So Prescott, the tenant of four homes, helped Gordon unveil Labour’s new home ownership plan. But the home ownership plan that fascinates Guido is Blunkett’s taxpayer funded one. Although Blunkett already has his London home in Wimbledon, he still lives in the rather more grand, government-owned, £3m Belgravia pad in South Eaton Terrace that came as a grace and favour residence for the Home Secretary. Why he can’t move back to Wimbledon is not clear (the weekend retreat on the Duke of Devonshire’s Chatsworth Estate is still handy for trysts when not at his Handsworth constituency pied à tierre). So he too has four homes like Prescott, but it does seem rather excessive for a single man.

Guido has mentioned it before, but the updated figure for the taxable benefit-in-kind that Blunkett owes on the Mayfair home is now standing at £25,763. More than half his annual after-tax income…