GORDON Brown is one of the worst players of Connect Four ever to hold the office of prime minister, friends of Tony Blair said last night.

LABOUR backbenchers last night convinced the government not to go out and just start punching poor people in the face.

GORDON Brown yesterday moved to combat Britain's mounting economic woes, announcing he had bought himself a new toothbrush and that it was absolutely terrific.

BAGPUSS, Britain's leading fat, furry cat-puss, was last night accused of intimidating voters in his bid to remain the nation's favourite TV animal.

THE government is offering £7 an hour to anyone who will have a weekly pint of beer with Chancellor Alistair Darling.

THE prime minister has shoved a large pair of socks into his underpants ahead of today's state visit by French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

TRANSPORT minister Ruth Kelly has been crucified at the side of the M6 by an angry mob driven mad by the deliberate closure of the road and rail network over the Easter weekend.

ALISTAIR Darling has been described as 'the worst chancellor since the invention of numbers'. The pressure is on, but can he pull a rabbit out of his battered red hat? If so, will he then lose the rabbit? Or will the rabbit be appointed to the board of Northern Rock? And is this so-called rabbit domiciled in this country or not? Ladies and gentleman, all the way from Downing Street in London's fashionable West End,  we give you THE BUDGET!