Huge crowds are expected in Scotland next month to celebrate the ritual burning of a figure inspired by a famous Scot. And no, it's not RBS customers still burning effigies of Fred Goodwin. Or Vauxhall workers burning effigies of Alistair Darling. Or, well, anyone burning effigies of Gordon Brown. No, this one's to celebrate Scotland's national poet Rabbie Burns by lighting up a Wicker Man.
Soon we'll all be burning wicker men to keep warm, as the rise in unemployment continues. Manufacturing continues to be amongst the worst sectors hit. And one more former sheet metal worker joined the casualty list last week as Michael Martin was forced out of a nice comfy chair. Apparently he was a "sheet" Speaker as well. Instead of "order, order" to silence the house, he was allowing orders for everything from breakfast to duck houses. Here's hoping his replacement John Bercow fares better. He's already made a start at uniting Parliament - None of the parties particularly like him. He said he'll bring change. I suggest he starts by looking down the back of the chair.
Gordon Brown joked that if the Queen doesn't approve, he could be the shortest speaker-elect in history. So essentially a non-elected Prime Minister joked that a non-elected Monarch might not approve a partially-elected Speaker.
And now, to make myself feel better about our form of democracy, I'm off to read about Iran on twitter. And then feel worse by reading the transparent expenses covered with opaque ink.