January 1st is the 200th anniversary of the United Kingdom - and trust the Daily Telegraph to remind us. In an article last week, court and social correspondent Robert Hardman took New Labour and Tony Blair to task for having no plans to celebrate the 200th birthday of his country and its Union flag. If any French politician had ignored their bicentennial in 1989 he would have gone the way of Marie Antoinette, thundered Hardman. So why the reluctance to celebrate "a milestone of such magnitude"? Well, writes Hardman, ministers say privately the reason is they are reluctant to insult us - the Irish.
Lord Falconer, the Cabinet Office minister, told Hardman however that while nothing is planned, his government was still open to suggestions and would consider any proposals. Hardman is also inviting ideas for bicentennial events. Quidnunc proposes that the British government give the Irish large sums of money, preferably in brown envelopes, and titles as well, just as it did 200 years ago. A most fitting way to commemorate the Act of Union.