Friday, October 06, 2006

Agreeing with Mary Ann Sieghart

I have finally found a column by Mary Ann Sieghart that I can't disagree with. It was she who interviewed George Osborne at the Tory conference when he made his quip about Gordon Brown and autism. Read her column HERE. Paul Linford, however, seems to have had a sense of humour failure HERE.

Anyone who knows George Osborne knows he has a wicked sense of humour and is also a great mimic. Let's hope this experience won't have put him off being spontaneous. This whole episode was manufactured by bored journalists wh had nothing better to write and love a bit of faux outrage. Again, the lesson for the Conservatives is to keep the media beast fed and watered. If you don't, don't be surprised if it turns round and bites you.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Misread that as "keep the media breast fed"! Hey, ho. Time for bed I think.

Anonymous said...

"Anyone who knows George Osborne knows he has a wicked sense of humour "

well, he wasn't funny.

Praguetory said...

The interview was the most boring fringe event I attended. Based on what I saw to a large extent George has already packed his personality away. Just shows that the hacks will get you anyway.

Sir-C4' said...

I don't like Osborne, but not because of his sense of humour. I don't like him because he is not yet good enough to be Shadow Chancellor.

Anonymous said...

I would consider Mary Ann Sieghart's viewpoint (which I wholeheartedly agree with) to represent a resounding success for the Conservative Party, as this weak attempt to attack George Osborne is surely a reflection of how few negative stories came out of the whole conference?

Anonymous said...

Lefties are still milking the Osborne remarks. I read one throwaway remark yeeterday about Osborne sniggering at autistics. And of cours we still get people talking about Cameron "hugging hoodies" despite the fact that he never used the phrase.

I do think the Tories need a better press office, even an instant rebuttle outfit, for a lot of people are taken in by smear jobs.

Paul Evans said...

Osborne does a great impression of a transvestite marionette actually. Nearly all the time.

Ralph Lucas said...

Boris got his arse chewed in similar circumstances - but has chewed back - http://www.boris-johnson.com/

I don't expect truthfulness of most of the press - the Guardian seems best behaved - but wouldn't it be nice if the BBC remembered what it used to be about?

Sir-C4' said...

I do think the Tories need a better press office, even an instant rebuttle outfit, for a lot of people are taken in by smear jobs.

Agreeed, that is how Clinton won in 1992 and 1996. Blair has copied this tactic at the past three General Elections.

Anonymous said...

osborne's point was that the chancellor is psychologically deficient and hence unfit for the highest office in the land.

I don't see in this remark a criticism of autistic folk. He was merely referring to a lack of fit.


to say that the chancellor is AUTISTIC is playing very very dirty. if Osborne has any evidence he should present it.

Anonymous said...

Osborne looks like one of those young boys who always run home to their mum crying because someone doesn't want to play with them..."Mum, mum..Gordon is evil, he doesn't want to play with me. Mum, mum, tell him something"....

Anonymous said...

Well, I don't see how calling someone autistic can be viewed as an insult, given that the richest man in the world has admitted to being slightly autistic.

shergar said...

Dreary Mary and her 20 pars' worth of me me me is reason #36 not to buy the Times, which I used to buy religiously. You can't call those nags, hacks and second-raters "pundits". Maybe Kaletsky. But what a falling off there's been.

Anonymous said...

Tory press office is run by low grade figures at the moment because Hilton doesn't want any threat to his status as main guru.

They will have to appoint a heavyweight before the election!

Little Black Sambo said...

George Osborne seems to be unaware of the effect his remarks may have on other people. Perhaps he is autistic.

Anonymous said...

This is boring. I thought blogs were supposed to be about independence... just siding with the leadership endlessly even about totally trivial nothings is not interesting. I don't agree with Tim Montgomerie's Christian Right views but at least he is challenging the leadership based on an independent point of view.

Iain Dale said...

Anonymous at 6.38. If you were a regular reader of this blog you would know what I say what I think. What you're suggesting is that I should disagree with the party leadership for the sake of it. How pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Maybe I should have sense of humour failures more often, Iain. Being linked to from your blog always does wonders for my traffic!

Anonymous said...

Simon Heffer, among others (including me), have been saying for ages that Brown's boorishness and ill manners (e.g. his turning up to a white tie event in a lounge suit) border on the autistic. It's figurative, of course, but the man is an ill-bred, surly lout and there's no getting away from it.