There is shock, outrage and disbelief after a Newsnight interview with ex Cabinet minister James Purnell, in which he suggested that think tanks such as 'Demos' should stop using old fashioned Greek words like 'Demos' and start using more recent terms like the Latin 'Plebis' or even the anglicised 'Plebs'.

The whole point of a 'think tank' he claims is to think up new ways of describing the political scene in a framework that people can find appealing. Why use Greek, when the more recent Latin might suffice? What could possibly be wrong about calling a think tank - Plebs?"

When pressed on the point and asked why think tanks did not use really, really modern words like 'The People', he replied: "Are you a fool? The phrase 'The People' is so, so last season. In fact it's not even last season, its the season before the last season before the last season before the season before that. What kind of a square are you? The 'people.'.? Don't make me laugh..."