I have in my hand a piece of paper.....

The gorgeous Winchester Whisperer has a piece today about what a shambles the Treasury made over Northern Rock.
This is hardly surprising as HMT has never had to meet a payroll, make a profit, or even negotiate a price. In this case, they clearly didn't even try - or realised they were supposed to..
Be that as it may, I was reminded of the old soldier's trick ( highlighted in Black Watch) of walking about with a bit of paper in your hand. When questioned, it's only necessary to wave the paper to be told to be on your way, and be quick about it.
This, of course, is pretty much what this government has done all along - it's just got more frenetic and pointless as we descend ever further down the recession slope.
Quite rightly, other members of the G20 are saying there is no point announcing yet more measures - it takes time for things to work through, and, quite frankly, no one has the least idea of what is going on at the moment, or what's working, or if it is.....