TONY BLAIR was the other big loser yesterday. He faces questions both over his handling of the David Blunkett affair, and over his political authority after a fractious fortnight.

His troubles, not least with his own parliamentary party, were underlined by the majority of just one on the Terrorism Bill, the narrowest on any legislation since May 1997.

Firstly, Mr Blair did not want Mr Blunkett to go, even though he and his advisers recognised that it was probably inevitable because of the cumulative media and political pressure.

Hence Mr Blair’s insistence that there had been “no impropriety or wrongdoing” requiring Mr Blunkett’s dismissal, despite his admitted breach of the Ministerial Code.

This contrasts with the far more critical attitude of the main ethics watchdogs.

But Mr Blair has not just suffered the embarrassment of losing Mr Blunkett from the Cabinet twice in less than 12 months. Mr Blair’s judgment is also involved since he overruled the doubts of advisers in bringing him back in May.

Secondly, this week’s dramas follow a well-publicised squabble among ministers last week over the ban on smoking and, more significantly, discontent over the schools White Paper (as Ruth Kelly was reminded at the Education select committee yesterday), and differences over the reform of primary care trusts and of incapacity benefit.

Further questions have been raised by the retreat over public sector pensions and the deferral of a review of local government finance. Mr Blair has appeared not in control of his government and to have lost the initiative.

Thirdly, these events have underlined the sense of Mr Blair as a middle-aged man in a hurry, with a self-imposed time limit of not fighting another general election, but with a still uncertain departure date.

Anyone who has talked to Mr Blair recently has been left with an impression of urgency and impatience, and of a willingness to take risks. He believes that he now knows what works, especially on public service reform, and he is not as cautious as in the past. But his ambitions are no longer those of all his colleagues who are looking ahead to life after him, under Gordon Brown.

Fourthly, while the Blunkett affair should soon fade away, Mr Blair faces an urgent need to assert himself. Expect an early big speech and a news conference. This is partly to steady the currently ragged morale of Labour MPs, made more nervous by the prospect of a fresh, and strong, challenge from David Cameron as the likely new Conservative leader.

Fifthly, Mr Blair has to show that he still commands the Government’s agenda — in power as well as office — before key decisions on welfare reform, civil nuclear power and the replacement of Trident.

Crucial here will be Mr Brown’s role. He has been unusually quiet recently, but, unlike a year ago, Mr Blair and Mr Brown have been talking.

The key is whether Mr Blair can restore his personal authority, not least among Labour MPs, after yesterday’s big Commons revolts.