Irony upon irony

The ironies underlying today’s debate on the Terrorism Bill just seem to be multiplying:

• The current situation in France;
• A Prime Minster avowing defence of civil liberties while warmly embracing the President of China;
• Ministers with poppies on their lapels po-facedly claiming that the country has never faced a greater threat.

Add to that this pantomime of Gordon Brown and Jack Straw flying to Israel and Russia respectively, only to fly straight back again. They would have known days ago whether Brown and Straw’s votes were needed – this to-ing and fro-ing around the world is just party political theatre being paid for by the taxpayer. As I don’t think the Lotteries Commission cover this sort of thing, I do hope that Labour will agree to foot the bill.