I think that this might explain a lot: according to a recent survey ((that phrase is the modern equivalent to ‘once upon a time’ isn’t it?)) four out of five UK businessmen believe that the type of biscuit they offer to prospective clients can affect the outcome of deals.

Does this mean that those same businessmen have their judgement affected by biscuits provided at meetings?  It could be that they feel they are personally hard-nosed pragmatic types and that everyone else is swayed by such trivia, but don’t we tend to project our own motivations onto other people, even if only sub-consciously?

Might it be that the country is going to the crapper not because of global credit crunch, which sounds more like a breakfast cereal than a crisis anyway, soaring crude oil prices or planet-wide food shortages, but because our captains of industry are basing key decisions on whether they get hob nobs at a meeting?   “Well I think that supplier A’s offering was technically superior and half the price of supplier B’s shoddy goods, but he passed round a plate of ginger nuts so we’ll go with supplier B and their custard creams!”

Something to remember the next time the possibility of increasing taxes for high-earners is countered by the argument that the top people will leave the country.  If they are basing their decisions on such things then we probably don’t need them, and if there are any exceptions we could persuade them to stay by waving a packet of bourbons under their noses.