Heard on the news this morning that Lloyds TSB, one of the UK’s biggest banks, has had a 70% drop in profit this quarter. I started cheering, thinking perhaps this can be a score for the little guy, to prove that everyone’s feeling the pinch, not just those of us on lower incomes.

However, the news went on:
Profit before tax was 70% lower at £599m ($1.18bn), compared with a profit of £1.99bn in first half of 2007.

Oh right. So they only made £600M as opposed to almost £2billion last year. Poor, poor bastards.  That’s some serious belt-tightening! How will they ever cope!

And just in case you didn’t catch the sarcasm, I’ll take my point further.. With the price of oil and gas going up so much this year, many people in the UK won’t be able to afford to keep themselves warm this winter.

The government estimates 2.5 million households are in fuel poverty – defined as when more than 10% of household income is spent on fuel bills – but watchdog Energywatch says the figure is more than four million.

You know what the Head of UK’s biggest domestic energy supplier said? “maybe it’s two jumpers instead of one”.

Oh the compassion! He should be up for a humantiarian award! Warms your heart don’t it, big business showing such understanding and mercy for their fellow man.

So what’s the world’s most ineffectual Prime Minster to do?  Luckily for us, Gordon Brown’s on his summer holidays at the moment – giving us a brief respite from his smarmy face constantly on the tele trying to justify himself and his party.  The time has come for an election Gordon.  You screwed up.  Big time.  Fall back into obscurity like a good boy and let someone else have a turn now…

Rant ends.

xx