Here’s an interesting fact for you concerning a member of that honest, selfless, forward-thinking gang they call the New Labour Government, which, particularly if you’re a British taxpayer, you may find mildly amusing (in an ironic sort of way.)
In the summer of 1999, against the wishes of people who paid attention during their economics classes, our ‘prudent’ Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown, started selling off over half of Britain’s gold reserves (three hundred and ninety-five tonnes in total) for a knockdown price of around $275.00 a troy ounce. If you’re dull enough to know how many troy ounces there are in a tonne please feel free to move on to the next paragraph. If not, I’m sure you’ll feel considerably more indispensable in any future pub quiz in which you may partake, to discover that there are 32,150.7.
Since the summer of 1999 the price of gold has been rising faster than an MP’s pay packet. In fact, the last time I looked, it was hovering around the $610.00 a troy ounce mark. I’m no mathematician, so it would be difficult for me to give you an exact figure of how many billions of pounds this specific financial faux-pas of Fife’s finest has cost the country thus far, but I feel pretty sure it would have paid for at least a new hospital or two, with perhaps even a little loose change left over to help a few destitute pensioners with their crippling energy bills – what do you reckon?
However, what I find even more remarkable than Gordy Boy dropping such a big bollock with our bullion is that, apparently, there are still some people – so dazzled by that confident manner, foppish charm and masterful “Agnes that smells rank, no more Scotch broth for you!” brogue of his – who seem totally unconcerned that, if Prudence does become Prime Minister, he’ll bring the country to its knees at an even faster clip than the current nit wit we elected.
Therefore, out of idle curiosity, I’ve devised a survey to assess the general public’s views on this particular ‘prudent’ pursuit of our Gordon’s, which, if you have a moment, you may be kind enough to complete. All you need to do is answer A or B to the multiple-choice question below:
[poll=9]
If you answered A to the above question please ask an adult for permission to contact me and let me know how you managed to arrive at your somewhat controversial conclusion. Alternatively, If you answered B to the above question you may find it mildly amusing (again, in an ironic sort of way) to check out the website www.goldprice.org from time to time over the coming years, so that you can observe for yourself the price of gold continue its relentless rise.
However, if you find that with each repeated visit to the website that your thirst for irony is diminishing almost as fast as the price of gold is rising, until it actually reaches the point were you find yourself kicking your computer screen in a fit of uncontrollable rage, you may find that taking a few deep breaths and then reciting the following mantra to the tune of ‘Golden Brown’ by the Stranglers will offer some comfort.
Gordon Brown, you’re a buffoon
We’re billions down, all thanks to you
You’re squandering more than ever before
There’s no other clown like you Gordon Brown