The last two general elections were textbook in the way they highlighted the enormous disproportion between popular vote and allocated seats. In 2005, Labour received only 35% of the popular vote but were handed 55% of the seats. 22% of the electorate cast a ballot for the LibDems but all they got in the Commons was 9.6% of the seats. Claude.

Charity used to be something you did quietly, unostentatiously. We attended a breakfast for high-net-worth individuals organised by the Charities Aid Foundation and hosted by the Lord Mayor of London. The main speaker was Stanley Fink, chief executive of Man Group plc, the hedge-fund managers. Charity, he made plain, is now a way to fame

“I want to talk about what charity can do for us,” he told his audience, describing giving as the ultimate door-opening lifestyle accessory. “What do you do now you’ve got all the toys?” he asked. “You’ve already got all the houses, yachts, cars and jets you can use, so what comes next is charity.” It’s not just the joy of giving, but opportunities to meet celebrities: “I get invited to places I’d never have seen otherwise.” Charity is the passport to the in-crowd: he listed the eye-popping names and places his philanthropy had taken him, from No 10 upwards. Give and ye shall meet celebs. David Walker and Polly Toynbee, The Guardian.