10 Years

When I started Blipping in May 2009 Gordon Brown had just started his final year as Prime Minister and Barrack Obama was in the first year of his first term as President.    There was a European election campaign in full swing.   The UK was in its first year of recession following the world financial crisis, at its peak the previous year when Lehman Brothers collapsed.

But the event I remember most about that particular month was the start of the UK MPs expenses scandal.   The worst examples included claims for a ‘floating duck island’,  repairs to a ‘bell tower’,  2 toilet seats,  £380 worth of horse manure.  They could claim anything up to £250 without receipts so there were loads of claims just under that amount.  And they could claim up to £400 of food each month without receipts – which many of them did.  

Other events around that time  -  Slumdog Millionaire won the Oscar for Best Picture; Michael Jackson died,  Norway won the Eurovision song contest and Susan Boyle was discovered on Britain’s Got Talent.

When I look back 10 years from now I suspect Brexit and President Trump may feature!