"Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!"

Thus spake one of Shakespeare's greatest liars, Sir Jack Falstaff, and I would not be surprised to see him running for the leadership of the Tory party!  There is, of course, an art and a craft to political lying.  Both Blair and the self-styled 'heir to Blair' mastered it effortlessly.  With political lying it is necessary always to leave doors slightly ajar, obscure avenues of retreat left open, space maintained to encompass the sudden U-turn.  Michael Gove, for all his high intelligence, failed to take those precautions.  He stood before the nation on live television and swore that under no circumstances would he run for leadership of the Tory party.  All he lacked was the proverbial stack of bibles on which he could have stood to emphasise his sincerity.  Even worse, he did not lie to another politician but to an ordinary member of the public who had posed the question to him during a 'Brexit' debate.  In a sense, via the camera lens, he looked us all in the eye and lied through his teeth.  The result is death.  Not, alas, by stoning from the mob in a public place, although he deserves it, but for him, even worse, it will be a career death by inches as he is cold-shouldered, ignored and passed by as he watches his political career swirl round and then down the toilet.  Politically, he is dead man walking! 

So now we must look forward, with some apprehension, to the leadership of 'St. Theresa of May'!  Personally, I remain unmoved and uneasy by the prospect.  She has been Home Secretary for six years and as far as I can tell (which isn't far, I admit) our constabulary are officered by idiots and crooks, our prisons are the human equivalent of landfill sites and our so-called borders should simply have a multi-language sign saying "This way to London"!  Even so, there is a God, there must be because only a God could have arranged for the Labour party to turn itself into the Judean Peoples' Front and thus fail utterly to be a responsible opposition.

Is it too early for a drink?

 

 

 

Comments

[Loz]

Oooooh! Was that the rarely called upon "Wrath of Duff" coing down onto the "Gove from Above"?

He can look forward to victory in the leadership election and a glorious Prime Ministership now then!

SoD

[Whyaxye]

You are holding Gove to high standards; the same as would apply to someone that you know personally, and trust. It does you credit, DD, because you are (in these matters at least!) something of a gentleman. But this is the dirty business of politics, and standards are lower. His colleagues will forgive him because they have all done similar, albeit for lower stakes; the public will not care as they are not up to understanding the details. You might think he is a dead man walking, but then again, you thought boris was a shoo-in this time yesterday!

I share your reservations about Gove. But take courage! Both he and May have more backbone than Cameron. Both are proven tough negotiators, and that's what is needed in the coming months. Everything still to play for.

[David Duff]

SoD, you will go to your room and not come out until I tell you!

'W', I don't hold any politician to high standards, indeed, the whole art and craft of politics is wrapped in flexibility. However, Gove made the mistake of promising something directly to us, not to his fellow pols, in absolute terms that contained not even a sliver of wriggle room. He then broke that promise. It was not just morally reprehensible, it was stupid!

Even so, I will always be grateful to 'BoJo' and Gove for leading the 'OUT' campaign. Now all we have to do is hold 'St. Theresa of May's feet to the fire to ensure that she does what we have told her!

[Kevin B]

David, you should cut poor Gove some slack. I have it on good authority that his conversation with his wife went something like this the other morning.

Gove: My dearest love, Duncan Boris comes here to-night.
Sarah: And when goes hence.
Gove: To-morrow, as he purposes.
Sarah: O, never shall sun that morrow see!

And if I was Banquo Teresa I'd keep an eye out. Once these decent chaps get a taste for blood, there's no stopping them.

[missred]

As far as I am concerned, it is never too early for a drink!

[David Duff]

Very witty, Wilde, er, I mean Kevin!

Well said, Miss Red, I'll drink to that!