Tony Blair - Health Scare

A Doctor writes

It is well known that Tony Blair has a heart condition , which although not serious, has caused minor problems previously. It is what we doctors call supraventricular tachycardia, a slight disturbance of the heart rhythm thought to be a result of rapid electrical activity in the upper parts of the heart - the atria.

The heart rate increases from his normal resting rate of 70 (ish) beats per minute to anywhere between 140 and 240 beats per minute.

This is experienced as palpitations - a heart flutter - but he can and does feel dizzy or faint. Professor Sir Charles George, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, told BBC News Online at the time of his last "problem" : "People tend to associate these rhythm disorders with periods of anxiety."

"But in most people, there's no obvious immediate cause."

It is not unlikely with the immense pressures on him that his delayed departure to the sunny Carib is connected with a dodgy ticker than a loss of self confidence or concern about pics of him lounging in the sun whilst Beirut burns and babies are bombed. He was due to leave Downing Street at 3.pm on Friday, arrangements which were suddenly and abruptly changed, and his departure is now indefinite - quite where the rest of the family are is somewhat of a mystery.

Several people have discussed quite openly the problem after his extraordinary performance at his monthly press conference this week.Dr Punit Ramrakha, who treated the prime minister last year with catheter ablation, a modern development for this treatment will know better than anyone. So far there has been no public comment.

Anyway the re-assuring news is that John Prescott is in charge if anything happens and there is any problem dealing with the finest nuances of the language of a UN resolution. Probably teams of elocutionists are working round the clock to teach him the difference between "suspension" and "cessation", and more importantly how to pronounce them.

STOP PRESS Saturday am

The French Police note with some relief that the Foreign Secretary Rt.Hon. Mrs Margaret Beckett and her husband will not be clogging up the French roads for a while. Sge will no doubt be in close consultation with Tony Blair's "personal envoy" to the Middle East, the bouffant haired, stack heeled impresario, my Lord Levy to determine what the lawyers may say at the UN.

Mrs Theresa Mills nee Jowell, tells us that the Dear Leader is not isolated in the Cabinet and although they had "robust discussions", he, well, just ignored what they might have said and carried on regardless.

The obscure Labour MP John McDonnell, whose risible announcement to stand for the party's leadership has [ased without notice, has demanded a recall of Parliament in order for the Prime Minister to be held to account for his "unforgivable" decision not to back demands for an immediate ceasefire.

It will be interesting to see if he ends up in Hyde Park today - or indeed any other MP's do.