Week of striking and outbursts

This week saw the biggest public sector strikes since 1979 due to pension cuts and salary freezes. Up to two million public sector workers went on strike, resulting in the closure of 62% of state schools in England and the cancellation of 6,000 non-urgent hospital operations. In total 135,000 civil servants went on strike, representing just over a quarter of the civil service. The Guardian lists: 'border agency staff, probation officers, radiographers, librarians, job centre staff, court staff, social workers, refuse collectors, midwives, road sweepers, cleaners, dinner ladies, paramedics, tax inspectors, customs officers, passport office staff, police civilian staff, driving test examiners, patent officers and health and safety inspectors.'

[Related story: Clarkson public sector comments 'pre-arranged with BBC']

Lined up against them was Jeremy Clarkson, speaking on 'The One Show', advocated taking strikers outside and executing them in front of their families. This he believes is just punishment for trying to protesting over pay and conditions while everyone else has "To work for a living." Of course Clarkson hasn't really had to work for a living as his mum made a fortune selling Paddington Bear toys, but given that he has decided to boost his pile by selling DVDs, making a few inflammatory remarks around Christmas time is an ideal way to flog more.

Jezza is one of the mega rich and influential Chipping Norton Set that includes flame-haired former News International executive Rebekah Brooks, PR 'guru' Matthew Freud and his wife Elisabeth, who is the daughter of Rupert Murdoch. The Prime Minister is also tight with The Chipping Norton crew, especially Clarkson, Cameron appearing as The Stig at Clarkson's 50th.

[Related story: Were you affected by the strikes?]

Both likely park their cars in the same political garage, Dave at Prime Ministers Questions said that "…despite the disappointment of the party opposite, who support irresponsible and damaging strikes, it looks like something of a damp squib". In fact Clarkson's remarks, while they may have been intended to generate publicity, at least represent something like his real opinions. You get the feeling that the rest of the Chipping Norton set harbor similar views about people protesting pension cuts but are too PR savvy to voice them.

As a professional spinner the Prime Minister toned down his views in PMQs preferring to accuse ED Miliband of being 'left-wing'. Hardly an insult if you're leader of the Labour Party one would think but intended to paint the strikers, the unions and The Opposition as dangerous commies, a charge Red Ed is desperate to avoid. He should stop worrying because it would seem that most people are sympathetic to the strikers, and that support straddles the political divide. A BBC poll puts support for the strike among the public at 61%, whereas a poll on the anti-strike Daily Mail website demonstrated public support running at 84%. This is because nearly everyone, bar the Chipping Norton set and the rest of the mega rich, is worried that these cuts unfairly target the already squeezed middle.

As for Clarkson he's achieved loads of publicity for his new DVD and re-established his credentials as Britain's biggest berk. He certainly doesn't need arresting though as some union leaders have been demanding, unlike Emma West, the woman responsible for another shocking outburst this week in the viral video My Tram Experience.