David Cameron’s boring Bullingdon past

A lengthy feature on Tory leader David Cameron in Time magazine – he makes the cover, but only for the UK edition – contains some bolstering quotes from friends. "He’s ambitious, competitive, there's an element of selfishness, all the things you require to be Prime Minister," says one. Cameron "doesn’t do doubt" gushes another. There is only aspect of the profile that might ruffle the Tory leader and his friends – a mention of Bullingdon, the elite Oxford club which Cameron prefers to forget in his attempt to portray himself as a man of the people.

David Worth, a fellow member of the Oxford society, recalls a boat trip to Cliveden, the stately home turned luxury hotel. However, no spiffing anecdote follows, only this dampest of squibs: "There was a surreal Brideshead Regurgitated quality to the evening. David quoting Winston Churchill extensively by memory – Churchill was a bit of a lush, so there were also funny quotes about drinking." Surely it must have been more fun than that.