I return to Poland this week, my first visit back since driving across the border into Germany at the end of September last year.

To help prevent Ambassadors from setting themselves up plumply in the country of their final posting, the UK Civil Service has a rule to the effect that former Ambassadors should stay away from their final host country for at least six months.

My six months having elapsed, back I go. Reincarnated. As a businessman.

Poland of course acquired a new government as soon as my back was turned, when Jaroslaw Kaczynksi’s party was soundly beaten in Parliamentary elections by Donald Tusk’s Citizens Platform party.

Since then the new government has cruised along with enviably high ratings. And business is booming in Poland, drawing Poles back home again.

Polish foreign policy led by the energetic Radek Sikorski is also popular – the truculent Kaczynski approach came across as unnecessarily negative and defensive to many Poles. 

And as a former distinguished member himself, Sikorski no doubt enjoyed  seeing the Bullingdon Club’s plans for world domination take a further significant step forward last week.