I have had several complaints from commentators in the last few days that I have not moderated their comments within minutes of their posting them.

May I remind people that this blog is run pretty much in my spare time? I have other work to do as well. And since I'm the only person who moderates the blog if I'm doing something else then I won't be reading your comments. Rest assured, I will always get round to doing so, eventually, and in my own good time. Candidly, if you don't like that, I'm afraid the answer is 'tough'.

In the meantime it's odd to note that those complaining are invariably right wing - and frankly are usually posting the sort of comment that I'm all too often inclined to send to the trash bin. And right now I'm doing more of that as many of those people also seem intent on posting repetitive comments that have no hope of adding to debate. Like any good editor I delete them for precisely that reason, allowing at most one through just for the sake of some semblance of balance, and presuming that the comments policy has not been too grievously abused on the way.