OS paying for political lobbyists

I'm not at all surprised to learn that OS are paying political lobbyists, but it does feel completely underhand.

These people are supposed to be professional civil servants for Christ's sake. They're supposed to be impartial; their input into government is supposed to go through the proper chain, through their department and their minister. Their input into the political process should not go through a bunch of hack lobbyists, paid for out of the public purse, simply because the management of OS are not up to the job of making a decent case with their minister. It's unconscionable.

I've long referred to the trading fund model as nothing more than legalised money laundering and this does little to make me change my mind.

Blasphemous Bleak Expectations

Todays episode of R4's Dickensian spoof, Bleak Expectations, featured a wonderful series of blasphemous jokes in which the Vicar of Poverty St Mary attempted to alleviate hunger in his parish by celebrating Holy Eucharist 86 times a day. He then revealed to his guests, Pip Bin and Harry Biscuit, that during their convalescence they were fed on nothing but the consecrated host in one form or another. On learning this, Harry remarked that he was 90 percent Jesus and, when Pip to objected, he lamely mentioned that he was only 90 percent Jesus in a symbolic sense.

Very funny and, presumably, very offensive to those who believe in such things.