Wealthy foreigners who live in London, and who legitimately choose to take advantage of Britain's absurdly generous tax regime - the so-called "non-doms" who are much in the news at present - have made an extravagant contribution to the culture of the UK. They swarm in hordes during the art auction season, and pay massive sums of money for work that is still some way from standing the test of time. They may donate generously to worthwhile artistic causes, such as the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall and the building of Tate Modern. Some are passionate about a particular art form; others just like to consume and snap up boxes at Covent Garden and Glyndebourne.

None of this should be surprising. The arts have always depended, to an extent, on the benefaction of the super-rich. There would be no Sistine Chapel without the super-rich papacy; no Mozart operas without the super-rich Viennese court.