When Tony Lloyd, the chairman of the PLP, warns that the Government needs to “clarify what it’s there for” you know they are in trouble. Did anyone ever ask Blair to clarify what he was there for?

Everyone knew what Thatcher was for. Would she have tolerated Chinese goons stomping around Downing Street while she looked meekly on? In 1980 she sent in the SAS to deal with Iranian goons when they started pushing hostages about.

After Boris becomes London mayor the Labour Party will realise that it is facing defeat. The battle for the post-Brown leadership of the Labour Party begins May 2.