IN full flow

Steptoe is still appearing on tv every day, we can only hope he exhausts himself long before the election – being 76 years old must take its toll.  In the meantime we are treated to his pearls of wisdom which lately include:

1. Divorce settlement – was decided by feminist and communist judges, and therefore is totally unfair.  He is persecuted.

2. He never said (nor did any of his party) that Ruby was a niece of Mubarak – just a possible relation.  Seems that the intercepted phone calls were false then.

3. The deal with Lega Nord – to get Maroni in in Lombardy adn to seal the deal, Berlo cannot be PM (he is aiming for the economic development red box – gawdelpus) and the Lega will be able to retain 75% of taxes for the rich northern provinces.   What the Lega have conveniently overlooked is that in 2008 Berlusconi agreed the treaty with Bossi and the Lega, if the north could keep 80% of their taxes.  Nothing was every done.  It is  posturing in the worst possible way.

4. Alitalia must remain Italian.   In a scary rerun of the last election Alitalia becomes central once more.  5 years ago with the failure of Alitalia on the cards, Mr Toad refuted any possibility of a sale to AirFrance, and duly won the election.  In the event he sold Alitalia to his mates and a decent sized piece to AirFrance/KLM, and let the state take on the huge debt (ring any bells with teh UK water sell off?)  Now after 4 years the Beneton, Pirelli,  Intesa holding in Alitalia is free to be sold to the highest bidder.  (with no debt attached it seems) – so huge lolly to be made for the interested parties, and an AirFrance which denies being interested but is interested.  Berlusconi says no (a nice bit of patriotism for the new elections) and will no doubt ‘incentivise’ them not to sell.   Nice work if you can get it.

ANd on a different note – the huge democratic excellence of the primaries for the PD was trumpted up and down the land – only then Bersani parachutes his candidates all over the place and those elected are not allowed to stand.   Smoke. Mirrors. Wankers.