The Germans Come Clean

Our car is elderly now so when the MOT and insurances come round and we have the information its emissions have been on the high side compared to others, to our cost.  But it has a small engine and has not been driven hard or far.

So when I have looked at the figures for much bigger and powerful cars I have supposed that the reason for our higher figures is that the technology and design of cars has advanced so much that ours rather than being among the lowest is at the higher end.

What I did not realise was that the technological advance has been to the effect of disguising the true emission level.  So they, cars for the wealthier, have been paying less than my little runabout that does have good petrol use figures.

My reaction is that the so and so's should be hammered.  But they are not British cars they are German.  Which raises issues at the highest level.  This, sadly, means government, the EU and other things.

It is Lombard Street to a China Orange, to quote Chancellor George Osborne's favourite saying, that the Bullingdon Club of old, and maybe, more recently, during their jollies sang rude songs.  As well as doing the tiresome NSDAP impressions that became common in younger generations of students, but not mine for obvious reasons.

One of these is singing the impolite version of the German Anthem, "Deutscheland Uber Alles".  It is very simple to learn and sing, even for the Bullingdon.  When Ms. Merkel next visits Downing Street perhaps a crew of old Bullingdonians can be lined up to sing it, their sort of emissions.

There are only three words, repeated and repeated.