TS is often accused of cynicism ­ and rightly so. But we’re beginning to wonder whether we can hold a candle to you lot.

On the rare occasion that TS is awake by that time in the morning, we always tune in to Accountancy Age’s new Insider Business Club web seminars (held every Wednesday). And we’ve been taken aback by the negative nature of the questions.

Our personal favourite came last week during the CPD and training session. ‘My experience regarding working in accounting in England is that career progress has got nothing to do with knowledge and ability,’ one listener said.

‘And it’s got everything to do with whether your “face fits”, whether you have the right family connections and whether you are prepared to get involved sexually with other members of staff where you work. That’s the reality of “getting on in the work place”.’

TS can sympathise as journalism works in exactly the same way. After all, how do you think we ended up on the back page of Accountancy Age.