The War on Blunkett was fought on many fronts, mostly front pages, but the ammunition was provided by Mrs Quinn and Stephen Pollard.

He has had a good war, and not many authors get their book thrown across the floor of the Commons by an angry goverment chief whip. Unbeatable pre-publication publicity. Without Pollard’s quotes Blunkett might still be Home Secretary.

Pollard will of course now be even more insufferable, but the hero of the hour does make mistakes, his punditry is not faultless, it was only yesterday morning that we read in London’s Metro paper an interview where he made some interesting observations based on his acute inside knowledge; asked “Should David Blunkett resign?” Polly replies “No. But that is not to say he is not in severe difficulties. … He survives yet the story is not dying and it’s hard to see what the tipping point would be that could change things.” Maybe the Budd inquiry?

He went on to predict a fudge from the inquiry. Asked how come Blunkett was still hanging on to office when Mandelson could not he says “Simply because Tony Blair is desperate to keep him. Peter Mandelson was trouble: Blunkett isn’t.” No trouble at all.