Quality | 2009.02.11
Hugh Muir's diary
He may be Hollywood\'s go-to guy. And there is no doubt that Nestlé makes an agreeable cup of coffee. But there is more trouble in the offing for the company and its hired face, George Clooney, as activists fire yet another salvo at the promotion of powdered baby milk. Clooney is the face of Nespresso coffee but campaigners say Nestlé - traders of powdered milk to many vulnerable communities in the developing word - and he make strange bedfellows. Last week, as Nestlé\'s top man, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, enjoyed the schmoozefest in Davos, activists Baby Milk Action held a conference nearby to unveil a document that claims Nestlé haven\'t quite played straight with Clooney. A briefing given to the star by the multinational - to help him fend off horrid questions - appears to say that the Methodist church is relaxed about Nestlé\'s sales of powdered milk. In fact, the church aims to use its shares in the company as leverage. Nestlé\'s briefing suggests that, following an exploratory visit to company HQ, midwives are content with the firm\'s activities. Critics dispute that, and say the visit was funded by Nestlé. The company insists that it adheres to the highest ethical standards and has been straight with Clooney in all respects. But it\'s trying for George, who was irritated when questioned about Nestlé at the 2007 Venice Film Festival. I am "trying to make a living", he said sharply. Others are just trying to live.
Much harrumphing in the excitable papers yesterday about Jonathan Ross, Russell Brand, Jo Brand, Chris Moyles, Sara Cox and other BBC presenters who have said inappropriate and offensive things without suffering adequate censure. And one might think the critics - 2,200 and rising - would be pleased that, having learned its lesson, the Corporation took immediate action and got rid of Carol "40-love to the golliwog" Thatcher for her comments, which were uttered in the workplace, within earshot of others. But then life doesn\'t work like that. Never has, never will.
We waited for a declaration. We still wait. We hoped a peace deal would be signed, with champagne and speeches. Some hope. But still we must be glad that the cap-doffing row that so blighted the Mother of Parliaments appears to have ended in undeclared surrender. For months a small band of MPs led by Reading West\'s Martin Salter have refused to accept the rule that Commons staff must stand aside, like Dickensian urchins, to give elected members precedence in shops, libraries and lifts. The likes of Salter, James Gray (the very, very honourable Tory member for North Wiltshire) and others have been taking down the signs enforcing parliamentary apartheid. With the battle at its height, the signs were being replaced as soon as they came down. No longer. "The forces of equality and liberty have been victorious," Salter trills: "But don\'t tell anybody." We won\'t.
As he surveys the cultural landscape and revels in his role as News International visiting professor of broadcast media, Paul Gambaccini, continues to have a good word for everybody. Last week the tabloid press and the BBC took a beating. In his second lecture this week, he ran the rule over Michael Jackson and Simon Cowell. "There is an alternative reality through Simon. He would be willing to manufacture whatever was popular," he said caustically. As for the Thriller video, "there was no musician ... just dancing zombies". He added: "Thriller ruined the music business. It ruined radio too." One lecture to go. Buckle up. No more Mr Nice Guy.
That title goes to Roger Helmer, the Tory MEP, who writes in a newsletter to constituents: "Despite my well-known Republican sympathies, it would be churlish not to welcome incoming US President Barack Obama. But I did notice that both the Dow Jones index and Senator Ted Kennedy collapsed on Inauguration Day." So it wasn\'t all bad. Look up. Be positive.
Especially as the shine is coming off the president already. Spellcheck Obama in the admin offices of the British Museum and what do you get? Osama. Sarah Palin was right. What a nightmare.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/feb/06/guardian-diary-clooney
