ONLY one thing is more inevitable than a London council breaking its promise to collect the Christmas tree that's been lying in the front garden since Twelfth Night.

A stunt by a political party determined to get itself re-elected will, at some point, backfire spectacularly. And sure as eggs is eggs, both came true with predictable simplicity.

I returned home Wednesday night to discover the binmen had forgotten to take the 8ft pine tree but had, helpfully, shoved it across the front door; Tony Blair got both barrels over a 2001 text message sent to young people promising 24-hour drinking.

In what appeared to be a fusty old Labour strategist's idea of "trendy" that message read: "CLDNT GIVE A XXXX 4 LST ORDRS? VTE LBR ON THRSDY 4 XTRA TIME."

Clever, eh? Well, not according to Tory MP Charles Wealden, a fierce

opponent of the Government's new Licensing Act, which will allow pubs, bars and clubs to serve booze round-the-clock.

"Given the increasing concerns about binge-drinking, alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour," he boomed at Blair during a fractious Commons' Question Time, "is the Prime Minister proud of that campaign?"

Mr Blair is a keen advocate of relaxed opening hours. Whether or not members of his Government have wooed the multi-billion pound alcohol industry, they believe "continental-style cafes" are the way forward. Indeed, the PM looks like the kind of sophisticated urbanite who would enjoy having a dram or even a pint in the wee small hours while watching the world go by.

It was wrong, he said, to penalise "the 95 per cent who play by the rules and abide by the law" because of a minority of troublemakers who would "misbehave under any law".

The PM summons up images of city centres crammed full of opera lovers, pausing at tables outside late-night bars for a glass of red wine while debating the merits of The Barber Of Seville.

But Blair's ideal world is more Tuscany than Tyneside. Reality in Britain 2004 is hordes of louts who have no idea how to drink or how to behave when drinking turning city centres into war zones: brawling, swearing, window-smashing and vomiting.

Now the PM is under pressure to delay the summer implementation of the Licensing Act because MPs, police chiefs, doctors and academics claim late licences will increase binge-drinking. Steve Green, Nottinghamshire's Chief Constable, says staggered opening hours would not curb trouble, as Labour ministers insist. Instead, his officers would be overwhelmed.

Last week, a judge condemned plans for 24-hour drinking after jailing three men for attacking an innocent victim while plastered. Britain was becoming a nation of "urban savages". A new study revealed there were more than 300 violent assaults on NHS staff each day - most alcohol-related. Hard-working, poorly-paid doctors and nurses suffering thumpings because many of their bruised, bleeding and barely coherent patients cannot hold their ale.

But the man is not, as they say, for turning. Mr Blair is convinced the controversial shake-up will make it easier for the police and local residents to shut down pubs plagued by violence and late-night noise. And local democracy will receive a massive boost because responsibility for pub hours will transfer from magistrates to councils.

But this, too, has been exposed as a myth. It emerged this week that elected councillors cannot try to block pubs opening past 11pm in their wards because the law considers them "biased" in favour of local residents.

The Tories claimed the small print of the new Licensing Act would "gag" ward councillors who would be barred from voting on applications for extended hours. It was part of a deliberate attempt to "sideline opposition" to pubs and clubs opening round-the-clock and clearing the way for an explosion in binge-drinking, they said.

The principle of 24-hour opening is a good one if it makes us more civilised.

But in Blair's Britain it may be worth paying heed to the experts - not just those in the drinks industry.

Updated: 09:27 Friday, January 21, 2005