I could not countenance the bicycle — it has certainly not changed the world as radically as the steam locomotive or the jet engine. I could live without the computer and the web and, as a child, I did. The electric lightbulb is surely but a warm-up act to a bigger star, electricity. But if I were forced to choose one of the five finalists? No contest. Jenner’s jab knocked me out.

The idea of using disease to provide protection was an original insight with huge ramifications. It has saved millions of lives and and introduced a concept — preventive healthcare — that remains the cornerstone of medical programmes throughout the world.

According to the World Health Organisation, its only rival in terms of the number of lives saved is clean water.

So I thought the debate on Wednesday would be a breeze. I feared that the panel would be united and that Times readers would be left twitching with boredom. As we mingled beforehand, Lord Broers suggested that a healthcare invention ought to carry the day.

So one down and only one more needed to swing a majority vote on the five-strong panel — a walkover. But once on the podium, Lord Broers made a convincing case for Faraday’s achievement.

Lord Waldegrave initially chose electricity, so I was going to have to plug away to get Jenner those two extra votes, particularly as Lindsay Sharp and Mandy Haberman were gunning for the computer.

During the break, Lindsay confessed his indecision. “If you came across a remote village untouched by innovation, surely the women would want their babies protected from fatal diseases?” I asked. “You have a point,” he whispered. “But think of the health education they could access using electricity,” he replied.

Finally, electricity and vaccination had two votes apiece, after Lord Waldegrave switched to vaccination. Lindsay was asked to cast the decider and it fell to Faraday, a sparky victor.Nevertheless, I am quietly jubilant. I had persuaded a former Cabinet minister to change his mind in public, and how many journalists can say that?

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