Finally, a news story that looks so much better for the good guys and inconveniently awkward for the baddies when boiled down to a tabloid headline. “GOVERNMENT WANTS SNOOPER’S CHARTER” neatly encapsulates the RIP amendments and drowns out the various if’s and but’s from the Home Office at one stroke, instantly making them look like a bunch of nosey, arrogant bastards.

Apparently, David Blunkett withdrew the amendment after listening to his son, who works in IT. If that wields more influence with ministers than a panel of shifty civil service advisers, perhaps Euan Blair could be persuaded to take an active interest in socialism.