I’m not British, but can I please work for the British Department for International Development? They’ve just announced that their international staff will be immersed for one week with poorer communities every time they reach a new posting.

The idea is to give them a clearer perspective on who they are trying to help - and avoid the impression that the capital's relative comforts are a normal part of life for most people. It's a good idea, and I can't imagine it isn't popular with DFID's staff. In fact, it almost sounds like some kind of dream that the career people were able to hoodwink the political staff into approving.