POLITICS is a strange business indeed. We have a Government which made a manifesto pledge for a partial smoking ban in pubs and clubs, a Cabinet which could then not decide whether that was the right policy, and a Prime Minister who ended up voting against it.

The result, strange as it may seem, is a victory for common sense. A complete ban is the only logical decision that could have been taken.

The disappointment is that it took such a tortuous route to reach that conclusion.

Of course, the Government can argue that it listened to the debate taking place around the country and changed tack in a healthy demonstration of democracy.

But the truth is that the Government got itself into a terrible mess by failing to see that it could not have it both ways. It could not say that public health was important in some pubs and clubs but not in others.

Now that we have MPs voting by a huge majority for a total ban, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt announces that it is an historic day for public health and thousands of lives will be saved.

It was always going to save thousands of people's lives - overwhelming medical evidence shows that the benefits to public health are undeniable.

But that should have been just as clear when the Government was preparing its manifesto.