Jacqui Smith could never be mistaken for Brian Sewell

Ladies' Day. We had not only the new Home 長官, Jacqui Smith, taking her first Question Time, but also the 上昇傾向, feel-good, ping-that-smile 特権 of Hazel Blears.

Communities 長官 Blears was talking about flooding and could not have looked more delighted!

Oh, and we had the despatch box debut of one Meg Hillier, who has become a Home Office 大臣 after months of sturdy sychophancy on the 労働 backbenches.

One of life's earnest Berthas, Ms Hillier. A 発言する／表明する which jabs you in the ear like a cotton bud minus its fluffy end.

She was unstoppable and will no 疑問 be running our lives for many years to come. God help us.

First to 行方不明になる Smith, whose 初期の 遠出 as Home 長官 last week earned reviews あられ／賞賛するing her as something between Margaret Thatcher and Diana Dors.

On the Diana Dors 前線 - if 前線 is the word - let me 簡単に 報告（する）／憶測, if only to upset 'Arriet 'Arman, that 行方不明になる Smith yesterday wore a white, zip-up 最高の，を越す which was more demure than last week's penny-in-the-slot attire.

She had 適用するd a fair 量 of eyeliner. Her dyed blondeish fringe flopped in a comely manner over her left 注目する，もくろむ.

Again she impressed with timbre and トン. She has a cheery yet blunt political persona, able to laugh while at the same time dishing out the 同志／支持者 罰.

Her accent is no-nonsense Worcestershire/West Midlands, pronouncing '技術s' more like 'skiwls', so that the 'i' is not too はっきりと 正確な. She could never be mistaken for Brian Sewell.

'Result', 類似して, comes out more like 'resolt'. The Smith larynx produces a middling, dependable, unobtrusive (if undistinguished) sort of noise.

An 器具 注ぐ nos jours. 行方不明になる Smith 直面するd some hairy questions about 移民／移住 支配（する）／統制する from the Tories' David Davis.

She fended him off, this time at least.

Mr Davi s will not leave it at that. He may unsettle her before too long and much will depend on how graceful she is when in difficulties, on how sweetly she bluffs and on the gravity of any errors she or her department makes.

She would certainly do 井戸／弁護士席 to 避ける the skull-crunching 侵略 of one of her junior 大臣s, Tony McNulty, the Vinnie Jones of 議会の 審議.

He was up 早期に yesterday and was as unlovely as ever. Definitely one of the old 政権, Mr McNulty.

行方不明になる Smith's solid 業績／成果 was watched closely (approvingly, by the look of things) by Ms Harman.

The Leader of the House was also in her place when 行方不明になる Blears made her 声明. Ms Harman's gaze seemed somehow いっそう少なく adoring when Hazel was speaking.

The two of them were 競争相手s for the 労働 副 leadership.

Is it not perfect that 行方不明になる Blears, the 閣僚 titch, is 大臣 for Flooding? Low-lying areas can in 未来 have 計器s 築くd by their riverbanks showing them at which point on the 手段 the river will burst its banks, at which point 行方不明になる Blears is likely to come visiting, and at which point the flood waters will の近くに over her 長，率いる.

She was such a perky little bundle of 楽観主義 yesterday. She smiled through everything, even through descriptions of householders losing their homes.

When she visits 災害 zones it must be a 投げ上げる／ボディチェックする-up for the 犠牲者s: do we thank her for her chirpy 楽観主義, or do we wring her ruddy neck?

Her new Tory 影をつくる／尾行する is Eric Pickles, whose arrival in an inflatable boat would 追い出す enough water to make flood levels rise an インチ.

Mr Pickles, I think we can 安全に say, made 激しい 天候 of his 懐柔的な approach to the floods.

The afternoon was also 著名な for the first 外見 of John Prescott (Lab, 船体 East) on the backbenches since he stepped 負かす／撃墜する as 副 PM.

He got to speak because his 選挙区／有権者 has been walloped by the fl oods. On and on and on he chuntered.

（衆議院の）議長 ツバメ (the 名誉き損 lawyers' friend) 許すd him 余裕／偏流 but if Mr Prescott is not more succinct next time he may find himself 存在 called to order. Or, as they say in the Prescott 世帯, 'shaddup yer 広大な／多数の／重要な twazzock'.