Today marks the day that Gordon Brown puts into place another one of his money grabbing policies, that would is wlarge enough to cause a nuisance, but not to do what they’re supposedly there for.

This makes (by my count) 14,256 such policies in the last ten years. A hell of a lot of pin pricks, I’m sure you’d agree.

So, a return flight to London now costs me another £10. Not a huge amount; not enough to make it unfeasable to make the trip. And that is what Brown is counting on; there is no way that £10 will change the worth of a flight to the people on it, it won’t make a flight from Glasgow to London suddenly more expensive than the train. In other words, he’s just gotten himself a steady flow of cash, without any ecological benefit.

Oh, and he’s delusional, too.

The Treasury hoped the airlines would foot the bill for the rise, describing it as a tax on airlines for the number of passengers they carry – not a tax on passengers.

It’s quite clearly not a tax on the airline, and anyone who expected Michael O’Leary to spend a penny more than he needs to is barking mad.

Bit like yon bastid Brown, then.