Letter from London.

The article reports that often, after years in power a government runs out of ideas and is reduced to walking backwards in front of the opposition in the hope of stay-big ahead. After seven years, New Labor has reached that stage, although it is still spewing a diversion. a cloud of policy announcements, green and white papers, and draft bills. Unfortunately, seven years in opposition hasn't been long enough for the conservatives to regain their sense of direction, so there's nothing much for the government to walk backwards in front of.