Two futures

Last Christmas, The Spectator set up an appeal — not for money to be given to charity, but for our readers to use what influence they have to offer internships for children selected by the Social Mobility Foundation. The response was wonderful. Offers arrived from across the country and, as a result, teenagers found themselves in barristers’ chambers, railway companies, even the royal household. It was such a success that we are repeating our appeal this year.

Several of our readers wrote in to make an interesting point: that while they were delighted to help, they could not pretend their motives were entirely charitable. There is great demand for young talent nowadays, so shrewd employers go the extra mile to find it. Gore Browne Investment Management, for example, said it saw in the Spectator scheme a chance to widen its net. It ended up offering a six-week (paid) internship to a student (selected by the SMF) and has asked her to get back in touch when she is looking for work.