To recap: David Cameron came to town the other week and visited a school. He was full of praise for the new buildings and the provision of computers, but had to be heavily prompted to mention the quality of the pupils.

Even if you do consider children to be the product of the education system rather than part of it, its a matter of political common sense as well as protocol that the first thing you praise when visiting a school is its pupils, and the second thing is its staff.

I thought that was both amusing and indicative of how this ‘Caring Conservatives’ charm offensive is just a thin veneer on top of the old Tory party we know so well. I did not expect to have it trumped so soon.

There was a very important meeting today about the future of Crawley Hospital, involving the possibility of control being transferred to the local PCT and away from the Surrey & Sussex NHS trust which has screwed everything up so monumentally.

One of our Tory councillors was there. Actually I assume that several were there, but this one in particular felt that he had to justify his attendance and said he was there because he has a son and daughter working there and wanted to be reassured that they would not be losing their jobs.

No mention of whether there would be any improvement in provision for patients, or anything like that. I do hope he said that within hearing of one of the reporters from the local press.

And who was this defender of the public interest? None other than my own local councillor, standing for re-election this year. Perhaps it gives a clue why I was so amused to see his name so prominent on a leaflet with the title “In Touch”