The yawn chorus

Australia’s former prime minister Bob Hawke revealed his plans for a career change, from political heavyweight to pop icon, at a recent star-studded event to celebrate Aussie law firm Holding Redlich’s tenth year in Sydney.

The well-loved larrikin, who famously won a Guinness Book of World Records title at Oxford in 1954 for ‘skulling’ two and a half pints of beer in 12 seconds, led guests, including another of Australia’s past prime ministers Gough Whitlam, in an enlivened rendition of Solidarity Forever.

His performance was described as “rousing”, although Holding Redlich’s chairman Peter Redlich and managing partner Ian Robertson were said to be disappointed that Hawke did not try for a repeat of his winning 1954 beer skulling record. Altogether now (royalist readers may wish to turn away at this point): “Solidarity forever, solidarity forever, solidarity forever, for the union makes us strong!”