From our royal correspondent

The Roman Emperors dealt with economic crisis with a policy of "bread and circuses". The Con Dems are determined to leave out the bread and just give us the circuses. Witness the media torrent of sickly sentimentality over the royal wedding.

Much has been made of Premier Cameron's deliberations over whether he looks better as a lounge lizard or a stuffed shirt. Serious stuff. It makes Cameron look a fool which is no bad thing but it diverts attention from the realities of
the state of the Con Dem Nation.

We should be grateful that although the country cannot afford health, welfare, education, libraries or pensions, at least we can afford for two overprivileged parasites to live like pigs in clover. It's romantic isn't it?

And of course the media Royal Correspondents stress that Middleton is "a commoner". About as common as hen's teeth in fact. The Middletons are from an elite every bit as remote from the common people as the Windsors. The significance of "blue blood" is that in the past the royals and the aristos had pale skin because they did not work outside like the peasantry so their blue veins were more likely to be visible. None of the millionaire Middletons has to turn an honest day's work and indeed they look to expand their business empire with their royal connections.

On the other hand it is important for the Windsors to bring new blue blood into the family because the perils of inbreeding are all too evident in Prince Charles and Prince Philip. Daft as a pair of Poundland brushes.

So watch the royal circus and enjoy it. After all you paid for it!

Derek McMillan
Royal Correspondent
Mid Sussex Socialist Party

Winter fuel allowance

The winter fuel allowance, to help with heating bills, was
worth £250 for the over-60s. It has been cut to £200. It
was £400 for the over-80s and it will be £300. The
Tories and their Liberal chums chopped it to save some
£600 million. A drop in the ocean compared to the cuts in
corporation tax to help the richest in the "big society"

The trade unions have condemned the hypocritical action of
the government - who of course promised with tears in their
eyes that the pensioners would not be punished. That was
before the election of course.

Clegg, Cameron and Miliband have no problem keeping warm.
They generate enough hot air between them.

They should not be allowed to get away with this. It may
take a bit more than a letter to your MP. (Though write one
by all means)

When the trade unions give a lead they can bring hundreds of
thousands out onto the streets. The people need not be
afraid of the government. The government ought to be afraid
of the people.