In 1956, three British MPs encountered a group of Swiss politicians in the bar of the Hotel Flüela in Davos and after a few drinks challenged them to a ski race. A timed slalom contest took place the following day, with the three-person Swiss team beating the Brits by a combined four seconds. Not willing to take this lying down, the MPs insisted on a rematch the following year and thus was born the Anglo-Swiss Parliamentary Ski Week, which celebrated its 70th anniversary earlier this month.

I heard about it from my friend Dan Hannan shortly after I became a peer, and immediately put my name down, imagining it to be a massive freebie. Not so. The Graubunden canton provides you with a free lift pass, and the local ski school, which organizes the races, throws in some complimentary guides. But apart from that you have to pay for everything yourself.

He took home the cup for the fastest time and bought everyone a drink – James Bond in ermine

He took home the cup for the fastest time and bought everyone a drink – James Bond in ermine

It’s fair to say that this exercise in chairlift diplomacy isn’t as glamorous as it once was. The oldest participant this year was the 93-year-old Lord McColl,........

© The Spectator