The Deputy Speaker candidates just presented themselves to the media in Dining Room A of the House of Commons. Paul Waugh introduced it as “The Dwarf and Seven Snow Whites.”

All made the same speeches as yesterday and had the same sort of reaction.

The late run on the rails from Bellingham, now at 4-1, is interesting. He certainly looks the part. And has all the confidence of his background. “If I’m privileged enough to succeed,” he said. He didn’t quite mean that.

But let’s not dwell on their virtues.

Eleanor Laing pious. Burns, leaden. Binley pleased with himself. Amess engaging but not in it. And Nadine’s prospects must be complicated by her appearance in front of the Standards and Privileges committee this morning. It is said she didn’t declare her earnings from her appearance on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

“I’m not at liberty to say,” she replied when asked about it.

Actually, that’s probably true.

This morning, it wasn’t possible to imagine Eleanor losing.

That’s not the case this afternoon.