I’ve never met him and consider the Liberal Democrats a waste of ballot paper room, but I think Chris Huhne’s sentence is unfair and not just because he’s a sailor. I think his ex-partner’s sentence unfair, too.

Many sailors racing to save the tide have been photographed ‘speeding’ and several have shared points with others in the car to avoid the draconian loss of licence and possibly job.

Perverting the course of justice is a serious crime, but, in my opinion, only when the crime is serious. Body-swerving punishment for the knock-on effect of a trivial crime is understandable.

Spy-cameras go against everything a free state should be about. They belong to MI6 efficiency, North Korean paranoia and wildlife production teams hoping to capture rhinos copulating.

What possible greater good can be served by packing two – domestic troubles aside – civilised members of society into jail and into jail for probably a much longer serving of bird than anyone else facing the same charge would have received is beyond me. It’s no more than a soft target for the establishment.