The bizarre world of G20 summits

Once inside the conference building, you could be anywhere on the globe

The political classes are often accused of living in a bubble, and the biggest bubble of them all is a G20 summit.

Twenty leaders from 20 of the world’s biggest economies – 19 countries plus the European Union – roll into town and create their own sealed universe grafted onto whatever city is hosting them.

They bring with them vast numbers of ministers, advisers, assistants and bag-carriers. And in their wake come even vaster armies of reporters, photographers and camera crew. In all, 30,000 people have flooded into Osaka and made the city’s Intex conference centre their temporary home for the two-day jamboree of politics.