What's a few trillion between friends anyway?

The Indy on Sunday today reports that when, last November, the Home Office’s accounts were audited

although the books balanced, when the auditors added up the figures they totalled £26 trillion. This, the report notes dryly, is "almost 2,000 times higher than the Home Office's gross expenditure for 2004-05 and approximately one and a half times higher than the estimated GDP of the entire planet. This suggests that something has gone seriously awry with Adelphi processing during 2004-05. We have yet to receive an explanation for what has happened."

Such robust accounting procedures perhaps help explain why Charles Clarke can describe as “very few” the 288 prisoners released without being considered for deportation after he became aware of his department’s failure to carry out basic checks.

It’s also reassuring to learn that the former permanent secretary to the Home Office, Sir John Gieve, is now the deputy governor of the Bank of England.

We can all rest easy, happily assured this country's governance is in safe hands.