top of page

To kick start the UK, the Labour Government has set out a series of practical steps – such as wrapping the National Debt in cling film to “keep it fresh” and applying a strip of duct tape to inflation. Said the Chancellor, 'These are meaningful measures — now if you’ll excuse me, I need to blow the lint out of the stock exchange.'


By turning the economy off and on again, it is hoped that we can reboot it in Safe Mode— although we are unlikely to reload public services. Tough measures include putting the housing market in a bowl of warm water to “loosen it up” and trying to reset wages by poking a paperclip into a tiny hole.


Said a Treasury spokeswoman, 'We will tighten the fiscal screws with a butter knife, give the budget a gentle tap with a wooden spoon and try to glue productivity back together.' She paused. 'It was suggested we stick a pound coin under the nation’s wonky table leg and prop up the economy — but that was felt to be a bit risky, as we are down to our last pound.'



The Prince of Darkness (meaning Satan, just to be clear) is packing his bags for a short vacation.  It’s hot, dirty, dangerous work in the seven circles of Hell, and Satan is very pleased to be finally taking a break.


‘It's hard to get away,’ said Satan, weighing up whether to take a book by David Walliams or Russell Brand.  ‘I do like to be on hand for natural disasters, new wars, Zionism/racism incidents, and so forth.  I’m always keen to strike while the iron is hot.  And round here, it’s always hot.’


‘I haven’t decided where to go yet,’ he added.  ‘Middlesborough sounds very promising – up and coming, I’m told.  I don’t want to do the Middle East again, I’ve been there a lot recently.  I almost booked a working holiday in Texas, rounding up immigrants with ICE, but they'll only take US citizens.  And France is very tempting as the protesters are setting a lot of fires, so I’d be in familiar surroundings.


‘Anyway,’ Satan continued, folding pairs of asbestos underpants, ‘I’m very grateful to Donald Trump.  He’s agreed to step in and mind the shop while I’m away.  He’s been my apprentice before and he's good at it.  He knows how to torment people.  And he knows how to string people along, making promises he’ll never keep, and reneging on deals when it suits him. Maybe a bit too good.  Everyone's always pleased to see me when I get back.


‘Donald has lots of friends in the underworld that he's keen to catch up with, and he’s looking for a 28-bed molten lava pit near a nice golf course in the first circle.  He does still think that he can get into heaven by slipping St. Peter a massive bung. Bless. I chatted St. Peter about that, and he nearly laughed his wings off, saying ‘Trump could get into FIFA heaven, possibly, but not the real deal’.’




British book clubs have begun passing around Sally Rooney novels in brown paper bags, like illicit hooch. One nember spoke on condition of anonymity 'This book is completely different now that its sale has been banned in the UK. I haven't read it, exactly, but I have read the plot summary on Wikipedia. Don't tell anyone.'


'It's like when they used to dub over Gerry Adams' voice on the news and that is what directly led to peace in Northern Ireland.'


A statement from Benjamin Netanyahu's office said 'Normal People? Normalising antisemitism more like. Everyone who has read a Sally Rooney novel or seen a film adaptation is denying the right of Israel to exist. When say the right of Israel, I mean the far right.'


'Israel is also preemptively banning any Wayne Rooney novels, just to be on the safe side.'



Image: ChatGPT

bottom of page