Dress codes: A toast to the first post-tie DG

Acting Director-General at the Beeb, Tim Davie (Getty Images)

George Entwistle's gone. Newsnight is in meltdown. The BBC is engulfed by crisis. And now, it has an acting Director-General in Tim Davie who swans about without a tie.

Ties, the argument goes, are a sign of respect for your colleagues. A man in a tie is a man who takes you, and his job, seriously.

Well, let's remember the bankers who fleeced us in impeccable neckwear. And ties are now abnormal in a lot of offices.

Sure, if everyone's wearing one, follow suit. But if your colleagues tend to be a little more casually attired, I'd suggest that a pointless tie is an unearned way of asserting your superiority. Plus, it makes people think you've got a job interview in your lunch hour. So, Mr Davie, stay loose. At least no one will think you've got a meeting lined up at ITV.