I know a Blair apology is a rare old thing, but I’m sure that the poor people who are being asked to pay back tax credits they received due to government errors, despite the fact that they can’t afford to do this, are terribly grateful.

And, in a classic Blair non-apology, he didn’t apologise for the error itself, but for the ‘hardship or distress’ it caused. Which could easily have been avoided if his government had simply drawn a line under its own mistake, instead of effectively penalising those on the receiving end of the error.

And then he launched into a speech about why tax credits are normally wonderously marvellous things, and that the whole system is bascially perfect except for this one small error, that’s resulting in people having to live on £56 per week. He’s not even suggesting any way of helping these poor people out.

He should be ashamed of himself, and he should take some action to sort this mess out, not try and brush over it with a vacuous apology and self-congratulation. Pathetic.