So, Northern Rock became the people’s bank today. I sat behind George and David during the statement delivered by Alistair Darling at 3.30pm.

It is becoming scarier and scarier sitting so close to Gordon Brown. The fixed maniac-esque grin on his face is so un-natural and frankly his pallor was a really odd shade today.

I really would pull my children close to me if they were sat on the green benches. I have to resist the urge to lean over, and whisper into George’s ear “take care, don’t get too close now”; and I am ready to pounce and pull George back over the seats, should Gordon Brown lose control and come flying across the dispatch box, to try and eat him or something.

Anyway, none of the big questions were answered. How long is temporary?
 
Not until after the next general election I would bet. That will be a poisoned pill for us to digest when we take power.

We don’t have a clue how much tax payers’ money has been used to pay Goldman Sachs, the government’s advisors, or any of the other accountants and lawyers.

We do know however that Goldman Sachs have said that the government’s handling of Northern Rock has badly dented the UK’s reputation for being the world’s pre-eminent financial centre. I suppose the government would regard that as money well spent then.

A senior Bank of England official has said that the government’s dithering over Northern Rock was due to Gordon Brown’s team being unable to focus, due to morale in the government being so low.

It’s a mess. An economic calamity.

Hits to this blog in January were 257,146. Not bad considering we were on holiday for the first week and I didn’t blog.