Quite a rush of excitement is rippling through Conservative Party circles in England at the prospect of the accession of Michael Howard as leader of the opposition — with a shot at becoming prime minister. And this is not, we gather, solely because he would be the first person of Jewish background to emerge as premier since Disraeli. The excitement stems from Mr. Howard’s credentials as a harder-line conservative than we have seen since the time of Lady Thatcher, who now towers over Britain the way Ronald Reagan does over America. Our reports by Philip Johnston, Geo. Jones, and Benedict Broygan make clear that Mr. Howard’s hard-line streak has made him plenty controversial in Britain, even among member s of the Conservative Party. But in the first few hours since the ousting of Ian Duncan Smith as head of the opposition, one could gain a sudden sense of the change that a thinking conservative could bring to American and British relations.

Prime Minister Blair has won little but admiration from Americans and their presidents, both Clinton and Bush. He has been an extraordinary figure during the opening years of the new world war against Islamic terrorism. Nor does the change at the leadership of the Conservative Party mean that he is done for as prime minister. But one gets the sense with Mr. Howard that there is the possibility that a fight could start in Britain again over fundamental ideas, the way the debate was charged during the years when Mrs. Thatcher led on the British side and Mr. Reagan here in America. It was an exciting time in British and American relations. So many of us are looking with great anticipation at the prospect that Mr. Howard will succeed in solidifying the Conservative Party leadership and go on to press the prime minister in a way that may yet restore the conservatives to power.