And in the war of perception and spin the Tories have undoubtedly beaten them

And, in the war of perception and spin, the Tories have undoubtedly beaten them.So would yet another self-inflicted leadership election really solve anything? There is no obvious successor waiting in the wings and every potential alternative is fraught with disadvantages. It is not sufficient for Mr Blunt to claim that anyone would be better than Mr Duncan Smith. Unless there is a single and universally accepted alternative, they might as well knuckle down under the current leadership. The bloodletting and paralysis could last for two months and such manoeuvrings would cause untold resentment from party workers who have toiled so hard in recent weeks. There is a need to ensure that the little platoons of newly elected councillors and reinvigorated activists are not thrown back into depression.Of course, IDS cannot afford any more self-inflicted gaffes that can cause a crisis out of nothing. One hopes he has learnt lessons after the debacle of last summer’s reshuffle, in which David Davis was sacked from the party chairmanship.

And we certainly do not need any more “unite or die” moments or provocations against (or from) Michael Portillo. There is also the ticking time bomb set off by the appointment of the new chief executive, Barry Legg, whose past membership of Westminster City Council may be coming back to haunt him. Mr Legg has been kept out of sight in recent weeks because of this and IDS may be wise to reconsider this appointment.The Tories are still more than a decade away from power Patience is not something for which they are renowned. It is conceivable that the next Tory prime minister has not even been elected to Parliament. But the day that every Tory MP bites his or her lip and returns to the disciplines of yesteryear will be the day they advance their chances of eventual victory.Confidence breeds confidence and IDS cut an impressive and upbeat figure during interviews yesterday.

It may be “bullshit” to talk of winning the next election but he has at least found forward gear in spite of Mr Blunt’s attempt to throw everything into reverse. In the game of commentators’ expectations, IDS has won.mrbrown pimlico.freeserve.co.uk. When she died Mary Tudor said they’d find “Calais” written on her heart, signifying the misery she felt at the loss of what was then the last English possession on French soil. When I die they’ll find “WHL” written on mine, signifying the anguish that I feel at the loss of what is without doubt the most glorious journey to be made on British soil. To me that stretch of railway track running between Mallaig and Creanlarich will always be the West Highland Line. Old habits die hard.A couple of weeks ago, after I had extolled the pleasures of going north rather than south in this column, I was flooded with letters from readers asking me to be more specific.

Give us names and map references, they demanded, best forest tracks, best empty beaches, best waterfalls; but you know how it is especially in Scotland – one man’s bliss is another man’s bog So I’ll let you cut your own trail. My only advice is that your itinerary should include an excursion on the West Highland Line.The actual train is no great shakes, a shadow, alas, of its former self and, if possible, getting worse. But thank God the accountants at ScotRail who have pared everything down to the bone, including the blankets on the sleeper, cannot change the wild beauty of the landscape through which the train jolts and rattles.Last week an Italian friend who devises made-to-measure holidays for phenomenally wealthy Europeans telephoned to ask if she could pick my brains about the sort of places her clients might like to visit in Scotland. Italians especially cleave to the Scottish Highlands and are almost as fanatical about tartan as the Japanese.Gabriella has been sending a bunch of industrial tycoons from Milan to hunt, shoot and fish every winter on the Isle of Skye for years. This summer the tycoons’ wives want a look-in – would I help her to devise a really interesting itinerary? As luck would have it I was having to go up for a couple of days myself last week so invited her to join me.When I started going to Scotland 20 years ago, the sleeper to Fort William was terrific. Friends from Argyll told me nostalgically that after the war, it was in the same league as the Italian Fleche d’Ore, the South African Blue Train, even the legendary Orient Express That’s pushing it.