THE harsh facts of life in Government are beginning to dawn on Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Cabinet colleagues.

And nothing illustrates it more vividly than the Government's climb down over tobacco company sponsorship of Formula One motor racing.

The announcement that it had reluctantly decided to abandon a plan to ban tobacco advertising on Formula One must have been mightily embarrassing for the Government.

It was only in June, in the midst of the euphoria which followed Labour's return to power after 18 years, that Health Secretary Frank Dobson loftily announced the proposed ban.

At that stage there were no ifs and buts. "We are banning it," said Mr Dobson.

But, five months on, the realities of life have arrived with the November mists.

Britain is the home base of three Formula One racing teams, including the highly successful Williams organisation.

They generate a massive amount of business and provide many jobs. Driving them out to a country with no inhibitions about tobacco advertising would be akin to scoring an own goal.

It would also be impossible to stop tobacco advertising appearing in the television coverage of overseas Grand Prix.

The penny had obviously dropped at the Department of Health.

A spokesmen ended a lengthy statement on the subject by saying: "Ideally we would like to ban tobacco sponsorship, but we are living in the real world and we are trying to find a solution to a unique problem in a unique sport."

The Government would have looked pretty stupid if a high principled stand on the issue had driven Formula One from these shores without stopping tobacco advertising being beamed to our television sets from other countries.

Climb-downs, U-turns, whatever we want to call them, are embarrassing for any government. But at least this one is showing it is learning pragmatism.

Whether or not the name of a certain brand of cigarette emblazoned on a car hurtling

round a track at nearly 200mph persuades people to smoke that brand is debatable.

But one thing is certain.

A British or even European ban would not work as long as there are Formula One host countries who have no qualms about tobacco firm sponsorships.

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