Have to say I was pleased with Tony Blair's calm response to the purple flour attacks in the House of Commons at Prime Minister's questions yesterday, both at the time and afterwards.

His calmness is in deep contrast to that of many of his parliamentary colleagues and the media hysteria about lack of security.

I hope, though doubt, that calm reason will prevail. Hysteria leads to measures which create the illusion of security without the reality. And that can lead to poorer security. And whatever one thinks of politicians as a breed it is a relief that no one was hurt or seriously injured in the incident.