Andrew Marr's advice on how to read a newspaper rarely fails.
Sunday Telegraph
Is Gordon Brown pondering an early election?
No.
(As Ben Brogan wrote just over a week ago, this is a non-runner. A good thing too - this blog certainly does not want to have to start shooting anybody).
2 comments:
Sound advice from Marr. Actually, a mental switch works just as well in the face of vacuous political discourse as it does for media contortions. As Simon Hoggart of the Guardian says: "if the direct opposite of something is clearly ludicrous, there is little point saying it in the first place".
Hence this highly amusing sketch he wrote a few months back about the launch of the Lib Dem policy document 'Make it Happen',
linked here
"Much of what we could make out didn't sound bad. He wants to cut taxes for the poor. He wants to reform party funding. He thinks that the Tory cuts in inheritance tax "will only benefit dead millionaires". But he also plans to deliver many magnificently vague and intangible promises, all of which were the direct opposite of utter nonsense.
"We want to make Britain fairer!" (We want to make Britain more unjust.) "We need a tax system that offers transparency, clarity and a level playing field!" (We need a fiscal system that is obfuscatory, incomprehensible and biased towards the rich.) "You've got to be clear about taking the tough choices!" (We are hunting for easy, short-term options.) "The Liberal Democrats will put people first!" (We will value people less than the big corporations.)
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