Lure of Cheltenham - Cheeky Charlie ditches duty

EU COMMISSIONER Charlie McCreevy has a penchant for landing in hot water — especially when he leaves Brussels for the annual festival of racing at Cheltenham.

Seldom out of the headlines, the commissioner in charge of the internal market and services is being railed for not attending a meeting on the question of taxation of diesel fuel. Instead, he was indulging in the sport of kings.

Life would indeed be drab if we were all forced by the rigours of protocol to put aside our life-long passions.

And ex-minister McCreevy has been having a passionate affair with Cheltenham for decades.

It was a safe bet the combative commissioner would react. As he succinctly put it: “I’ve done this for the last 30 years and intend doing it until I die. Other people go skiing and I go to Cheltenham.”

Fair play to you, Charlie!