The Party's Over

Was catching up with the BBC2 programme broadcast last Sunday called "The Party's Over". The second part is on just now but Mrs S and daughter are watching a Poirot episode so I'll catch up on it via the IPlayer later. The programme sheds some candid light on how we in Britain, and indeed in Europe and in the wider West have gotten into such an awful financial mess - on a national economy basis, on a banking basis, and on a personal finances basis. What a mess it is.

The Government's EU veto decision this week to effectively sit on the outer corner edges of european decision making reminded me of the nursery rhyme:

"Little Jack Horner sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie,
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum
And said "What a good boy am I!"

The history is interesting. Little Jack Horner was reputed to have been the Steward to Richard Whiting (1461 - 1539) the Bishop of Glastonbury. The Steward had an important role and was responsible for managing the household, collecting taxes and keeping accounts. After - inevitably - a religious squabble the rumour was that the Bishop tried to bribe the King. The Steward was sent with 12 title deeds in a pie but felt the bribe would do no good so he took the deeds to the 'plum' manor of Mells. The 11 remaining manors were handed to the Crown and the Bishop was eventually convicted of treason. Whether Horner actually stole the deeds to the Manor or was rewarded with them for helping to convict the Bishop of Glastonbury is not known.

Wonder how the EU / Britain plot will pan out................. I do suspect though that we are in for a long period of difficult times ahead which will affect all but the top 1%ers out there.