HEALTH SECRETARY Virginia Bottomley grabbed headlines unexpectedly when London's Evening Standard reported that the showpiece Marble Arch branch of Marks & Spencer had opened early to allow her to jump the queue of shoppers.
Apparently even the royal family and Margaret Thatcher have to join the queue to buy their knickers and double cream.
The national tabloids latched on to the story. The Sun's editorial grumbled "resumably she thinks she's so important that she deserves special treatment. Umlike all those patients on the HS' John Lister of pressure group London Health Emergency commented: "It's a relief to hear that Bottomley's influence can be used to open things up rather than close them down, as she is doing with London's hospitals.It seems that atter introducing a two-tier NHS she wants to introduce two-tier shopping as well." Urgent needs: Bottomley Timex strikers: up anti-union laws