Tax cuts in this economy? This Tory obsession is a fiscal scorched earth strategy

It is important, in leader conference, to display your ignorance when appropriate. And so when I admitted to the editor and senior bigwigs that I had not heard of Raye, the south London singer-songwriter nominated for a bazillion Brit Awards, I was expecting to be met with understanding. I was wrong. They tell you to bring your whole self to work — they don’t mean it.

Somewhat shamed, I listened to her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, later in the day, and in the words of Marge Simpson, I thought it was toe-tapping fun. I’m not a music journalist (for good reason) so won’t embarrass myself with abstruse descriptions of lyrics, melodies and mood. But it certainly made a refreshing change from listening to all 66 hours of Robert Caro’s The Power Broker on audiobook. Proof, if nothing else, that there are many types of escapism.