The BBC has handily sifted through the news about the day that is now being dubbed 'black Wednesday' on account of three nightmares in government: the revelation that Prescott had an affair with his secretary; the heckling of Patricia Hewitt by a conference of nurses; and the exposure of government negligence at the highest level concerning foreign criminals. There are good pieces by Philip Johnston and Boris Johnson in the Daily Telegraph, as well as a good leader in the same paper. There is, too, a good piece in The Times by Anatole Kaletsky, as well as a good leader. The only thing I would add to the points made in these articles, and others besides, is that while Blair is deeply responsible for the mess, I hope the public doesn't react to his departure, when it comes, as if it is some kind of panacea. The whole government is a shambles, and the three figures in the heat right now should all be packing their bags too. What's more, we must hope that the British electorate makes its discontent known in next week's local elections.