Broons gather round the fireside after a long, turbulent year

The Broons will be spending Christmas at his home in North Queensferry, the family gathered around the fireside, but the PM will still be very much in charge of the country.

Gordon Brown broke with the Thatcher, Major and Blair tradition last year by spurning the attractions of Chequers and had the No 10 IT experts install a communications and security network in Fife so that he could run Britain like the Wizard of Oz from his constituency home.

While Tony Blair developed a wanderlust after Boxing Day, flying abroad for a sunshine break coupled with a spot of official business, Father Broon, in more straightened times, plans to stay at home, with a small back-up staff including a secretary and his personal bodyguards in the bushes.

It's usual for his family to pop round, including his older brother John, but Broon has taken plenty of red boxes to keep him occupied in the den while the rest of the family are pulling crackers. He's studying papers on the second package of financial measures to kick-start bank lending in the New Year, unemployment, and the consequences of soaring unemployment - rising crime.

When he switches on the telly for the festive message from the Queen, he will have plenty to reflect on himself, given the turbulence of the past year: the 10p tax band fiasco, the abortive attempt by the Miliband camp to mount a challenge against his leadership, his promise to 'save the world' from economic meltdown and - the big question now - whether the bounce he enjoyed in the polls for his handling of the economy has finally ended with this week's poll, reported here yesterday, suggesting the British public would rather have David Cameron as PM if Brown insists on raising taxes.

The Mole wishes his readers a peaceful Christmas and more prosperous New Year, but content in the knowledge that if the worst happens – remember, Russia invaded Afghanistan on Christmas Eve 1979 and the 2004 tsunami came on Boxing Day – the Great Pilot is there to steer us through the choppy waters.

THE MOLE: CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

FIRST POSTED DECEMBER 24, 2008