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鈥淚t would be quite amusing if Tony Blair was dragged out of Downing Street, hitting everyone with a handbag, like Thatcher did,鈥� says Alex, with a chuckle.

鈥淚t鈥檒l be difficult for him to hang on to his authority after this,鈥� Andy agrees. 鈥淢aybe he鈥檒l be pushed out before Christmas.鈥�

As his colleagues dwell on this, all eyes turn to the plasma screen above our heads. Tony Blair is about to make announcement that he will go in the next 12 months.

鈥淲ell, that鈥檚 all very well,鈥� interjects Scott. 鈥淏ut what if all this means that the Tories win the next general election? Do we really fancy David Cameron and Boris Johnson as an alternative?鈥�

Alex thinks this would be rather amusing. She says Boris gave an after-dinner speech to a landscape designers鈥� dinner once and didn鈥檛 make a word of sense. 鈥淚t was just a stream of consciousness,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 planned or anything. That would make for interesting times.鈥�

She goes on to bemoan the lack of Liberal Democrat opposition, but Scott explains this is because they are always in the pub.

Andrew鈥檚 mind, however, is still on Tony. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what he鈥檒l do after,鈥� he reveals. 鈥淗e鈥檒l go round making expensive after-dinner speeches, although he probably doesn鈥檛 need to 鈥� he鈥檚 got Cherie to support him. And anyway, the man needs a holiday.鈥�

Scott has a solution for the ailing Blair. 鈥淗e needs to learn to play golf,鈥� he says. That would relax him a bit. 鈥淗e likes to play tennis, doesn鈥檛 he? He could do a tennis tour of the Bahamas with Cliff Richard!鈥�

Andy鈥檚 thoughts turn back to Cameron & Co and what difference regime change would make to his firm. PRP has a reputation for sustainable design 鈥� it鈥檚 made the news recently by teaming up with Bill Dunster鈥檚 practice. But would Cameron really influence the sustainability agenda in the architectural world? He concludes that the Conservatives are saying all the right things about the environment, but that they have yet to prove themselves.

His colleagues remind him that Cameron did visit Greenland to see the effects of global warming 鈥� but went there on a plane, which goes against the point of the exercise. 鈥淗e went to see an icecap,鈥� Andrew explains. 鈥淎nd guess what 鈥� he saw it was melting. Go figure!鈥�

All eyes turn to the TV as Blair emerges to pronounce on his future. The group turn back to their empty glasses and sigh 鈥� they鈥檝e obviously had enough of politics. 鈥淲hen can we talk about our plans for improving the industry?鈥� asks Andy. It seems architects have got their priorities sorted after all.