One of Guido’s favourite MPs, John Hemming, is trying to get ministers, or rather their civil servants, to answer questions. Something you would think essential for a functioning democracy.

First of all he needs to establish that questions in letters are not “proceedings in parliament” which are outside the scope of court actions. Good luck, and if any of Guido’s many skiving legal readers are interested, here is his pleading.

Hopefully he won’t be the only one taking Tony to court this year.