In denial

We're worried about Tony Blair. It's probably just his age, but this new technology stuff seems to be rather passing him by. Yes, we know about his messages to the nation on the Web, after his two internet lessons at the Newton Aycliffe shopping centre, but he isn't fooling us. This is a man who still writes letters by hand, for goodness' sake. And have you ever seen him on a mobile phone? We don't think he even has one.

Further proof? You must remember the famous "Ashdown incident", when No 10 had to ring Paddy up to find out why he hadn't replied to the e-mail saying, "Hi!" that Tony had sent to the wrong place. And now, we see, he is worried about the amount of time his children are spending on computers at home and the threat posed to family life. Classic symptoms of a technophobe in denial.

Experience suggests that it will only get worse: watch out next for the cardigan and pipe and the repeated view that the weather hasn't been the same since they started sending those rockets up into space.