Guido passed on IPPR’s kind offer of a lunch hour with a professor and no food or drink. Instead Guido made his way out of the cellar and up a few floors to the press dining room for today’s Lobby lunch. Christopher Meyer of the PCC was the speaker defending the status quo, pro that he is he made an excellent case for the continuance of the lobby unchanged that was almost plausible. Essentially mere mortals don’t need to know everything because if it was all on the record it would be bland. No mention of the truth being a good benchmark. Lots of patronising lines from him about lovely regional paper editors not wanting to bother their head about Westminster stuff. Particularly enjoyed the self-comparison made between his role and that of King Solomon.

Finally, yes, it was Guido who turned up in shorts and an Irish rugby shirt having forgotten about the lunch and then having to dash over without changing. My thanks to the Lobby journalist who invited me firstly for a decent bottle of wine and secondly for not blushing at the attire of his guest. No need for Guido to add to his embarrassment by naming him.