Saturday, June 07, 2008

Right Old Nanny State: Tory Weasel Words Competition


Iain Dale is having a weasel words competition with Caroline Spelman and her mostly-nanny-also-answered-the-phone "Parliamentary Secretary" Tina Haines here and again here. I really don't know who's winning. All three seem to speak weaselish fairly fluently.

Looks like Spelman is trying very hard to avoid having to face any consequences for what still looks like stealing money from the taxpayer.

Her statement says she thought her obviously dodgy arrangement was "entirely within the rules". She would, wouldn't she?

The next paragraph then says the Tory Chief Whip made Caroline aware:
"that such an arrangement could be open to misinterpretation and whilst within the rules such misinterpretation is not helpful,"
and immediately goes on
"therefore I put a stop to the arrangement."
Is that Caroline Spelman again asserting that the arrangement was within the rules, or perhaps it's the Tory Chief Whip backing her up?

Lynne Truss is not available to interpret this mostly punctuationless construction, but I'd say it's probably the former made to look like the latter.

Should MPs be allowed to get help with childcare? Yes I think so. Far more important than having a second home or a new pergola bought for them by the taxpayer. Change the rules Caroline. Don't break them. And don't try and kid us that you didn't.

Meanwhile Sadie Smith has got into the spirit of Mandy Rice Davis to compare Tory bloggery now over personal enrichment of their own, with Tory bloggery then over late declarations of legitimate donations that went on leaflets etc.

FOOTNOTE: Even Dizzy Thinks She Has To Go, agreed with LOL that weaselish don't ring true. Hat tip: John Hirst comment. Dizzy's off regulars.

7 comments:

jailhouselawyer said...

Dizzy has a good post on Spelman.

Chris Paul said...

A good post from Dizzy you say? I'm there. I'd rather given up on his gibberish.

jailhouselawyer said...

Chris: Bob Piper posted on it and I agree with him.

Anonymous said...

Good to see John the reformed axe murderer and Chris the master of pointless gibberish back together again. A happy couple!

Chris Paul said...

Great to see anon 00:39 still not having the guts to sign their name to their childish twittery.

Anonymous said...

Not me, that anon remark, honest.

dizzy said...

errrm don't remember posting that and not being logged in