The cat that stole the cream

This smile (from the Guardian) belongs to the chap who's just got a GBP 500,000 (1 million/2 million, depending on which paper you believe most) part-time job as an adviser to JP Morgan Chase, an international investment bank, in addition to his half-time job as the EU, US, Russian and UN envoy to the Middle East. His job is 'advising them on how they approach the huge political and economic changes that globalisation brings'.

It's Blair's, of course, who's now in the money after years of lagging behind his QC wife in the salary stakes. Comments have been scathing from every side, about making a lot of money, and mixing politics and money. What will he do? Will he say - don't worry about that, I'll just give my mate George W a quick ring.

Blair was so good at dealing with the political and economic changes brought by globalisation. Childhood poverty in the UK is still the highest in Europe, the social protection system is poor, the government's fear of terrorism is high, the population is the most spied-on in Europe, the country is involved in an unnecessary war which has cost the loss of approximately 150,000 Iraqi lives. In other words, the ideal person for the job.

Now here's a terrifying thought. Imagine, that after working for a US company, he and the good Mrs Blair, with Leo, might relocate to the US in time, after a while becoming US citizens ....and then he might run for ....President?