Having joined WebCameron in my guise as “Charon QC” many moons ago (I saw his first vidcast) I was amused to receive a ‘temperate’ email from David. The subject line read ” Boris wins – exclusive David reaction video”
What was fascinating – post council / mayoral elections, reading The Observer editorial today (and Andrew Rawnsley), was the emphasis on qualifying comment; hedging about with ‘It is mid-term’, ‘Labour lost it, The Tories did not win it’ and the inevitable caveat that there are still two years to go before Brown faces the electorate – that is, if the Labour Men in Togas don’t decide to put on an impromptu production of Julius Caesar first.
The other amusing comment – by Alexander Deane, former Chief of Staff to David Cameron – was that David Cameron has succeeded in de-contaminating The Conservative ‘brand’ ( in the mind of the fickle, largely
uninformed and apathetic British electorate – my addition). A turnout of 45% is hailed as a triumph. Christ on a bicycle… even Zimbabwe can manage a 120% turnout. A quick trip to Google revealed a number of entries about ‘de-contaminating the Tory brand’. I do wander how many people in Britain actually know what the political parties (a) are doing (b) what they say they will do in their manifestos and (c) care. I get the feeling down at The Bollo and other watering holes that quite a few people don’t give a damn about politics. Mind you… some of the people I tend to meet ‘of an evening’ are often so over-refreshed they can’t even remember (at that time, and only at that time) where their houses are, let alone if they have fallen into a ‘negative equity’ situation – and long may that continue. All is, after all, restored come the dawn.
Andrew Rawnsley’s article was interesting: He was honest enough to admit that the press will now take the Tories more seriously…. but then exuberance and enthusiasm took hold and readers were treated to a number of subtle gems in one beautifully executed sentence: “There will be bigger and more eager audiences for the speeches of the shadow cabinet. When David Cameron calls, people will come running. When he asks for a favour, it will be swiftly given. When he has a photo call, everyone will want to be in it. Keep an eye on Richard Branson. The more that David Cameron is regarded as a winner, the more likely he is to become one.
I, for one, cannot wait to see Richard Branson upending David Cameron and then squirting him with champagne or, being pictured on a foreign trip with David Cameron to advise on British business interests abroad
I do hope that Mayor Karloff will not become too sensible now that he is the most powerful Tory in the country. We have a hint that Boris may well revert to type with the immortal words, as reported by Rawnsley today … ” I was elected as New Boris and I will govern as New Boris,’ … he joked in the early hours of Saturday morning, trying to reassure voters and his colleagues that the chaotic and brick-dropping side of his character will be permanently suppressed.”
My duck confit definitely was a thing of beauty, a big alpha-duck leg, its skin crisp as Cellophane, the flesh poking out tiny, steaming fibrous fingers, the whole thing dotted with fat puy lentils and served on a creamy mash that curled round the leg like a persistent seducer.”
law that comes into operation next week; a law which is not one of our proudest moments in legislative drafting and one certainly likely to be offensive to the many in this country who enjoy consensual kinky sex, Le Vice Anglais or a bit of rum, sodomy and the lash. I don’t actually care that much what people get up to in bed or in private provided their activities are consensual – but this government does and is about to intrude into your thoughts, rather than physical actions, in a particularly worrying way if you happen to be in possession of certain types of image. Shoddy drafting, misconcieved protectionism and a potential nightmare of interpretation for the courts. Par for the course?
AND so it came to pass, this May Bank holiday, that I found myself on Friday night and yesterday late afternoon at a new establishment frequented by topers, binge drinkers and, it has to be said, some perfectly normal and sensible residents of Chiswick – The Duke of Sussex.
Well… the results are in…. Labour managed to lose 333 council seats, secured the worst poll result for Labour since the First World war, Boris is Mayor Boris now… his wife collected the newspapers in her dressing gown (a wonderful reprise of Cherie Blair’s similar antics 11 years ago), Gordon has made his phonecalls to Mugabe for advice, and is now attending coaching seminars on ‘listening’… but can he hear the sound of plotting and knives being unsheathed?
lunch experience. I can do no better than quote from the email I received from Sabreena at LawandMore to confirm that I did understand the nature of the commission!…. “Further to our earlier telephone conversation, I just wanted to make you aware that the lunch will be a four hour affair, is this ok?” Excellent! It is probably just as well I do not work for Allen & Overy or some other £600 per chargeable hour outfit. It falls to few in their lives to say these words… “I must do my duty for truth, justice and the people of our land.” I shall do my best to get through all 24 courses.
