Lord Borwick’s path is far more sensible: make your bones outside and then enter Parliament when the time is ripe. Even gnarled critics of the Tony Blair premiership must admit that there were some worthwhile achievements during his 10 years in office. I am coming to accept that his bravest and most far-sighted move was the decision to hold back from sweeping Lords reform and, above all, to retain the hereditary element. (The Marquess of Salisbury, who persuaded Mr Blair of the wisdom of this course of action, to the fury and agitation of the former Tory leader William Hague, also deserves a great deal of the credit.)