With youth unemployment approaching a million the idea that rich parents can buy their children access to the top jobs is seen as particularly unfair. When the Tories were caught red-handed flogging internships for cash Tom Watson was quick out of the blocks:

“This is a crass example of rich Tories buying privilege. Most young people could only dream of this opportunity. The Conservatives flog them like baubles and fill their coffers with the profits. It is obscene.”

The BBC’s Andrew Marr joined in the kicking, “This money is going to be used by the Conservative Party, presumably, to tell us we’re all in it together.” So Guido is looking forward to similar outrage over the fact that the BBC’s Alan Yentob is at the centre of an intern-auctioning scandal. The charity “Kid’s Company” had a fundraising event on Wednesday 5 October attended by Clive Anderson and Rowan Atkinson plus the great and good of the liberal-luvvie media world. The auction was quite a hit with plenty of opportunity to “buy privilege”. Lot Number 9, “a week shadowing the BBC creative director” was particuarly popular – going for a total of £4,100. Guido would probably pay a similar amount not to spend a week with Alan Yentob…

So just how did the charity get such rare and much sought after access to the cut-throat world of BBC internships? When we asked the Beeb’s press office what Auntie’s policy was on internships, the Beeb’s line was that officially all “work experience placements” have to be advertised publicly and are overseen by the HR department. Except it seems if you are Alan Yentob who was clearly in breach of BBC policy. As chairman of “Kids Company” he just went round the rules and sold an opportunity “most young people could only dream of…” to the richest parents…