Dave, you’re a disappointment – but there’s still time to change that

Dear Dave,

There are few things more annoying than when an old friend writes to tell you what a hash you’re making of your life. Especially when the friend is a squitty hack/blogger and you’re a leader of the free world. God, how impertinent is that?

But there are things that old friends can see that newer friends wouldn’t dare tell you even if they were capable of noticing.