The millstone is the monstrous army created by Gordon Brown, occupying 800,000 new, politically-correct jobs in the public sector.
Far from adding to the national wealth, they are a drain on the economy.

We are not talking about nurses, teachers and the like. We mean people like Breast Feeding Strategy Co-ordinator (£46,000), Stop-Smoking Community Worker (£23,000), Widening Participation Officers (£26,000), and Child and Family Empowerment Officer (£38,000).

Here is a job advertisement in the Fire Service. Nothing wrong with that, you might think: nothing is more important than an efficient fire service. But listen to his duties: "Embed diversity principles into all projects and programmes, and lead projects and programmes to increase the diversity of the workforce."

How many fires do you think he will put out next year?

The future deficit of public-sector pensions is due to create a black hole of £1 trillion in the public finances, a debt of £40,000 for every household in the land.

One of the most ludicrous habits of Gordon Brown was lecturing countries like Germany and France on their inefficiency, and urging them to follow Britain's lead. Now we are the only major industrial society in recession, thanks to Brown, Ed Balls and the rest of the political Keystone Cops.

"Inefficient" Germany runs a record trade surplus and is the biggest exporter in the world. Japan, another recipient of Brown's lectures, ran a trade surplus of £50bn.

An international study said the four most iconic jobs in Brown's Britain were not scientists, engineers, teachers and nurses, but hairdressers, celebrities, management consultants and managers.

The failure to match the Germans, Japanese, Americans and South Koreans has been blamed on factors ranging from a snobbish distastefor "trade", and an education system that pushed the best graduates into the media, law and the City.

Apart from banking and insurance, the one shining example has been pharmaceuticals, but the Left has done its best to ruin that by demanding confiscation of the industry's profits, necessary for new discoveries.

At the same time as fouling up the sources of wealth, Brown went
about making the British people financially dependent on the
state – 39 per cent of households, nearly double the number of 10 years ago.

Do the commentators who were forever singing the praises of the genius at the Treasury feel any trace of guilt about their gullibility? I doubt it. Politics mean never having to say you're sorry.


OF ALL the damage inflicted on Britain by the Blair-Brown Government, one of the worst decisions was giving Scotland its own parliament with tax-raising powers.

Gordon Brown and the rest of the Scottish McMafia persuaded Tony Blair that it was a great idea. What could go wrong? Scotland was solidly Labour and would always support a Labour Government. The ranks of Scottish Labour MPs could always be relied upon to do Westminster's bidding.

What went wrong was the SNP's Alex Salmond, who is running rings around the Sassenachs.

The Scots can't believe their luck. No parking charges when they visit hospitals. Free personal care for the elderly. No tuition fees for students. Now they are talking about abolishing council tax.

No wonder the people of Berwick-on-Tweed want the border changed so they can live in Scotland rather than England.

Critics complain that the Scots are being subsidised by the English to give all these benefits, but north of the border that argument doesn't wash. You took our North Sea oil, they say, so we have more than paid for any benefits.


YOU have to hand it to the Americans. Their politics is more exciting than ours. Listening to the speeches of Republican heavyweights was a contrast with our politicians. Compare these to speeches by Gordon Brown and Jacqui Smith – if you can stay awake long enough.

But the eye-opener was, of course, Sarah Palin with an electrifying performance. Nevertheless, it is a strange way to choose the leader of the free world. At his age, John McCain is unlikely to see a second term so Palin is, in fact, campaigning to be President.

For the Democrats, the likelihood of Barack Obama seeing a second term is also in doubt. There will be no shortage of demented rednecks
intent on killing a black President. That great man, Colin Powell, could have had the nomination for either party, but refused because his wife wouldn't let him. She said she had no intention of becoming a
widow. There is nothing cosy about American politics.