The joke's on us
Peter Mandelson already has more titles than Manchester United but I think his shoulders are broad enough for another: comedian.
He had us splitting our sides on Monday when he announced that we couldn't have a new comprehensive spending review for the next three years because it would be "speculative". Errr ... isn't what all three-projections are ... guesstimates of where we might go based on certain assumptions?
Sadly I have to report that Mandy's sense of humour is not shared in the Treasury, where was said to be "stoatin" (Scottish for aghast) at the Business Secretary's presumption that he can speak for him.
No matter. The Joker keeps 'em coming, to the nation's delight. Earlier in the week he told us that he'd have to because he was being "jostled" out of his position on the legislative timetable by other ministers. What a hoot! The idea that the king-maker and de facto Deputy Prime Minister could be denied whatever he desires is just too funny for words.
Within 24 hours he'd changed the punchline: now it was ". Which, sad to relate, is not as funny as his original explanation. Indeed it's more a conundrum than a joke: after all, the market was in a much worse state when the Business Secretary started touting part-privatisation, since when it has been recovering quite nicely.
Actually, whatever the punchline, the joke's on us. Whether privatised, part-privatised or state owned we, the taxpayer, will have to pick up the tab for the Post Office's massive multi-billion pension obligations, which are bigger than its total assets.
Yes, I thought that would take the smile off your face.
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