THE Tories held a snap press conference yesterday that did not look to be in the best possible taste. The idea was to introduce us to the family of Margaret Dixon, 69, from Warrington, whose operation has been cancelled seven times. Michael Howard wants to save her from pain. Or perhaps he just wants to save himself from political pain. It’s hard to tell because things get so very confusing when it snows.

It was a bitterly cold morning but the plush St Stephen’s Club in Westminster was toasty warm. The room was lined with oil paintings, including one of a stern Churchill. What would he have thought of this? Margaret (we were all on first name terms now) was too ill to come to London. Instead she was talking to television from her front room. John Reid, the Health Secretary, also on television, said that he was heading up to Warrington that very afternoon. Upon hearing this, Margaret invited him to visit her. That seemed rather savvy for an old woman with a broken shoulder but then she does have those Tory press officers to help her. They have been with her since Mr Howard raised the case at PMQs. Her front room could get very crowded.

In London her husband, Ken, and daughter, Lindsay, were late for their own press conference. It seemed that they were having a cup of tea at home with the Howards. It was a cosy scene: just Lindsay and Ken, Michael and wife Sandra, and a tiny camera crew. How did that crew get in? The press is so intrusive these days.

The press conference was the best attended for ages. A Labour Party official was there too: he was a spy but a sanctioned one. Mr Howard strode in with Lindsay and Ken. “The Dixons are a hard-working family,” he announced, “who have paid their taxes and worked hard all their lives.” (The words “hard working” will be especially noted by the Labour man, for his party had wanted to copyright them for the election.)

“John Reid has said this is all a political game. It’s not,” said Mr Howard with no visible crossed figures. “It is about real families, real people: people who have worked hard, paid their taxes and deserve better. He also said that he wanted people to write to him. Well, the Dixons’ local MEP did on their behalf in January. He couldn’t be bothered to reply.”

Lindsay, wearing hot pink, was direct and confident. She read out the letter that her family had written to Tony Blair. As she spoke, a photocopy appeared in my hand. It was handwritten. She said that after PMQs her Mum had received a new op date (as you do) of March 21. “But we are not going to hold our breath.”

Did the Tories pay their way to London? That was “irrelevant”. “We asked John Reid to help us and we have had no reply. Michael Howard has helped us.” She did all the talking. Down the table, her Dad looked small and vulnerable in his good suit and tie, his eyes staring from behind large spectacles. He looked very sad and suddenly the whole thing seemed much more real.

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