Now, with a general election possibly only a year away, the real hard slog starts for Mr Howard.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Politics | Howard's 100 day anniversary hope

Their children must slog on towards an infinitely receding retirement age, squirrelling away money for their meagre defined-contribution pensions as a growing proportion of state spending is devoted to the needs of a massive generation of the elderly.

ECONOMIST: Social change

That meant more time away from their families, and, besides, getting around the country was a slog.

NEWYORKER: Benched