A vodka martini. With some frills which I can discuss for legal reasons

V good piece

Yes and once that’s accepted I wonder whether the reasoning about advice on the *award* of honours not being justiciable (76) will be sustainable. Eg “there will be no reputational damage from not being granted an honour.” Really? See Beckham’s apparently delayed knighthood …

Very interesting. I wonder whether the distinction between (not) awarding honours and revoking them will last. I can imagine some high-profile claimant saying everyone knows they were nominated for an honour but didn’t get one - the process was unfair, their reputation has suffered etc

One fewer no-go area for judicial review.

Maybe they’re the ones down by the river?

Your favourite cathedral in autumn sun

It turns out that much “red tape” is not imposed by bureaucrats or lawyers but the result of conscious political choices which can only be reversed at a political and practical cost

I’ve lost track of the number of “red tape challenges” I’ve lived through - commitments to “slash regulations”, “roll back the frontiers of the state”, blah blah. Sure have a go. Repealing obscure, already obsolete rules doesn’t count

Letter printed in The Times today

Farewell to Summer. A Manhattan variant with Amante 1530

50 ml bourbon (I currently lack rye) 12.5 red vermouth 12.5 Amante 1530 Orange bitters

Oh yes it’s in my top 5

Farewell to Summer. A Manhattan variant with Amante 1530