IT IS, of course, somewhat rich that it is from someone so bereft of personality that his efforts to appear interesting as a broadcaster rested on his endless stock of silly and lurid jumpers that former Tory junior whip Gyles Brandreth should be the one to provide us with a disclosure from his "secret diaries" that Tony Blair, currently basking in the role of the iron man of NATO, resorts to a dab of make-up to improve his image.

Actually, I had noticed this some time ago - when, in a Downing Street interview, the Prime Minister appeared before the TV cameras only slightly less painted than Charlie Caroli.

But from Mr Brandreth we have the disclosure that Mr Blair seemed to be wearing make-up at Prime Minister's Question Time in the Commons - and that orchestrated Conservative cries drawing attention to it bounced off the Premier unheeded.

I do not know what this says about our leader other than the now-plain fact that image counts as much as substance with New Labour.

But as he wraps a Churchillian mantle around himself and is viewed as the most macho statesman of the NATO alliance, our dear leader ought to remember that the only other Prime Minister who used powder and lipstick was a woman.

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