The Grauniad and the Torygraph both feature stories about the Rt Rev Tom Butler, the Bishop of Southwark, who apparently became rather tired and emotional after attending a Christmas drinks function at the Irish Embassy in London. According to eye witnesses, the bishop was afterwards found in the back seat of someone else’s Mercedes, chucking toys out the window. When the owner of the occupied car inquired, reasonably, what the bishop was up to, Mr Butler apparently replied “I’m the Bishop of Southwark, it’s what I do.”

Butler then apparently fell out of the car onto the pavement, picking up a pretty nasty black eye in the process.

It seems the Right Reverend should have been on his guard. The Guardian report noted that drinkies at the Irish Embassy “. . . are events not noted for their abstemiousness. MPs have been known to leave on their hands and knees.”

You have to wonder whether there isn’t a whiff of latent Republicanism animating these diplomatic pissups, where increasingly debilitated members of the British Establishment are gleefully plied with potent Portuguese wine. Because I’m sure the embassy staff remains the epitome of ambassadorial sobriety throughout…