Pandora: Samantha's street cred a little tricky

Samantha Cameron's great claim to street credibility – other than the dolphin tattoo which adorns her ankle – is that she once hung out with the British rapper Tricky.

The Conservative leader's wife, so the story goes, frequented the same pub in Bristol's rough neighbourhood of Montpelier as the trip-hop star during her time at university. The pair would reportedly play pool together, while regulars would smoke cannabis and consume psychedelic mushrooms.

Strange, then, that two years after the claims were made, Tricky now seems to be having doubts about the story. "Do you know what? I honestly can't remember ever meeting her at all," he told me at the launch of Form menswear.

"She seems like a nice person though, and I don't suppose she's the sort of person who would lie.

"But seriously, I can't remember ever partying with her or anything. In fact, I'd love to meet her."

Tricky recently expressed an interest in meeting Mrs Cameron's husband to speak to him about the positive effect youth clubs had on his adolescence. When I asked whether he might consider going into politics himself, he indicated there could be a major stumbling block.

"Can you run for prime minister with a criminal record?" he replied quizzically.

Jet-set Harry keeps Chelsy sweet

Prince Harry was reported over the weekend to have flown back from Army training in Canada to be at the side of his girlfriend, Chelsy Davy.

Harry's emergency, claimed a Sunday newspaper, was that his squeeze was suffering (poor lamb!) from a severe bout of toothache. How noble of him. But there were more pressing matters that he needed to attend to.

"As far as I know Harry came back for his godfather Gerald Ward's funeral in Chilton Foliat on Friday, where he was an usher," I'm told. "Of course, the crafty devil we may well have told Chelsy the trip was to be with her just to keep her sweet."

Cab driver Fry has had enough

One of our national treasures is considering plans to emigrate. Stephen Fry is keen to move to America.

"Americans in the heartland are enormously friendly and open," he says. In Europe, there's so much lazy anti-Americanism. We get so offended that they don't know much about us, and we joke they think Jamaica is the capital of Moscow or something. What we don't realise is they've got so much of their own country to see that they don't think that much about us."

Fry recently finished filming a documentary for the BBC in which he drives around the US in a black cab. I do hope his desertion won't affect his chances of a knighthood.

Cameron caption competition winner

*Last week, I asked for a witty caption to accompany my snap of David Cameron checking out the new all-colour Independent. Many thanks for all of them – including the unprintable ones – but I've selected this effort from Seb Baird: "Note to self: this Johann Hari fellow would make an excellent addition to the staff. Must tell George." I've dusted down a bottle of Moet & Chandon from my cellar, which will be winging its way to him shortly.

Richard is the only One

Richard Madeley can leave behind the grind of daytime TV, safe in the knowledge that his legacy to a grateful nation is secure.

"All those magazine shows – especially the One Show – really profited from our success. I think they only really did that well because they came off the back of something like Judy and I," he told me at the launch of his book Fathers & Sons.

Mandy's handy earner

Peter Mandelson, we are told, is making a sacrifice by returning to government, as it means an enormous pay cut. Still, Mandy won't be on the breadline quite yet. Last year, he trousered £1.2m from his investment in ad agency Clemmow Hornby Inge when half the company was sold to the WPP Group. So no need for loans this time round.

And here she is, the model student ...

Lily Cole joined students for the matriculation ceremony photograph at King's College Cambridge at the weekend. The face of Marks & Spencer had caused a stir by appearing naked on the cover of the latest edition of French Playboy. As more than one wag was heard to remark, "I didn't recognise her with her clothes on." Now a history of art degree beckons.

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