COMPLIMENT OF THE WEEK

LORD (Tom) King, former Defence Secretary, this week called the petite Leader of the House of Lords, former typist Lady Stowell, his ‘honey bun’.

King was making the traditionally jocular start-of-term speech after the State Opening of Parliament.

Quoting from the musical South Pacific, he spoke of tiny Tina Stowell thus: ‘A hundred and one pounds of fun, that’s my little honey bun, get a load of honey bun tonight, I’m speakin’ of my Sweetie Pie, only 60 inches high, ev’ry inch is packed with dynamite.’