Gordon might do well to support the sausage ...

No plans to call it the Eurosausage, but while everyone else was watching the Opening Ceremony, the UK Government was asking Brussels to protect the traditional Cumberland sausage under EC Regulation 510/2006.

Back in 2005, as reported right here, the Cumberland Sausage Association was established to facilitate the application for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status and to promote the tradition of the Cumberland Sausage.

The UK currently has a total of 16 PDO (Protection Designation of Origin) and 19 registered PGI (the PGI for Newcastle Brown Ale was cancelled so that Scottish and Newcastle could move their factory)

The process has now moved from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to Food from Britain (FFB). Another sausage has just been through the comment process - comments on the Newmarket Sausage are currently being considered by the FFB after the consultation period expired at the end of July.

( To an Australian, this is a Toad in the Hole)

After all, the humble British sausage was the secret of Jim Hacker's rise to power.

Never mind the London Olympics. In these times, Gordon would do well to support the sausage ...