Maybe the BBC is finally wising up to the probability that, come the next election, Gordon Brown’s government will be toast. Either way, if it continues to publish photos like this one to your left, it will pretty quickly rid itself of the stain of pro-Labour bias. Gordon Brown looks less Mr Bean and far more Bond villain, deranged beyond reason and bent on world domination. Certainly, last autumn’s “will he, won’t he?” debacle over the general election showed his willingness to toy with his prey, right up to the point where it escaped from its shackles and took a pop at him with a Walther PPK 7.65 mm sloppy great custard pie.

Sadly we can’t put our great, clunking fists in the ballot box for some time yet, so why not amuse yourself by typing “Brooding Scot” into Google image search. The first page of results is an eye-opener and a delight in so many ways.