Gord digs in his heels

Nick Robinson bowls a couple of nasty ones actually, but his principal point is that it's all very well talking about vision and consultation but denying the people a voice when they disagree with you is really not cricket, eh, old chap? Brown is all "Citizens' juries! Consultations! Vision! Delivering the vision! More vision!"

In spite of this outrageous cheek on the part of the Beeb political correspondent, Robinson escapes his name being put on The List because his bestest mate is wee Andy Marr who's a very good boy and always leaves an apple on Mr Brown's desk.

Another hack calls out that he didn't give a flying arse about the "vision" when he thought that he might win the election and it's only being invoked now that there's a supsicion that the Gord would lose. Brown: "Britain is a country of aspiration. Next!"

There's some debate on the Tory inheritance tax proposals and whether they add up, a discussion - according to Brown - that the British people will "relish." Ah yes. When Westmonster's out with her non-political friends, she can't shut them up about fiscal policy, the pre-budget report, and the public sector borrowing requirement.

The most hilarious moment, however, came about halfway through when an Australian journalist asked a question about troops in Iraq. Broon fixed him with a stern stare and told him that it would be inappropriate for him to answer ANYFINK on this subject before he had made an full announcement in the House of Commons as is right and proper.

Had this press conference been taking place during Tory Party Conference, however, one assumes that our Australian friend would have received a rather more fulsome briefing.