Some sort of frugality
Friday, December 8th, 2006
There is a column in one of the weekend newspapers about people’s forebears, so often an extraordinary mixture of individuals from widely differing backgrounds.
My maternal family is Scottish, and in amongst my antecedents are Presbyterian clerics and academics. It was people like that who rather selflessly and frugally led their lives, not only in Scotland, but all over the world.
Gordon Brown is the son of the manse. However, I fear that his spending habits - if not for himself – have very little in common with Presbyterian moderation. He has spent public money like confetti, with very little improvement in public services. What however is most surprising is the way he continues to put such a gloss on his figures, what he leaves out, what he re-hashes and re-announces. In that regard his spinning and presentational chicanery is more akin to his thespian neighbour in Downing Street.
I wonder what John Knox would think?