It is the rarest of things: a standing ovation in the House of Commons. There have been two this week, both related to blood infections.
Heated talk of an early election was swatted aside by Rishi Sunak at PMQs on Wednesday, with the prime minister and Sir Keir Starmer dwelling at greater length on the infected blood scandal.
Citing the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Post Office Horizon scandal and Hillsborough, the Labour leader insisted that nothing less than a legally enshrined “duty of candour” is needed to end a culture in Whitehall and the NHS of denial, delay and cover-up.
The Prime Minister agreed that previous scandals such as the Hillsborough stadium disaster showed the need for a fundamental rethink of how institutions respond to wrongdoing.
“Ensuring nothing like this ever happens again is a priority,” he said, although critics say that ongoing policies such as the deportation of migrants to Rwanda are scandals waiting to happen.
On Tuesday, after the Government laid out its plan to compensate victims of the infected blood scandal, survivors and relatives stood to clap in the Commons public gallery. Finally, they had the response they had fought for, for so long, even as the fight for a step-change in Government culture continues.
Moments before PMQs, the House rose as one to acclaim South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay. The Conservative was back for the first time since a brush with death from sepsis, which cost him his hands and feet.
He was wearing new prosthetic limbs, and he apologised to the Speaker for breaking dress code by going without a jacket (the hands are too big for the sleeves) and sporting trainers. In the same public gallery where the infected blood victims had been were some of the NHS medics who helped to save his life.
For once, there was no bad blood on the floor of the House as every party leader praised Mr Mackinlay’s bravery. For himself, he included the Commons Speaker in his round of thanks after Sir Lindsay Hoyle had visited him in hospital.
There was just one problem. Some of the NHS staff thought he’d died and the funeral director had arrived. Sporting his sombre black gown, Sir Lindsay smiled bashfully.
