Sir John Nott, the former chairman of Lazard Brothers and ex-cabinet minister in the Thatcher government, has some harsh things to say about the modern-day investment banking industry in his recent memoirs* (see Comment, page 5). But his most biting remarks are reserved for Wall Street. It wasn't just the culture he disliked, it was the interior design as well. Lauding the shabbiness of Lazard's New York offices, Nott writes: 'The chichi offices of the big US investment bankers are normally rather revolting and are decorated in an upmarket 'brothel' style - an appropriate decor.'

• Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, published by Politico's Publishing £20.