Oil Barons

Given that it's only a few weeks since Her Majesty's Government lectured the lesser breeds on their environmental responsibilities, few will be surprised that Her Majesty's Government has just approved the exploitation of a new oilfield in the North Sea. The lucky company is Israeli, so presumably it would have been antisemitic to refuse them; and nor do the moral advantages of the transaction cease with this sensible moderation. Of the thirteen people who comprise the board of directors and senior management of the Oil and Gas Authority, eight are former members of the fossil fuel industry and three have large chunks of shares in oil companies; which benign coincidence certainly puts beyond doubt the continuing relevance of that memorable clause in Magna Charter specifying that the Barons should never be tried except by a special jury of other Barons who would understand.