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06:16 GMT, Thursday, 11 December 2008

Sketch writers revel in PM's slip

Papers

Sketch-writers are still chortling over Gordon Brown's slip in Prime Minister's questions.

As they all revel in repeating, Mr Brown assured MPs that "we not only saved the world..." when talking about the government's bank rescue package.

Simon Hoggart of the Guardian says it brought "a sudden, overwhelming, mountainous avalanche of laughter".

Ann Treneman of the Times says the "master of immodesty" has revealed "what he thinks about himself".

The Daily Express highlights the slump in the value of the pound against the euro, asking: "How long before it's one to one?"

The Daily Mail points out that, after commission has been charged, some travellers already receive less than a euro to the pound.

Its cartoon shows two penniless British tourists swimming home from Dieppe.

The Times says a meal for two in a Paris bistro would have cost under £60 last year but is more than £70 today.

Despite the plunge in the pound's value, Prime Minister Gordon Brown tells the Sun he has no plans to scrap the currency.

Tycoon Sir Alan Sugar asks him whether - if sterling was of equal worth to the euro - he would join the European single currency.

That provokes an emphatic answer: "No, no, no."

Mr Brown assures Sir Alan he can go on spending his fivers "this year, and next year, and beyond".

Not everyone is convinced that now is the right time for the government to encourage people on benefits to find jobs instead.

The Guardian thinks the policy might look different when voters see friends and family being asked to get by on the jobseeker's allowance.

But the Sun says "the welfare state was never intended to be a gravy train for freeloaders".

Meanwhile, the Financial Times says this is the time for "tough love".



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