Politicians have long sought an affinity with babies, searching them out for photo-opportunities while electioneering, but Britain's Tony Blair has gone one step further by providing one of his own.
The news that the 46-year-old Prime Minister and his lawyer wife Cherie, 45, are to have a baby early next year has been regarded by cynics as a spin doctor's dream come true.
Just as the Labour Government appeared to be heading for a seriously bumpy ride with polls showing a falling popularity amid accusations of the imposition of stealth taxes, all negative stories have been swept away.
The Labour Party's internal squabble over the selection of a candidate to run for the newly created post of Mayor of London had been dominating the front pages for almost a week causing serious embarrassment to Mr Blair.
The government had also run into criticism for new proposals to relieve road congestion which are likely to mean extra charges for motorists.
But instead of examining the inadequacies of the government's timetable for new legislation spelt out at the official opening of parliament last week, political editors of the nation's newspapers have found themselves pontificating on nappy changing.
