First an apology. In the week that Gordon Brown marks his first year in Number 10 there has been a slight softening towards the prime minister in some sections of the media. In the same spirit of charity I would like to admit that I have erred most grievously in the battered furniture department. I suggested that Mr Brown kicked over a desk when told that Revenue & Customs had lost discs containing half the nation's bank details. A senior Whitehall man fed me this titbit (it may have been over spiced beef followed by delicious mango ice cream, though I can't quite recall) but he was misinformed.

I now learn from an impeccable source that when Alistair Darling, the chancellor, rang the PM to say that discs had been lost, Mr Brown received the news perfectly calmly. Checks with the official who was listening in - officials always monitor ministerial phone calls to prevent any misunderstandings later - revealed not so much as a hint of raised voices. I understand that the reason for Mr Brown's equanimity was that neither he nor Mr Darling realised quite what a cock-up it was.