And have been taking to social media and the airwaves to issue defenses of Patel that are all essentially "This person is not a bully because I, a person who they consider an equal and would be able to demand consequences if they attempted to bully me, have not been bullied by them." As with the backbench Tory attempts to oppose free school meals, they are not covering themselves in glory.

Truth is, we've all come across people people like Patel who are sycophantic with people at their level or above on the greasy pole but abusive to those they consider beneath them on the career ladder. It's not an endearing trait to put it mildly.