It’ll be interesting to see the likes of Roy Hattersley bending themselves double now to justify Charles Clarke’s latest abomination and tell us how we should all still vote New Labour at the next election.

Like a lot of people who find themselves in abusive relationships, no doubt Hattersley and Aaronovitch and all the other useful idiots will soon be bleating, “Don’t leave, please don’t leave. They can change, they can change. Please, just one more chance.”

And then after the election there’ll be flowers and chocolates, apologies and humility. But soon enough there’ll be the loving slap, the affectionate punch: “I love you but…”. And more people will find themselves going slowly insane in Belmarsh and more bodies of brown children in far off countries will be thrown on to the pile uncounted, unlamented.

Between the present Government and Michael Howard the general election is going to come down to who has the shiniest jackboots.