One government supporter who does value the NHS is the new Tory peer, Lord Polak, who in his maiden speech in the Lords recalled how the service had saved his life after the discovery of a brain tumour.

Although left deaf in one ear, that has sometimes been quite useful, he said, "I am aware that, today, I have not been interrupted - but I am also aware that this courtesy is for today only. So I apologise if, in future, a noble Lord wants to intervene and I carry on speaking: it will just be that I did not hear them."