More Harman Good

There is a bit in 'The Reader' where questions are raised by Bruno Ganz's lecturer character about the validity of retrospective laws and morality. The same dilemma arises over Harriet Harman's 'on the hoof' policy of using 'the court of public opinion' to justify grabbing back Fred Goodwin's RBS pension.

As Michael White points out in The Guardian, her intervention was clearly an exam howler but equally, the Tories should be in the dock for supporting similar populist programmes.