Putting aside that his wife is an utterly deranged fanatic, Jonathan Powell himself has fingerprints all over countless disastrous policies. As Blair’s Chief of Staff he intervened to remove wording in the notorious Iraq dossier that questioned the likelihood of Saddam Hussein using chemical and biological weapons offensively, all to strengthen the case for war. He also sent letters assuring IRA suspects they weren’t wanted by police, while British soldiers received no such reassurances — helping create today’s grotesque two-tier system. And under Starmer he organised the totally discredited Chagos deal which hands British territory to Mauritius and commits British taxpayers to paying billions to retain use of a strategically vital military base Britain already controls. His wife has done us all a favour in (hopefully) hastening his exit.