The Foreman

There was an impressive turnout of big beasts at last week's Construction Product Association's House of Lords reception.

Besides myself, there was Ken Clark, Alan Duncan, Lord Tebbitt and Anne McIntosh batting for the Tories, with Margaret Beckett and Lord Hunt of King's Heath trying to keep the spirits up for Labour.

But the speech of the night came from Lib Dem shadow BERR minister Lorely Burt. Particularly well-received was her description of the credit insurance industry: "These are the kind of people who lend you an umbrella when the sun's shining, but take it away once the rain starts."

Indeed. And we're all getting soaked.