How clever of Gordon Brown to think of a way of not nationalising Northern Rock. Bonds! Wow.
As it happens, I myself face an embarrassing liability in the form of an end-of-January tax demand. But never fear: inspired by our Prime Minister\’s ingenuity, and rather than sending any actual money, I am inviting HM Revenue & Customs to issue bonds, redeemable against my future income. If available. As permitting. Whatever. As Mr Brown\’s my witness, this is not the same as writing the money off. Oh no.
Didn’t the Conservatives, when they knew they didn’t have a chance of winning an election, suggest tax statements showing both where the money went, and also how much borrowing would mean higher taxes in the future?