My short tempered and humourless constituent, Liberal Democrat councillor and peer of the realm, Baron Tony Greaves, has dubbed Michael Ashcroft a waste of space.

Writing in the excellent Lancashire Telegraph last week, Greaves focussed on Ashcroft’s work rate as a “working peer”. This is something I, too, have examined.

Greaves tells us: “Ashcroft was made a peer on the same list of “working peers” as I was. Since then, he has made an average of one speech every two years, never asked an oral question, never tabled an amendment to a Bill, and voted in about 16 per cent of divisions.”

What does William Hague make of such lassitude? He pleaded Ashcroft’s case, saying he needed him as a “working peer”.

Greaves also reminds us that the Lib Dem peer, Michael Oakshott, calculates that Ashcroft has avoided tax to the tune of £127 million since he entered the Lords in 2000.