Wrong horse bolts out of No.10 stables!

If I was heavily involved in horse betting I wouldn't pop round to Downing Street to ask the Celtic Clowns for any tips. Or any of their chums, either. Harriet Harman is getting very flaky these days. She thinks she can pass a new law specifically aimed at Sir Fred Goodwin's pension. What crazy notions did she wake up with yesterday morning. It was St.David's Day, when all good Welsh people display either leeks or daffodils. This government seems to have only one choice on offer and those are very different leaks. There seems to be a leakage of talent, leakage of ideas and a generally leakage of authority and basic honesty.

Sir Fred Goodwin may be a lot of things, but I think he is probably telling the gospel truth when he says that the government knew all along about his pension arrangements. Whether he is morally entitled to this whacking great treasure chest is one thing. That he is legally entitled to it is quite another.

How much is it going to cost for these treasury legal eagles to spend time sifting through this pension detail? We are not told, but it is bound to be more money wasted on a pointless gesture.

Gordon Brown is just grandstanding. Sir Fred's horse has passed the winning post! Another nag is running round Whitehall with all the equine grace of a knackered mule!