As a police officer I found it rather more alarming and distressing when someone thrust a knife towards me, rather than calling me a pleb, one engaged in an act of coitus bliss or not! I’d find a Cabinet Minister being required to ask me for a cup of tea and apologising to me and my Commissioner more than recompense, compared to the probation and a few hours community service for the aforementioned knife wielder!

Southend taxi drivers – fairly nice bunch I’ve found, they normally drop me off somewhere sober and even manage to return me home in not quite such a sober state. They’ve never turned around to me and called me a pleb, a tory **** or such like. They have acted in a professional manner. Until such time as they offend me, put a horse’s head in my bed or something similar, I plan to treat them with such respect as any profession deserves. I certainly won’t be standing up in the council chamber and calling them members of the mafia!