The Triumph of the Political Class, by Peter Oborne

The Political Class that Oborne skewers with great relish in his latest book is a group that relies on the state for "status, special privileges, career structure and... financial support".

It is distinguished by "lack of experience of other ways of life", he says – which explains "the culture of incompetence [that] has become a special hallmark of modern British government". Scourging Blair's cronyism and love of prime-ministerial perks, Oborne notes that not one of Brown's Cabinet "possessed significant business experience". He expresses hope, on the other hand, that Cameron will lead "an insurgency against the Political Class" – but how much has the Tory leader experienced of the world beyond Westminster?