Coconut

Ofcom CEO Ed Richards landed a gentle kick in the groin of the BBC Trust yesterday, giving evidence to the DCMS Select Committee. He volunteered that there were "structural issues" with the way it operates: "If it is the case, as I have read, that in relation to the payoffs issue the Trust felt it had no remit, that to me is beyond belief".  Ed may have thought the Trust's behaviour was beyond belief when it preferred George Entwistle to him as Director General in 2012.  Ed came third, behind Caroline Thomson, though ahead of the mystery fourth shortlisted candidate.

However, during his discourse, Ed did come up with a coconut for his old mate James Purnell, now Director of Strategy and Digital at the BBC - a bald, if stuttering statement,that he believed that it was, in principle, OK to give the BBC a Charter funded by a licence fee for the next ten years.

Readers will know that Ed and James shared offices at the BBC, at Downing Street, and changing rooms playing football for Demon Eyes.