31 December 2055
The deaths of the Earl of Sedgefield, aged 102, and Mr Gordon Brown, 104, brings to a sad conclusion the most remarkable and prolonged feud in British political history.
It would, of course, be improper to speculate on the precise circumstances before the inquest, but police have confirmed that at around 2.30 p.m. on Christmas Day two elderly men were involved in a fracas at the Golden Handshake Nursing Home, the opulent country house in Surrey favoured as the final home of many wealthy civil servants and local government employees. Both men later succumbed to their injuries.
According to nursing staff, the two were seen squabbling over who was to sit in the large, gilded easy chair in the bay window of the Prescott Lounge. The chair, it is alleged, was normally occupied in the afternoons by the Earl, but over Christmas lunch he had promised it to Mr Brown as a special treat.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in