SANDRA CHAPMAN: Politicians in the dog house as our economy struggles

I suppose lots of married couples get things mixed up when it comes to wrong and right. For once I can honestly plead innocence.

My parents had nine children and we were forever blaming each other for happenings which left my parents never knowing who did what or why. Surprising I used to get a lot of the blame. It’s in my DNA by now.

Every clan has a cuckoo, I was that middle child who often carried the blame for someone else, the punishment having to clean a window or weed the vegetables. I hated the latter, the former I didn’t mind because I could do a quick wipe then escape through that window, and often did.

This week the Prime Minister is that ‘child’ having to take the blame for a host of fellow rascals who attended or even arranged a party for themselves inside No.10 when the law clearly said they shouldn’t hold or go to parties nor should anyone else.

So those living outside – the rest of us – did our best to obey the law to ensure the safety of our fellow human beings.

The government employees on the other hand partied – it now seems – with gay abandon, though the Prime Minister, it is said, didn’t hang around too long.

He was pictured in a newspaper holding a drink up to his party goers before he left as the rest of us despaired at what faced us, no parties or events to be attended, masked above the nostrils with those dreaded itchy blue things attached to our ears and no hospital visits to loved ones. Worse still, funerals, weddings and sporting events seriously restricted. Despair fell over the land like a grey November morning. Would normal life ever return?

This week Sue Gray’s partygate report – she was the person in charge of the investigation of that infamous party at No10 - provided grim reading for the Prime Minister just as the people of this country were waking up to the reality of an economy seemingly running out of control with higher bills for just about everything.

Where will the money come from for the big Royal celebration which is just days away and can we settle for white wine rather than champagne?

We have two very expensive bottles of champagne, given to us for our 50th wedding anniversary. I put them away for a future special event. Well, that day is coming so Her Majesty will be well and truly cheered here when she’s driven through London to mark an event only surpassed once, when she was crowned in Westminster Abbey when I was mere slip of a girl.

Back to Boris who appeared stunned by the partygate report which specified ‘leadership failings’. At the time of writing it is understood his Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to announce a multi-million pound package of support for households most affected by the financial squeeze ‘created in part by soaring energy bills’.

Maybe the people won’t despise the government and its partying employees if they know their bills might not be as bad as expected. I’m not holding my breath. Governments are notoriously good at promising us the earth but offer scrapings instead once a suitable time has passed.

I wouldn’t put it past our politicians to announce a restricted package of support the day after the Royal celebrations when the people are still in festive mood and have forgotten the partygate report.

Boris also should consider paying more attention to us here now that Mary Lou seems to be ruling Sinn Fein’s Ulster roost though she’s not an elected member at Stormont.

Our schools here teach international languages such as French, German and Italian. Add Irish and Ulster Scots to that – her wish - and I can see a generation of disillusioned children.