Quality | 2010.02.12
Hugh Muir's diary
Some believe in God. Some don\'t. So long as they all believe in Gordon, that\'s fine
• What can we make of Gordon\'s reported decision to sit down for an hour-long grilling by Piers Morgan? Insanity? Tiredness? Desperation? All would be understandable. But what it probably reflects is the truth that the polls are tight. Best to win over the waverers in their ones and twos. Grind out a result. Not natural territory for a man of grand gestures and high principle, but needs must. And so it was that on the same day that the son of the manse was sending messages of welcome to the pope (the Catholics will like that, don\'t you think?), he was also making nice with the British Humanist Association. "I want to thank the British Humanist Association for its campaigning in support of human rights, equality and mutual respect," he wrote in a letter signed in his own hand. He praised their optimism and resolute beliefs, so crucial as we endeavour to create a "better, fairer country". And at the end of it, few appeared to like him any better. A few hard hearts guffawed on hearing the text. But they know he\'s in trouble, so no one liked him any less.
• Lord Bell , Margaret Thatcher\'s own Prince of Darkness, has had an eventful year (you try sanitising the activities of Trafigura and the biggest toxic waste scandal of the 21st century). But he is a tough one and so he was in acerbic form telling tales to the Media Society in London this week. One concerned former Irish premier Charlie Haughey (pictured), who called for help with a spot of bother. Bell crossed the water and was taken to see the great man in a Dublin hotel room. I want a new image, said Charlie, only to be told by the great spinner that his forte was something other than image transfiguration. "Do you know anybody else who does new images then?" asked Charlie.
• But then image is important, and that\'s probably why Mike Freer, former Barnet leader and prospective candidate for the key Tory target seat of Finchley and Golders Green, mentioned on his CV that he had an executive MBA. But what sort of MBA does Freer, architect of Barnet\'s radical " easyCouncil " model of pared-back municipal government, really have? A question posed by the Guardian faithful on reading his profile in our Society section and noticing that it cited multiple universities? It turns out that the MBA executive programme he completed, sponsored by BT, was a bit of a tiddler. Just one week, he says, at Harvard and a second week split between Stanford and Berkeley. Executive MBAs can take up to two years. So was it an easyMBA? Seems reasonable to ask.
• A wretched result then for Barbara Roche, the former minister who came fifth in the Labour selection race in Wigan. And discontent blocks the progress of Mr Harriet Harman, the union leader Jack Dromey, who had hopes of replacing Harry Cohen as Labour\'s man in Leyton and Wanstead, east London. The locals took a dim view of what they suspected to be manoeuvring by the national executive to smooth his path. As every pilot will attest, the best way of avoiding turbulence is to find an alternative route to your destination. Thus many discern a certain choreography in Dromey\'s vocal support for the Cadbury\'s workers in the Midlands and then the sudden availability of a seat in Birmingham Erdington, where Labour\'s Siôn Simon is bowing out, hoping to become the city\'s elected mayor. Once again, cynics suspect the hand of Harriet, but then they always suspect the hand of Harriet. Doesn\'t mean they\'re wrong.
• Finally, we can\'t blame Football Punk magazine for not realising the full import of what England captain John Terry said in interview with them not so long ago. Question: "What\'s the best trick you\'ve ever played on a team-mate?" Answer: "There\'s been many. But the best one is definitely not for publication!" Question: "Who\'s your favourite golfer?" Answer: "It would have to be Tiger Woods."
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/[...]uir-diary-brown-pope-humanists
