Just a busy Thursday night in Brussels

I obviously forgot to publish this, so do bear with me...

One of the funny things about Parliaments is that, in my experience, the "let's go for the drink because the week is over" day isn't a Friday, like it is for most of us, it's a Thursday. In the UK, Parliament doesn't usually sit on a Friday, and the European Parliament seems to be a bit like that too, because Parliamentarians go home on a Friday (assuming that they haven't fled back to their constituencies on a Thursday).

And that's why I find myself in an unusually crowded Place Jourdan, surrounded by young people from across Europe, drinking beer (mostly) and speaking a myriad of languages. I am here for a meeting tomorrow morning, and as it is impossible to get from Stowmarket to Brussels in time for an eleven o'clock meeting - check for yourself if you don't believe me - I am obliged to come early and drink beer on your behalf. Trust me, I am not enjoying it (that might not be entirely true).

So, why am I here? Well, it's been a while since the ALDE Financial Advisory Committee met, so we have gathered to study the audit papers, examine the financial position and consider how things are going in terms of sponsorship and the new financial regulations that have finally made their way through the European Parliament.

Naturally, as a (redacted) official of (redacted), I take a keen interest in how public funds are spent, and given my expertise in the deconstruction of financial records - you knew that all of that training would come in handy for something, didn't you? - this seems like a job for someone like me.

But beer, in this case Grimbergen Blonde, doesn't get drunk on its own, so if you'll excuse me...