WE ARE told that Tony Blair is hanging on as Prime Minister to ensure his legacy to the UK and his place in history.

There is no need for this, his place is already assured.

Remember when he became PM and his slogans of "education, education, education'' and "tough on crime and the causes of crime''?

And what of the NHS, roads and railways, Ireland, Iraq?

You name it he has failed. His place in history is surely that without doubt the worst Prime Minister this country has ever had.

There is one thing he could do to repair the damage he has done and to atone for all this and that is to withdraw from the European Union, with immediate effect.

Our country, by and large, does not want to remain in Europe, he knows this and only last week he announced a £1m propaganda campaign to make us "Love Europe".

This from a man who until he became Prime Minister frequently fulminated against Europe, saying it would cost us jobs, millions of pounds and loss of our freedom and sovereignty, he was perfectly correct in all this, his prognosis is being proved right. If he only had the courage in this the twilight of his Premiership to admit all this and to announce that steps would be taken forthwith to withdraw from the EU, while of course remaining in the Common Market, which is a separate issue, he would go down in history, like Churchill as the man who saved Britain from the annihilation that Europe plans for us.

F W ESTALL, Hedge End.