Do Peter Bone's questions about who would run the country in the event of David Cameron's death represent a morbid fascination, as Nick Clegg has said, or a legitimate constitutional question?
The Conservative MP was out in force on the airwaves again on Wednesday morning, saying that his inquiries into the contingency arrangements for the prime minister's death are entirely appropriate.
“At the moment what would happen in the terrible events I’ve described? Nobody would know who’s in charge. Would the defence secretary be it? Would it be the cabinet office? Would it be William Hague? Would it be Nick Clegg? Who knows?”
And he told BBC Radio 4's Today programe that no, he was not being morbid. “Everybody hopes of course that David Cameron – as an extraordinary prime minister – continues. But I was brought up to hope for the best but to prepare for the very worst.”
Bone confronted Clegg about the arrangements in the Commons yesterday, saying: "In wishing you a merry Christmas, if the prime minister was killed in a terrorist attack, who would take charge of the government?
"Would you confirm that it wouldn't be you as you lead a party which has less support than Ukip?"
The DPM quipped: "I receive your season's greetings in the spirit in which they were intended and as you know appropriate arrangements would be made in that very unfortunate event. I have to to say that your morbid fascination with the premature death of your own party leader is not really a subject for me, it is a subject for the chief whip."