Starmer looked and sounded triumphant as he welcomed Labour’s two by-election victors.
But how grateful ,after 40 minutes of solemnity, the House was to be given a licence by Johnson the ex-PM to laugh.
By not offering voters a retail package of reform, he has left himself with little political cover and limited escape options.
The Prime Minister described, with relish, Prince Philip’s ability to drive “a coach and horses through the finer points of diplomatic protocol”.
Much the best way to embarrass its members at Westminster would be to hail them as friends and fellow members of the Establishment.
The vehement Johnson of last week transformed himself into a master of the soft word that turneth away wrath.
Letwin versus Rees-Mogg, or Parliament versus the people.
The wind has changed in the Prime Minister’s favour.
That said, there was more backing for her from her party than some of today’s headlines suggest.
We feel a commission, a working group, an inquiry coming in – to look these inconsistencies, accidents of history and quirks, to see if some tidying-up is required.
Last year, it was Sir Peter Luff. Political balance, you see.
On what basis would they then be prevented from appearing in pornography? Should they then not be tried as adults and sent to adult prisons? And so on.