Such is the case for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who — along with the situation in Northern Ireland — faces a fast-approaching deadline on another pressing issue: Will he take paternity leave when his wife gives birth to their fourth child?

What might be a privately discussed matter for most couples has become a national debate. Cherie Blair, due to deliver in late May, has made it clear where she stands (at least until her ankles swell): Hubby should take a baby break and leave the reins of government in someone else’s hands for at least a week or so. She has pointed to the example of Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, who recently spent a week at home with a newborn daughter.

Public opinion, however, is divided, with one poll showing that 57 percent of British voters object to Blair’s taking advantage of the country’s recent adoption of a European Union measure giving new fathers the right to take up to 13 weeks of unpaid leave.

Blair himself seems uncharacteristically ambivalent. “I want to take some time with the baby ... but I honestly don’t know what to do,”he told an interviewer.

Take it from us, Tony, this one’s a no-brainer. The last thing you want to do is create unrest on the home front.

Just look at what happened to Bill Clinton when he put too much energy into foreign affairs, to the detriment of his domestic responsibilities.

So be bold. Be courageous. Be a New Age Dad in the Olde World. Take some time off. It’ll set a great example for fathers everywhere. Besides, changing soiled diapers might give you a whole new perspective on those sticky European trade issues.