The Daily Mail, never a cheerleader for the EU, tells its readers today that Labour “has to be tougher on the deficit”.

It goes on: “Plans for cutting debt “lack ambition” says Europe.”

Why doesn’t the Daily Mail tell "Europe" to go and take a running jump? That’s what it usually does.

Instead, the prominent page two story tells us that: “Gordon Brown is facing a humiliating official rebuke over his plan to cut the vast budget deficit as economists warn it is the least tough of the major debt-laden economies.”

The Daily Telegraph, again on page two, tells us “Darling’s plan to cut deficit not good enough, says Europe”. Hmmmm.

It’s all straight bananas to me.