What's an odd £50 million among all the rest?

Several qualified people have estimated the cost to this country of holding the G20summit in London at about £50 million. This assumes that the massive police and security presence will actually prevent the idiot anti-capitalist protesters and terrorists doing significant damage, or the total cost could be much higher.

There will also be disruption in the capital, there will be injuries among the police, and there will be a ban on all police leave. What is the point of it all? The "G" stands for Group, but it could equally stand for "Gordo", our world-saving hero.

G.Brown lobbied for the meeting, so that he could be centre-stage, and bask in adulation as world saviour. His policies would be adopted world-wide, and his proposals for regulating every bank in the world would be received with acclaim. President Obama would be present, to learn from the brilliant prime mentalist.

The only problem is that his policies have already been largely rejected. See the attack on him yesterday by Daniel Hannan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs), which summarises,- the IMF are opposed, and the EU. Hannan didn't know that Mervin King, Governor of the Bank of England, would effectively discredit the central plank of G.Brown's policy, when he appeared before the Treasury Select Committee on the same day. Even the nominal chancellor, Mr. Darling, seems to have doubts about scattering more money about wildly, and many others who saw a possible resurgence of inflation in yesterday's released figures have food for thought.

Hannan suggested that Brown is entirely isolated. This is not absolutely true, as Obama seems to be supporting the kind of policies suggested by Brown, but there are many concerned about America are doing, and Obama is showing traces of impatience as he battles to fulfil quickly so many promises he made to so many people.

Unless G.Brown can change the minds of virtually all G20 participants, we have to ask what is the point of the spending of £50 million, except to increase Brown's chances of returning as PM in 2010. If he does succeed in changing minds, heaven help us!