Labour's quintessentially feeble frontbencher Tristram Hunt allowed delinquent Education Secretary Michael Gove to get away without a scratch in the Commons yesterday.

Mr Gove was besieged with new evidence that his dogmatic schools policy is crumbling, but Mr Hunt failed to go on the attack during an hour-long session of Education Questions.

It took nearly 45 minutes for Mr Hunt even to get to his feet. Then he waffled so badly that Mr Gove was able to turn the tables and mock the Labour shadow education secretary.