I am ashamed to note that in spite of previous promises my last blog was on 3 April 2007. I have been away on holiday a couple of times, the last occasion being best part of a month in Ireland, but there is no excuse for my indolence.

Of more importance is the speculation that Prime Minster Blair may be the replacement for Paul Wolfowitz as President of the World Bank. I think not. Ever since the inception of the World Bank the United States have been the major shareholder and have always nominated a United States citizen for the post of President. The most famous previous President(1968-1981) was Robert Strange McNamara. It is fanciful to suggest that US policy will change now.

In any case and even though the position carries a substantial salary and perks it would presumably not be attractive to Mr Blair given the millions he can now earn doing less onerous things such as speaking on the US circuit.

That the arch Neo-Con Wolfowitz has been ousted from the World Bank should however be celebrated. His economic philosophy, if followed, would have heaped more misery on the poorest in the Third World. He was of course the architect of the disaster that is Iraq and one can only hope that he is not allowed back into any position of influence to bring further disaster to the World.