In a last-minute U-turn, the beleaguered prime minister has realised that this is one battle he can do without.

The problems in our care homes are rooted in privatisation and began well before the pandemic arrived to bring them to national attention.

Thousands of Covid-19 infections and deaths in Britain’s care homes have simply not been tracked or counted.

The children’s care system is yet another example of how privateers are feeding off the wretchedness of society’s most vulnerable.