Mr Blair has even been described as his own secretary of state for Northern Ireland. But any politician worth his or her salt will not want to sit on the sidelines too long. Soon John Reid will attempt to play his own part in the government's delicate balancing act. The difficulties should not be underestimated. Meeting nationalist demands on policing and the dismantling of army bases could unsettle David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party to the point where it withdraws from government or demands suspension.
Time is short.
Most of the players agree there is less than a month to find a resolution before unionist party politics and electoral considerations begin to burden the talks. Kevin McNamara, the Labour MP and former shadow secretary for Northern Ireland, said he well understands political nuances. If that is supposed to be a plus for nationalists, there is something for unionists too - his Presbyterian grandparents, and his former role as armed forces minister where he was seen as their strong supporter. While he seeks to earn the confidence of the parties inside the talks, his support for the Good Friday Agreement will win him no friends in the anti-agreement community. How he deals with this alienated group will be another challenge for him.