Who rules Britain?

According to Steve Hilton (in his recently published "More Human") an insular ruling class is threatening Britain's democracy.

A small elite of MPs, business bosses and journalists allegedly controls Britain.

One's first reaction might be a "No really? Wasn't it ever thus?"

A second response might identify a different form of conspiracy. Not a conspiracy to effect control, but to convince the man on the Clapham omnibus that someone really is in control.

In truth our society, already a complex system in its own right, is now so much part of a hugely complex global supersystem that control is probably impossible.

Steve Hilton's "elite" struggles even to set the agenda, let alone determine material outcomes. 

Yet it remains in the interests of politicians to be rewarded for supposed influence, as it is in the interests of overpaid bosses and attention-hungry journalists.

And ironically Mr Hilton is right at the centre of this conspiracy.

As befits a member of that elite.