Bottler and his little list of little lists

GORDON Brown would make an excellent Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner of Japan, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado is next revived. You'll recall that Ko-Ko, looking for victims for beheading with the ceremonial sword, assures all the inhapitants of Titipoo that "I’ve got a little list — I’ve got a little list."

As does our beloved Prime Minister. Everytime he is asked a direct question, there's rarely a direct answer. Feverishly, his fingers turn the pages of his vociferous crib sheet and he avidly shouts out his little list, mainly of Tory iniquities from more than a decade ago.

It's all getting very tiresome. Whether the good folk of Glasgow East cheer his recitation may well determine the outcome of the by-election on July 24. By some amazing lack of planning by Labour, Glaswegians will go to the polls during the annual two weeks holiday shut down. Last time at the General Election, less than 50% of them voted, although it was enough to re-elected the Labour MP by 13,000 votes. Don't expect the turnout to be above 30% next time.

It will take a 22% swing to give the Scottish Nationalists victory. It seems improbable, but the Prime Minister may have to learn a little list of by-election defeats for his speech to Labour's delegates in Manchester for the annual conference.