It is just over a year since I was secretary of state for local government – again.

The need for a caretaker member of the Cabinet during the last 10 weeks of the Johnson Government meant I joined only two people – Michael Heseltine and John Prescott – ever to have the job twice.

Of course, Michael Gove has since gone back too, so now we are a club of four.

Returning to the role – in my case after six years – was enjoyable.

You can get a lot of things done, if you know how things work – creating an East Midlands mayoral authority and publishing a rough sleeper strategy for starters.

Going back was also instructive.

The contrast between 2016 and now was in some respects striking.