Cheeky crap from the fourth estate

In the Introduction to my book I explained why my selected newspaper for providing examples of crap was The Times, which has strong statist leanings and is in tune with Big Government Conservatism.

A good example of this pro-government stance, without much semblance of a responsibility of the press to watch over government on our behalf, is cited in Chapter 4 (Statistical Crap) where a Times Leader welcomes the proposal of tax-payer funded government research on mobile phones and disease, without any evidence of a connection.

The columnist Magnus Linklater has a small walk-on part in the same chapter, displaying a tendency to take government research as a model of impartiality.  But his colours have come to a much stronger light in more recent offerings, such as this piece of Cheeky Crap, (or maybe Prolific Crap) defending helpless politicians against the “vitriol” of we the people in an article on 18th May 2007 entitled “Criticism of public figures has lost all proportion”.  Forget that his “public figures” turnout to be “politicians” – and certainly in today’s “celebs” culture I doubt if he’d accuse us of over-criticism there!  Even worse, he goes on to say:

There is a quality of venom about political commentary on both sides of the Atlantic that seems out of proportion to the performances of those on the receiving end, and cannot wholly be explained by the febrile climate of the times. 

Mr Brown is now the object of what can only be described as a feeding frenzy  that goes well beyond criticism of his political indecision, the handling of the Northern Rock affair and the errors he admits to, such as the 10p tax fiasco.

The only examples of “feeding frenzy” he gives are another newspaper and the Tories – more politicos.

The next day Matthew Parris reminds us that far from admitting to errors:

...the list of mistakes and misfortunes that Mr Brown won’t acknowledge has grown too tedious to detail.  Northern Rock, a range of tax twists and U-turns, the  recent notorious abolition of the 10p tax rate (where Brown still fails to use the word “I” when acknowledging mistakes)...

And that in defence of the £2.7 billion tax “cut”, (financed by borrowing) he replied to interviewers that:

"The £2.7 billion tax cut, financed by borrowing, was a response to the world  economic downturn: a measure to stimulate domestic growth by putting extra money in people’s pockets.  Brown said he wanted to ease the financial squeeze  being faced by hard-working families."

Asked why the need for this had only been discovered since the Budget, he could give no answer.  It was pitiable.

The Spectator’s leading article at the weekend ended with a simple sentence; “This is a Prime Minister who will do anything – anything – to cling to power”.

Come on Magnus; let’s give discredit where discredit is due!