eorge Osborne 1, Covid inquiry 0. It isn’t supposed to be a contest, but Kate Blackwell KC promised not to make her questions about austerity and then asked the same question about austerity over and over again – not because George failed to give an answer, but because Ms Blackwell apparently didn’t like it.

On a side note, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to writing “KC” rather than “QC”. The letters don’t look right without an “F” between them.

The inquiry has become a trip down memory lane. David Cameron appeared on Monday and, besides a pair of old lady glasses, looked identical. Asked if civil servants should manage pandemic preparation, he said no: it helps to have a minister in charge.

Next morning, Oliver Letwin, the minister he put in charge, told the inquiry that he didn’t prepare for a coronavirus pandemic because his civil servants didn’t tell him to do it.