Every child to have a good start in life, every mother to have safe childbirth, everybody to be cared for in old age or if they fell ill or had an accident.

BBC: News | UK Politics | Frank Dobson's speech in full

More than 2.5 million people have already been paid compensation for being mis-sold the insurance, supposedly to help them pay loans such as mortgages and credit cards if they fell ill or lost their jobs.

BBC: Banks call for PPI time limits

If French President Jacques Chirac or German Chancellor Angela Merkel or Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suddenly fell seriously ill, would the global media cover the story hour by hour?

CNN: Raz: Small nation, huge influence

Mr Strasser wonders whether a public school would recognise that his children have two fathers, or if a hospital would allow both of them to visit if one of their children fell ill.

ECONOMIST: Lexington