Yesterday, I watched an astonishing masterclass in how to subdue and control a TV interviewer. The master in question was Peter ‘Lord’ Mandelson, and his hapless pupil was Andrew Marr, the former Political editor of the BBC and usually a chap who can look after himself. But yesterday he was reduced to spluttering impotence. Catch it on the iPlayer while you can. The class begins 39 minutes into the programme.

As my colleague Geoff Peters observed, this is a classic. Its nearest counterpart is the confrontation between Jeremy Paxman and Michael Howard.