McKay always was a bit of a dandy. I came across him shortly after he won the Stetchford byelection. He came to my university to give a talk, and I went along out of curiosity (being a member of the Labour Party at the time). And there he was. Long hair, very neatly coiffed, and possibly dyed blonde; cowboy boots and flares; a white suit with lapels so wide they nearly clipped his arms; and a garishly loud tie. When someone gets themselves up as a trendy while spouting social authoritarian poison (he wanted to bring back hanging, among other things), one finds the dress sense creepy.

As for the other half of the golden Tory couple, to see and hear Julie Kirkbride MP you would think she had been head girl of Roedean or Benenden. Yet in reality she attended a grammar school in West Yorkshire. She is not as posh as she seems.