Easier to HIRE - and FIRE

The amphigoric Mr. Derek Simpson, leader of the union Amicus, read out a statement headed: "Ten reasons why it is harder to sack a French worker than a British one." Almost every one of those 10 was true.

Had his political perspective been different, however, Mr Simpson could have listed his 10 points, with equal truth, under the conspectus: "Ten reasons why multinational companies would rather employ workers in Britain than in France."