The dastardly Mr Deedes

Matthew Freud’s annual party on Wednesday was attended by David Cameron, George Osborne and Microsoft nerd Bill Gates. It was held at the art nouveau Schatzalp Hotel, a former sanatorium a thousand feet above town where tuberculosis sufferers could be kept quarantined from the rest of society. Some think it preferable that this hellish rabble were kept quarantined from the rest of society, but that’s unkind. Beard alert: BT boss and David Hasselhoff lookalike Gavin Patterson is cultivating a rakish salt n’ pepper beaver. Gorgeous Gav’s edgy new Winter/Spring look is provoking quite a few matronly blushes around the Kongresszentrum. Sadiq Khan’s moaning about Brexit is unbecoming of the London Mayor. No doubt his remarks found favour with pro-EU bankers at Morgan Stanley, whom he addressed on Wednesday evening. The investment bank has been good to Labour, providing gainful employment to Tony Blair’s son Euan, his former Sherpa Jonathan Powell and ex- chancellor Alistair Darling. Maybe they’ll find a berth for Sadiq one day. Yesterday’s British Business Leaders’ lunch was a Who’s Who of City grandes fromages. Among those gathered at the Belvedere Hotel were WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell, BT’s Sir Mike Rake, BAE head honcho Sir Roger Carr and various other FTSE 100 Chiefs. Also there, looking like a muntjac in the headlights, was Prince Andrew’s workshy daughter Beatrice. How was she? ‘Sweet and very humble,’ says a fellow guest. ‘So unlike her father.’ Re the British Business Leaders’ lunch, Chancellor Philip Hammond was asked by a guest: ‘When you see all these people before you, do you see citizens of the world or citizens of nowhere?’ Hammond deadpanned: ‘Personally, I see citizens of the UK.’ Phil’s eyeballs flickered in quiet satisfaction at his response. Meanwhile, his interlocutor, EU groupie Lord Mandelson, curled his lip tartly. Have you any gossip for our City diary? Email: mrdeedes@dailymail.co.uk