I LUNCHED with Charles Clarke on Wednesday. Unlike most New Labour ministers, he is happy to speak his mind and everything is "on the record".

Conversation inevitably turned to the MP for Birmingham Ladywood. The Education Secretary narrowed his eyes, thought for a second and replied: "Who's she?"

The MP in question is Clare Short and, as a put down, it was withering.

But can her vicious attack on the Government really be shrugged off so easily? Well, the beginning of the end for Margaret Thatcher was Geoffrey Howe's devastating resignation speech. Working under her premiership was like going out to the crease only to find the captain had damaged the bat in the pavilion, he said.

Ms Short's words were every bit as damning. Falling on her sword two months after labelling Tony Blair "reckless", she said: "To the Prime Minister, I would say that he has achieved great things since 1997.

"But, paradoxically, he is in danger of destroying his legacy as he becomes increasingly obsessed by his place in history."

Those old enough to remember say the gasps in the Commons were the same as when Mr Howe took his own revenge.

But that is where the similarity ends. Mr Howe had - until then - been loyal to his ferocious political master. Ms Short has been carping at Mr Blair for months, and he only opted not to sack her before the Iraq war to avoid making another martyr to sit alongside Robin Cook on the backbenches.

Also, Mr Howe still had friends and credibility. Ms Short had none from the moment she stayed, and Mr Cook went. But, most significantly, Mr Howe attacked his Prime Minister at a moment of weakness, after she had been battered by rows over Europe and the hated poll tax.

Mr Blair feels as strong as ever after a quick end to the Iraq war, and victory over his own party's foundation hospital rebels.

MPs agreed with a good deal of what she said during the remainder of her speech. There are concerns about Mr Blair's increasingly presidential or "control freak" style and the influence of his army of special advisers.

There are even those who agree now is the time to start thinking about an "elegant succession" for Gordon Brown.

But with every subsequent TV and newspaper interview she devalued these words. Pure poison dripping from her mouth, she said Mr Blair had failed to stand up to President Bush but was not a poodle.

"Poodles get off their lead and jump about," she said.

She added: "There used to be a saying of the Tory Whips when they were in power - this is the Tory Whips, not me - 'No one ever comes out of No 10 completely sane'."

So Mr Blair is mad, is he? Or is Ms Short mad that she didn't go with her own reputation still intact?

She should have been remembered as one of Mr Blair's better Cabinet Ministers, winning millions of extra pounds from the Treasury for overseas aid.

Instead, history will record her as a bitter woman who quit only when it became obvious she was going to be sacked.

And, while Mr Howe's words had a lasting impact, hers will have none.

When the end does come for Mr Blair, we will not look back on Ms Short's speech as the beginning of the end.

I'm with Mr Clarke - I bet we don't even remember them at all.

Updated: 10:29 Friday, May 16, 2003