The war on drugs has been lost. The simple fact is that the whole world is rapidly becoming one vast criminal network. From pop stars and royal princes to crack whores and street kids, from the Groucho Club toilets to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, we are all partners in crime.

High Society is a story about Britain today, a criminal nation in which everybody is either breaking the law or knows people who do. It takes the reader on a hilarious, heartbreaking and terrifying journey through the kaleidoscope world that the law has created and from which the law offers no protection.

I've been a fan of Ben Elton's since his Friday Night Live days, and do look forward to his novels. My only problem with them is that he has a tendency to rehash his old stand up routines in order to get a cheap laugh, which is unnecessary. His books always amuse me, even though they're not all high art. My favourite to date was Dead Famous, though I liked STARK a lot. I'm looking forward to seeing how Benji tackles the drugs issue, hopefully without getting too puritanical and moralistic.