A brutal sacking

I was rather amused to see reports in the business press of the "brutal sacking" of Richard North. Not me, I hastened to add, but the chief executive of the InterContinental Hotels Group, who has presided over a seventy percent share increase only to be given the boot by chairman David Webster.

But at least that North got the personal touch. After four years in the European parliament working for UKIP, all I got was a phone call from an administrator in Brussels telling me that MEP Nigel Farage had asked her to ring me up and fire me.

And while the other Richard North may have the consolation of a £1 million golden handshake, my communications to the Luxembourg parliamentary administration offices about the return of my pension contributions have so far remained unanswered. So much for the Brussels gravy train.