It is all very well writing about the Prescott punch and contrasting it with what would probably have happened if it had been a teacher and a pupil, but no government minister is going to comment on it now, and if we wait until an actual incident, they will refuse to comment on the grounds that the case is sub judice .

Immediately after the new Secretary of State for Education is appointed, I will be writing to him or her, asking whether a teacher in a similar position will be similarly treated, or whether the standard of behaviour expected from teachers is higher than that expected from a deputy prime minister. I will not be holding my breath for a reply.

John Duffield
Loughton, Essex