When Tony Baldry was described in the Torygraph as a “bedblocker”, he took offence, and went to the Press Complaints Commission. An MP for 20 years and a barrister by profession he has an awful lot of business interests and directorships; Chairman XiMed PLC, Transense Technologies PLC, Angel Gate Limited, Red Eagle Resources PLC; Biometrics Security Quantum Inc., Multi Media Television plc, Psi X pda Ltd, Diamond Film Partnership, Medpharma PLC, Mastermailer Group Limited, and 3DM PLC. One wonders how he finds the time to serve his shareholders as well as his voters, even his research assistant works for the Lighting Industry Federation.

So how could the Torygraph describe him as a bedblocker? We all know that Michael Howard is encouraging old bedblockers with extensive non-parliamentary interests to move on in the interests of the party – like Michael Portillo giving way for that young thrusting whipper-snapper Malcom Rifkind.