Gray Matter by Christopher Gray

‘Pc Rowland was determined to do his duty as he saw it regardless of who it might inconvenience.” So said Mr Justice Mitting in his wise judgment in the Andrew Mitchell ‘Plebgate’ affair.

A similar attitude doubtless prevailed in the minds of police officers who last week ordered the closure of the southbound carriageway of the A34 for more than 12 hours following the bus and lorry crash near Marcham.

Inconvenienced on this occasion were thousands and thousands of people, with a huge cost to the national economy.

Closures like this — albeit of not such long duration — are an all too regular feature on this road. I am not alone in entertaining serious doubts about their necessity.

Just as one wonders who precisely gave the order here, I would like to know the identity of the person — duty again — who planned the road works at Green Road roundabout. Last week I sat for a whole hour on a bus between Brookes campus and Headington shops.

Defence Minister Michael Fallon is doing his duty to political correctness — moving to a different topic — when he prepares for women to enter front-line combat. He spoke on Radio 4’s Today of the different female “physiology”, a word also trotted out in a later news report.

Physiology is a branch of biology. The word required was physique. You see, my pedantry doesn’t take a break, even at Christmas. Have a good one.