Just Eat co-founder David Buttress was brought on board in the unpaid role this week. There is no reason to doubt he will approach the challenge with goodwill and energy, but the creation of such a position sadly seems unlikely to herald much of significance.

Buttress was drafted in by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Steve Barclay, who is also Boris Johnson’s chief of staff. Barclay said that Buttress “will work in partnership with the private sector to identify, develop and promote new and existing business-led initiatives that support people with rising costs of living – from discounted prices or product offers to the expansion of business-run programmes”.