Boris's "let them eat cake" moment

The Tories jewel in the crown - or thorn in the side depending on your point of view - has managed to put his foot in it again.

Financial crisis: Eat, spend and be merry - this is not the end of the world.

Maybe not for you, old son - after all you have a cosy little job, a fat juicy salary and the knowledge that your pension is secure and gold plated. Back in the real world, most of us are having to tighten our belts to some degree or another.

It's one thing to be out of touch with the people - most politicians are - but at least most of them have the sense to not demonstrably prove just how out of touch they are. He is right, of course, to say that it is not the end of the world - or even the end of capitalism - but he is wrong to suggest that we'd all be a lot happier of the wealthy demonstrated just how much better off they are than the rest of us by going on spending sprees.

Even the best of us would find it hard not to be a little teed off by the sight of the repo man turning up in a brand new Ferrari.