Impaled on Hadrian’s Wall
I am half Scottish: my grandfather was a Presbyterian elder and there were many clergymen and theologians in his family. He was a genuinely frugal character. The son of the manse at 10 Downing Street is one of the greatest spendthrifts ever to have been a Chancellor of the Exchequer. So much for being the frugal Presbyterian figure.
He must feel pretty wretched. Alex Salmond tweaks at Gordon Brown relentlessly. The Prime Minister knows that without dozens of Scottish MPs he would not win an election. Yet it really is ridiculous that Scottish residents get 30% more per capita public spending than my constituents – they do not have health crises or massive NHS deficits. Scottish MPs are determining public services in Suffolk. I cannot return the compliment.
Raising this, according to Harriet Harman, will dismantle the United Kingdom. She calls for greater regional affinity in England, which nobody wants, and is a notion totally discredited. It is pathetic.
As with everything, we are discovering that this Government cannot deal with the problems in this country. They are tired and stale, and their response to the Scottish MPs voting issue is another reflection of this. Gordon is between a rock and a hard place, impaled on Hadrian’s Wall.