The SNP’s Ian Blackford was lambasting Boris Johnson whom he identified as, ‘the front-runner in the leadership contest’. He recited some of Boris’s more inflammatory asides including the (plainly satirical) observation that ‘Scots should be banned from being prime minister.’

‘Not only is the member racist,’ commented Blackford, ‘but he is stoking division in communities.’

Calls of ‘withdraw!’ erupted from the Tory benches. Speaker Bercow climbed to his feet but he didn’t seem to know what to do next.