OK to be an OE

This month's GQ magazine features an article by Charlie Brooks. For those who don't know, he's the posho who recently married Rebekah Wade (formerly Editor of The Sun and now top henchman at Murdoch's News International). Brooks's day job is as a racing journalist for The Telegraph. The sort of job, in other words, that puts one rather in mind of the actor who was asked by Peter Cook at a party if he was doing anything these days. "I'm writing a novel, actually," said the actor. "Ah, neither am I," replied Cook.

Anyway, I digress etc. This piece is a jolly romp about why it's finally OK, after a "lonely, secretive life" hitherto, to admit to being an Old Etonian. ("The only person I knew who was reckless enough to admit he was an OE was the late Daily Mail diarist Nigel Dempster. And he went to Sherborne."

Now that OE David Cameron is likely to change his pre-initials to PM in the near future, all sorts of cronies are popping up. There's Boris, of course ("[without whom] this renaissance would certainly not have been possible; because Boris proves the point that there is no such thing as a stereotypical OE."). Rory Stewart – who I am a little hot for – a young man who has already racked up an OBE, a Harvard professorship and serious time in Afghanistan. (Next foolhardy mission: to become a Tory MP.)

Those with rather fewer democratic tendencies include Prince Dipendra of Nepal who massacred several members of his family from cousin to King. Let's hope fellow OE Prince William doesn't follow in his bloody steps. (No, all you anti-monarchists out there - I'm not going to say otherwise - we'll have that argument another time.)

Simon Mann, recently home and sure to be pointing not so much a finger as a heavy load of artillery at Sir Mark Thatcher, also learned his survival skills at the Slough Grammar.

Plus a plethora of others - Bear Grylls, Hugh Laurie, John Carver, Johnnie Boden, Jeremy - sorry, Jay – Jopling and more. Much more than this.

The question is somehow still begged: is it - is it really - OK to be an OE?

More to follow...