Every Cloud

I'm indebted to blog regular potatofarmermike for emailing me to point out that an important date is looming: Sept 30th.

The significance might be lost on some of you, it certainly was on me. Until Mike pointed out that this seemingly random date just happens to be the day that the rate for fixing the value of the single farm payment converted from euro's to sterling.

With the pound hitting a five-month low of 90.80 pence yesterday, Mike and his farming colleagues will be hoping that there's a bit more downside in sterling yet before the end of the month.

Mike tells me that last year's SFP was made using the rate of 79 pence, meaning that a British farmer stands to get 15% more in sterling-terms this year than last.

Woohoo! See Gordon Brown can do something right. Is it just me or does he always look like he's got a sly piece of Juicy Fruit on the go? He doesn't dare come right out and brazenly chew it in front of the cameras, but whist there's a little bit of life left in it, he simply can't bear to wastefully chuck it away thereby infringing all his Scottish principles.