BUSINESS NEWS

TUPNews recently returned from a morning press conference at the Carlton Club, a gentlemens’ club on St. James Street in London’s sophisticated St. James/Mayfair area. After a hairy moment when your correspondent was nearly turned away for my failure to sport a necktie, TUPNews was escorted downstairs to the Cabinet Room, thankfully without having to bear the ignominy of wearing the ‘house’ tie that such clubs often keep behind the desk for the rare and unpleasant occasions when members of the merchant class such as myself attempt to gain entry.

The Carlton Club has strong links to the Conservative Party. The Cabinet Room is so named because it contains the original Cabinet table used by Benjamin Disraeli, a former British prime minister who pretty much founded the modern Conservative Party. The table is circular, and would seat around twelve to fourteen people at the most. I arrived too late to take a seat there, unfortunately, and was therefore unable to fantasise about debating the Climbing Boys Act. Instead, I had to make do with the row of seats at the back of the room.

Large portraits of famous 20th century Tories line the room – Heath, Major, Lord Wakeham. Mrs. T takes pride of place, with the largest portrait directly behind the table (that is, where the chairman of any meeting would sit.) It’s pretty cool, and the effect is rendered more impressive by the cosy size of the room, and the fact that it is tucked away in the basement.

The subject of the press conference was the “Energy Crisis in the UK and Europe.” Much was said. To summarise: buy a nice, thick jumper this winter. And maybe some long johns.