Jay, as a Novocastrian Oxonian I feel I ought to comment on your piece about the Etonian Oxonians running the world. It is particularly interesting that neither of the two Etonians who have achieved the highest office were actually involved in Oxford politics. Oxford has several societies that are seen as the playgrounds of power – the Oxford Union (Boris Johnson, Mayor of London; Michael Gove, Education Secretary; William Hague, Foreign Secretary; Andrew Sullivan…), the Oxford University Conservative Association (Jeremy Hunt, Culture Secretary; Daniel Hannan MEP; Andrew Sullivan…) or the Junior Common Rooms more frequented by the left (David Milliband, former Foreign Secretary; Ed Milliband, Leader of the Opposition; Ed Balls, Shadow Chancellor; not Andrew Sullivan as far as I’m aware…).

Neither Mr. Cameron nor Mr. Vejjajiva took this route. They were both up when I was there, but I knew of neither. Some of my friends recall Mr. Cameron as a solid vote for the Thatcherite faction in OUCA, and at least one of my friends had a violent confrontation with a member of the Bullingdon Club (of which Mr. Cameron was a member, so it could have been him), but both the Prime Ministers achieved their office in spite of, rather than because of, their experiences in Oxford politics.

As for Etonianism, Boris Johnson was a veteran of the Eton Wall Game, at which he succeeded because he was, I was reliably informed, almost completely impervious to pain. Doubtless that stood him in good stead for his political career. The only other unusual skill I ever saw displayed by Etonians was a skill at folding broadsheet newspapers matched only by the finest Origami masters of the Orient.