“Nationally [voters are] voting for a team, with people like George Osborne, William Hague, Ken Clarke and Caroline Spelman. People rightly think ‘who do I want running the team?’” – David Cameron

So the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and government gets a mention, but Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling doesn’t.

Is this Cameron’s Sicilian message that gaffe-prone Chris will be sleeping with the political fishes if Cameron wins the election?

But it was the call to our office before his arrival that puzzled us.

“Hello could you help us out,” his press assistant asked, “how do we get to the Mercury from junction 20 on the M1?” Ken was muttering away in the background about the confusion.

A helpful reporter with a better head for directions duly stepped in and led the way, but surely a key player like Ken should have a sat-nav to help him tour the country?

Despite insisting that he was just half an hour away, he didn’t arrive at our reception for a further 60 minutes.

Speculation that he’d taken time out to enjoy a Bolivar Petit Corona in the spring sun before arrival was unfounded…