LET'S not kid ourselves. Neither of the major parties could have done much to save MG Rover.

Yes, Tony Blair's offer of £150m is right and proper.

But what would the Tories have done had they been in power - nationalised the ailing plant? Hardly.

Therefore, it ill behoves Bromsgrove Tory candidate Julie Kirkbride to start taking pops at Labour's Jacqui Smith and Patricia Hewitt.

They've done their best in the circumstances.

If Labour had stood by and done nothing, Michael Howard's team would have been down on them like a ton of bricks. Alternatively, some cynics are saying the cash is nothing but an electoral bribe.

A case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Nevertheless, Julie is still the Conservative's greatest asset. I've been saying this for the last eight years and have the cuttings to prove it.

And she'll lead the Tory Party one day. The trouble is that the fusty Old Guard is too entrenched and dumb to see it. Methinks the impending third defeat for the Tories will concentrate minds wonderfully.

However, there is one thing that puzzles me.

Commons Beat writer Daniel Bentley reports in last Saturday's edition of the Worcester News that "Jacqui and Julie's relationship is much like Mike Foster's and Peter Luff's."

Oh, I see. They're the best of friends then.