Verbal

I'm not sure Jones can pot.

No, he will. trousers is the exception to the rule - the honourable Tory. That is, if he's not too busy fiddling his tax return.

Behind Osborne's reptilian, patrician features, and Cameron's emollient manner lies a two-man team hell-bent on out-Thatchering Thatcher. Thatcher Mark 1 almost imploded on its first outing, and needed a war to rescue her after she and Howe ladled on the indirect tax burden so heavily that a 'tax-cutting' Tory junta actually increased the tax burden on all but the wealthy - to levels far higher than Labour, until 1979, would have dared. After Blair's murderous misadventures, I doubt that Cameron will be able to pick a fight with some minor dictator in order to boost his poll ratings when it all goes the way of the pear by about this time next year.

No. Personal reasons means exactly that - it's personal.

Good appointment. Ed Balls is right. As unpopular as his message is now, cutting too fast will damage the economy massively. We only think otherwise because we have been convinced by voodoo economics that countries are like households when it comes to debt.

Head, nail, bruised thumb, etc.

Exactly. The beginning of the end has come so soon!

Of course, Saddam came through the 'first one' STILL in power. Not only that, he survived well enough that, thanks to the 'coalition' leaving him where he was, he was able to go on a murderous rampage against the Shai in the South - AFTER the Bush Snr encouraged the Shia to rise up. Of course, when they did, the 'coalition' was nowhere to be seen and Saddam's henchmen murdered at will. The sense of betrayal felt by the Shia against the West is still powerfully strong today.

I doubt very many of them at all. You have no idea how angry so many people were who opposed the war. The sense of betrayal was palpable. Sadly, I suspect many felt they were safe in eventually moving their votes to the Lib Dems (although from the actual results of the last election, not THAT many). National politics can stuff you sometimes.

Since I'm also quoted, I wasn't thinking of what happened in the mother of all Parliaments. More the million plus demo and the campaigns to stop it before it started. Again, I don't know why 'the left' or the 'centre' gets equated with what happens in WC1.

Ooh, you got two out four of my least favourites. Have you worked out the silly Lloyds card reader for business accounts yet? Or tried to get the bank to explain it?

So the people whose beliefs you share are expected to be corrupt. Surely a sign that your beliefs need some serious revision - but it'll presumably take some Scrooge-like conversion to do it, since you seem to hold on to them with such irrational tenacity. As for your point about Labour and Iraq, I never fail to be amazed that the Right try to beat Left and liberal opinion with this. The opposition to the war was at its most vociferous among the centre and centre-left. Personally, I'd certainly be happy to see Blair hauled up in The Hague and charged as a war criminal - if nothing else as a warning to all those who would consider throwing in their lot with loopy neo-con administrations in the US.

Have another go. Maybe it'll make sense next time.

Next time they won't even find that. Perhaps they could rename themselves dune, as in a desert of nothingness except for the odd hillock.

Would that be in your opinion? Or is there a universe somewhere out there where everything you say makes sense?

My guess is that a flat rate tax will increase your tax burden.

Don't forget ITV and Desire, the oil company that can only discover water and has about £3.15 in the bank for one final drill.

So to sum up so far: we have one meaningless fact.

Women must fall at your feet. Dead.

'What are you? An idiot?'

Kelly was always mine. Never aim too high.

Get lost. But it was aimed elsewhere.

Or (phonetically): ughrub kaffir.

You forgot Indian.

So taxes go up under Thatcher no matter HOW you look at it, and you're relieved? Like so many Thatch-lovers, there's something of the masochist in you, right trousers?