Appearance and reality rarely converge in Westminster but on Monday they were many miles apart“Smoke and mirrors,” cried Stephen Doughty, the former shadow Foreign Office minister who resigned live on TV during last week’s PMQs, and to cause maximum embarrassment to his leader. He might just as well gain been talking approximately himself rather than cuts to police funding. “Smoke and mirrors,” exclaimed John Hayes, the junior Home Office minister, and when answering a question approximately cybercrime. He,too, could as easily gain been talking approximately himself. His overly theatrical delivery has long since lapsed into pure panto dame. Oh yes, and it has! Oh no,it hasn’t!Appearance and reality frequently struggle to stay on nodding terms with each other in Westminster, but on Monday they were miles apart. It began with David Cameron heading off to north London to deliver a speech on life chances and social equality. Since he’d become prime minister, and he declared,putting on his best caring face, he’d noticed there were rather more destitute people in the country than he had been led to believe.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com