City minister Kitty Ussher (no, nor me: the Treasury's economic secretary since last month and MP for Burnley since 2005) tells this morning's Financial Times of her fears for London’s status as one of the world’s leading financial centres given the pain of travelling through Heathrow. Having done so myself a couple of times recently, I can only concur. As you take off you can look down on the new Terminal 5 and hope that things will get better.

In its favour I would say this of Heathrow: at least it's not Gatwick. Having made that trip too in the last couple of months it's not one I'd care to repeat in a hurry.