After a long couple of weeks getting it in the neck from almost every angle, it looks like Dave hit the pub with the Mrs. Not just any boozer, an expensive one in Belgravia where the drinks cost eight pounds and dinner won’t leave much change from a hundred. And it seems it didn’t go very well:

Sam & Dave last night having dinner/supper at the Pantechnicon Pub, Motcombe Street. Sam seemed to be giving him a hard time.—
Eye Spy MP (@eyespymp) April 05, 2012

Was the slow cooked Castle of Mey beef bavette, truffle potato, spinach & bone marrow jus not up to scratch? Or was it the eight point dip in Dave’s personal approval rating?

As regular readers will know, Guido has always had an eye for fashion.

He thought he’d let GQ’s Olivia Cole, our new fashion correspondent, give us the low down on the US trip though:

“Hot fuchsia pink, a conspicuous absence of a formal jacket for the President’s welcome and stepping off the plane in a pair of skinny black cropped trousers and best-of-British Burberry coat, Samantha Cameron is plainly determined not to look like a cardboard cut out politician’s wife. Let’s remember that it’s not just frocks, it’s business and British business at that. 

The LK Bennett shoes worn so far are, frankly, a bit yawn but on the other hand they are likely to be comfortable and possible to wear for hours at a time (you can’t always say this for more fashionable footwear) Perhaps a £900 shoe is deemed a bit much. Her black trench coat worn yesterday was by Burberry – the pragmatic item mythologized by creative director Christopher Bailey and re-invented every season. Cynics sick of fashion commentary accompanying the Special Relationship love-in should take a look at their bank balance – founded 1856 , Burberry today it’s a FTSE 100 company with an annual turnover of £1.5bn.

As well as flying the flag for an established British success story like Burberry, this touring fashion show is championing emerging London businesses too. Mrs Cameron’s hot pink fuchsia top (with an on trend peplum) and blue, aquamarine and cream dress today are both by one-to-watch Serbian born, London based Roksanda Ilincic. With red carpet fans from Kate Hudson to Cate Blanchett, and Keira Knightley, in recent years her stock has been quietly and elegantly rising. Her signature is brilliant classic-with-a-twist tailoring (her dresses fit perfectly, surely a must have for an occasion in the spotlight). Her always surprising use of colour gives a very modern edge to dresses inspired by Parisian silhouettes of the 40s and 50s. For those that gripe “it cost HOW MUCH”… “£1200 for a jacket… in a recession” it’s worth remembering that for the designers, the resulting publicity is frankly priceless.”

We’ll have the full state banquet report tomorrow…

Olivia Cole is the Literary Editor of GQ. And Neo-Guido’s sister.

It’s all hands to the deck as the HMS Big Society takes water below the bow. Luckily someone is tooled up, hoping to plug the hole:

What a coincidence that today after sustained attack on the BS, Mrs Cameron was out and about visiting a social breakdown charity in Reading. Apparently “it is very exciting to see a social action project so successfully bringing together different elements in the community to help young people struggling with mainstream education”. Activate the Sam Cam…