So, Frank Field, one of Gordon Brown's backbenchers, has dared to articulate what many of us feel within our bones is true - that Gordon Brown's days in Downing Street are now numbered. If by some miracle he manages to stay, he'll almost certainly have gone two years from now. With the acknowledged facts before him, namely that he's now presiding over the most unpopular Labour Government for 70 years, one can't imagine that Mr Brown will hand in his resignation to Buckingham Palace and call a...

Adrian69702006

So the Budget has come and gone as predicted. Much as we might have predicted the Chancellor did absolutely nothing for single people on relatively low incomes such as myself, who've historically borne a disproportionate share of the tax burden. There's a surprise! In the main we might say that it was a fairly mundane affair - at least to those who slept through it and I'm assured plenty of MP's did just that.

For those who had one ear open though, there was plenty to catch out the...

Adrian69702006

Shortly before One this morning I had something of a rude awakening. At first I thought it was nothing more than a bad dream but then I realised what was happening - an earthquake. We get them on rare occasions in dear old Blighty but they're rarely as severe as the one this morning. Needless to say it made the top item on the early morning news. It was the worst we've had in 25 years - or so we're told. Thankfully reported structural damage is fairly minimal and there has been only one recorded...

Adrian69702006

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Adrian69702006

Again, it was reported in the news today that some parents are prepared to go to extraordinarly lengths to secure places at the best schools for their children. Some at great personal sacrifice to themselves, it seems, are prepared to sell up and move to areas which are beyond their means. Others are prepared to lie about their religious beliefs or feign devout religious practice to get their offspring into a faith school which is better thought of than the local state provision.

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Adrian69702006