My ashes experience

I have a lot of sympathy for those who have been delighted that the skies have mysteriously been clear of planes. Except that I was in Stockholm when it happened - and had a 30-hour trip back. A mix of a train, a taxi, multiple ferries and a borrowed car: exhausting but curiously exhilarating as I got closer to home and family.

I have a lot less sympathy for the need to send the Royal Navy off to rescue people from the beaches of Europe. When I got to Calais at 2.30 on Saturday morning there was a massive queue at the P&O office -it was taking people up to four hours to buy a ticket from the one desk that was open. This was compounded by not allowing foot passengers on board - this despite the fact that most people who had got there by hire car were now forced to abandon their vehicles, giving the car park an earie "end of days" feel. Meanwhile ferries were sailing with empty slots because P&O could not get their basic operational act together.

P&O - exploiting the British national willingness to queue patiently for evacuation from the beaches around Dunkirk.
Gordon Brown - exploiting the British national media willingness to get excited about a PR stunt.

Those questions that won't go away

"I don't want to get in to a hypothetical on that" says a senior politician in response to questions about how they'll behave in the event of a hung Parliament.

Sounds familiar?

Except its Harriet Harman.