I'm off to see a carmaker tomorrow, armed with a bundle of questions from an AM-friendly dealer.

His call was extremely well-timed on Friday, giving us an update of the latest developments in his franchise.

I had no idea he would call just a few days before a pre-arranged meeting with his carmaker.

Up until a couple of months ago, it was a franchise he enjoyed and respected. Now he's far from happy, so clearly something major has changed.

But I can put his questions and points to the franchise's management, with him in no fear of recrimination - it's one aspect of this job that I most enjoy - always fun to challenge authority.

Read about the outcome in my  next blog.