I have learned that puffins, dolphins, and bumblebees are among the wildlife shortlisted to appear on the next generation of Bank of England notes.
All very worthy creatures, no doubt. I have nothing against puffins. Dolphins seem pleasant enough, although admittedly, I have never met one. Bumblebees perform valuable public services and, unlike certain politicians, generally know where they are going.

However, buried in the small print was a rather startling revelation: household pets will not be included among the options.

This raises an important constitutional question.

Am I a pet, or am I a civil servant?