This is a poor moment to praise politicians. With the falling-off of Fallon, the blunders of Boris and the perils of Priti, rarely have our leaders seemed to be such exaggerations of their own cartoon depictions. All we can see is their grievous fault. And the grievous faults of their predecessors who between them contributed to the fine mess we find ourselves in.

Margaret Thatcher warned the United Nations about climate change in 1989 MARK CARDWELL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

But a fugitive thought struck me recently when I was interviewing the economist Lord O’Neill of Gatley about antibiotic resistance and the threat it poses to human health.

David Cameron is a privileged Old Etonian who will be remembered for calling and losing a referendum that will have an enormous impact on our lives. No one likes him any more. But, as