban on the import of wild birds into the EU is questioned.

Mrs Beckett told the Commons the proposed ban was on the grounds of bird welfare and there was no suggestion of the avian flu risk. Yet the Belgian government, which put forward the proposal, insists the risk of the disease being carried by imported fowl was spelled out.

It would be nice to be able to believe that a British Minister addressing a British Parliament would not deceive to hide incompetence or worse when faced with a health crisis. It would do no harm for Mrs Beckett to return to the Commons to reassure us this is not the case.

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