Twelve months ago, it was Rishi Sunak who was lighting a candle outside No. 10. So with a new regime installed in office, Mr S wondered how Keir Starmer would go about marking the Hindu festival. Sadly it seems that Starmer’s reverse Midas touch has struck again. For Steerpike hears that last week’s big bash in Downing Street proved something of a disappointment, with attendees complaining of menu choices not quite befitting Diwali’s normal traditions…

Mr S would remind readers that strict observers of Diwali – the Hindu ‘festival of lights’ – do not consume alcohol during the occasion, while the...