Now, before the usual cry bullies start up, let us remember that it was a lady attendant who frogmarched Miss Karvelas out of the chamber, so there can be no question of this being some sort of humiliating instance of performative misogynist cruelty. The very respectful lady attendant made it clear she was only carrying out the orders of a higher power, however reluctantly, and Miss Karvelas should have submitted to the wishes of that power equally reluctantly.

It is well known that the gentlewomen of the gallery are provided with fetching red, full-length dignity smocks and a jaunty white bonnet in which to perform their duties Under His Eye and it was not merely remiss of this virago to challenge the established order; it was dangerous.

Why the very idea of it!

Are we now to be subject to the likes of Miss Alberici flaunting her forearms and hectoring some poor fellow about numbers and sums and all manner of mathematical flimflammery. Or Miss Crabb displaying a scandalous glimpse of ankle while she cooks up delicious bon mot instead of the healthful meat and three veg her tousle-haired urchins at home require? Or Miss Remeikis doing whatever Miss Remeikis damn well pleases?

It will not stand, I tell you.

This is a house of laws and doing as you are told unless you are Craig Kelly.

It has not escaped the attention of those at the very apex of power that having agreed under sufferance to allowing handmaids into the Parliament, that a good deal of the fuss and bother distracting fellows from their gainful pursuits in this place has been occasioned by those very same womenfolk. Why, poor Barnaby would still be roistering all over the front bench with his favourite piece of coal were it not for a woman. And the less said the better about the unfortunate fit of the vapours which overcame Miss Banks, a woman, while the PM was attempting to right the ship of state.

Perhaps the solution might be to remove these turbulent harpies for good.

Under His Eye.