Mr Carr was sharing the stage with another man who revels in an extravagant turn of phrase, former press baron Conrad Black, who became Lord Black of Crossharbour in 2001.

Despite his three-and-a-half year stint in a Florida jail on convictions of mail fraud and obstruction of justice arising out of executive fees paid while he was chairman of the Hollinger group, the 68-year-old Black seemed unscarred by the experience, expressing no less strongly held opinions than when he was owner of newspapers from London to Australia, including the Fairfax Media group.

The two canvassed a range of topics, from Syria to US foreign policy to the performance of the Obama administration.

There were a few areas of agreement. Surprisingly, perhaps, Lord Black was critical of the US health system, noting that it was excellent for 70 per cent of the population, but poor for the remaining 30 per cent. "I am no socialist but it just won't do in a rich country," he said.

Sometimes the two men, who are on friendly terms, disagreed, though not strenuously. Mr Carr was supportive of the Obama administration's handling of the Syrian crisis; Mr Black thought Obama had let his diplomacy be hijacked by "Russian thugdom".