Rebate your loves, each rival suit suspend, Till this funereal web my labors end.

The most promising mode of attack for the right may be state-led obstructionism.

True, it ill behoves national newspaper columnists and MPs, let alone Prime Ministers, to start pontificating about how men – and hitherto a too tiny handful of women – shouldn't be paid £30,000 a year to risk their lives by going into burning buildings when everybody else is leaving them.

Gloria is enormously pleased with our progress.