Have I just witnessed the death of party politics?

Little more than a year after the worst financial meltdown in 60 years, the New Statesman stages an all-party debate on the banking system.

I think to myself: “Radical mag. Controversial subject. Plenty of party political difference. There should indeed be some fur flying.”

Boy, was I wrong! The City minister Lord Myners made the running and, frankly, there wasn’t a dissenting voice in the house. “Comfortable” would be too kind a word.

The Lib Dem and Conservative shadow ministers dissented not at all. And even the bankers seemed happy.

Barclays CEO John Varley never raised the question of the super-tax and bank bonuses, and people only laughed when it was suggested some bankers might be thinking about leaving Blighty.

If this is the shape of the general election to come, it’s going to be extremely dull. And the difficulty is that with hardly a policy difference between then – certainly on this matter – how are voters expected to choose?

It is hardly credible that politicians strutting round the country boasting that they are not the Labour party is going to do the trick.

I’m hoping today was an aberrant moment, but suspecting that it is a pointer to things to come.