Perestroika has taken on a fragrant note, with the announcement from Interflora that after four years of extensive negotiations, Moscow has joined the company’s international bouquet telephone and cable network: Mrs Thatcher has sent Mrs Gorbachev a bunch of flowers over the system to reinforce just how seriously the latest cold war thaw is being viewed by Whitehall – and Nancy Reagan will no doubt be furious when she gets to hear about it.