Putin should fear those closest to him

I was interested to see that amid the Byzantine intrigues of embattled Conservative panjandrums, two Spice Girls have criticised the government. When the Spices manoeuvre politically, pundits sometimes cite my 1996 interview with the group in which they declared their Thatcherism and opposition to the single European currency. Such is their influence that it could be said they were precursors of Brexit itself, while their phenomenon was prophetic of this century’s Neronian-Trumpian merging of politics and showbusiness.

Anyway, this takes me back to the hilarity of the original encounter. It started when the Spices heralded ‘Girl Power’ and I wrote asking if I could debate Rousseau, Marx and Nietzsche with them. To my astonishment, they agreed. I was invited to a diabolical jamboree of howling teenagers – the Smash Hits awards – where backstage I encountered these booted, miniskirted, exuberant potentates in person. Whenever I asked a question, Mel B chanted ‘GIRL POWER!’ as I discussed Hayek with Victoria Adams (as she was then) and Keynesianism with Geri Halliwell. I quickly recognised the fierce political acumen of Geri and Victoria, helmswomen of the movement, who guided the Spiceworld towards the sweet spot where elections are won: centre-right. When Geri declared they were Thatcherites, I realised it was a Clause IV moment; when Victoria expressed Euro-scepticism, I felt the world shake (though it may have been Peter Andre winning Best Singer on stage). When the story hit, Downing Street rang to ask if I could arrange a photoshoot with PM John Major and the Spices outside No. 10 – what impertinence! When I met Tony Blair, soaring towards election triumph, he asked: ‘How can we get the Spice Girls back?’ It looks as if Labour has finally managed it.