AT LEAST THEY DIDN'T PRY THE W'S OFF THE KEYBOARDS:

Labour's warning to new Government: 'there's no money left' (Daily Telegraph, 5/17/10)

Speaking at a press conference at the Treasury, [Liberal Democrat David Laws] told reporters: ''When I arrived at my desk on the very first day as Chief Secretary, I found a letter from the previous chief secretary to give me some advice, I assumed, on how I conduct myself over the months ahead.

''Unfortunately, when I opened it, it was a one-sentence letter which simply said 'Dear Chief Secretary, I'm afraid to tell you there's no money left', which was honest but slightly less helpful advice than I had been expecting,''

Mr Byrne insisted the message was meant as a private joke.