Of course, the media would have us believe that everyone in Elmbridge is loaded. The reality is very different, with diversity across the borough and pockets of relative deprivation. Over the last week I have been dropping in on our Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABs) in Walton and Esher (pictured below, with Linda Wheatley and her terrific team) as well as Elmbridge Housing Trust.

The drive towards welfare reform is vital. But for those on the frontline it throws up real practical and transitional challenges, from debt to housing problems. I am always impressed with the tremendous service provided by the CABs and the very real difference they make to their clients. They are the early warning radars for social problems in the borough, and they deserve credit for the first-rate job they do.