April Fools?
Fraser Nelson 11:28am
The hallmark of this ridiculous government is the difficulty one always has on 1 April trying to discern which newspaper stories are April Fools. The Guardian tickles our ribs in suggesting that Carla Bruni is being recruited in Brown's Government Of All the Talents as some kind of fashion tsar. Is that so much more incredible than the real-life attempt to recruit Fiona Phillips, the GMTV presenter, and offer her a peerage and place in the Department of Health? We had a story last week saying that only 34% people believe official statistics, according to official statistics. This is the only tool one has to spot the real stories. They go beyond the imagination of even the most contemptuous comedian. As Littlejohn says, you couldn’t make it up.
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Perry
April 1st, 2008 12:01pm Report this comment. . . and to take the health / stats / credibility theme just one wee step further . . . how many of us heed, - or even believe (is that the same as ‘ Take On Board’ in Noo-Speak?) - the ever flowing stream of health ‘Advice’ (sic) – later mutated. [On a wider scale, the NHS is well used to ‘Initiatives’ that start on 1st April.]
Oscar Miller
April 1st, 2008 12:38pm Report this commentI was convinced that this mornings Today story that the government is setting up a special statistics 'independent' watchdog to kite mark and verify the accuracy of government statistics was an April fools. But checking the website it seems that the story is true. Can it really be true?
Mike
April 1st, 2008 1:01pm Report this commentThe biggest April fool of all was that Brown was made PM. I half expected to see Blair emerge from No.10 saying "Ha. Fooled you"
Caroline
April 1st, 2008 4:47pm Report this commentFraser - it must be April fool's day if you're telling us that you read Littlejohn!? Next you'll be saying that you listen to that chap James Whale, who I heard for the first time reviewing the papers the other day. Extraordinary.
Whose opinions are these two representing Fraser. Is it the 'poor beleaguered motorist' constituency so beloved of that big chap in the tight jeans? PS. Nice to know you missed me ;0)
Fraser Nelson
April 2nd, 2008 12:40am Report this commentCaroline, it's always suprised me how those who disagree with his views try to make out that he's not a good writer. He is, in my view, one of the best columnists writing in the English language. I'm afraid you can hear the vox populi reflected in his columns more than anything you'll read in the broadsheets. These pesky voters are angry, I'm afraid to tell you... And yes, please do keep coming round here more often. You spice things up.
Caroline
April 2nd, 2008 11:20am Report this commentHello Fraser. I have, on very rare occasions, read his column, but I just find the extreme style a little too overwhelming for me. It’s not really a case of whether I agree with him or not, after all I'm an avid reader of CHouse and ConHome whose views I don't always share (!) but I still check you out whenever possible and enjoy the articles and comments. I suppose that being (reasonably) polite, and even a little lighthearted can be more effective and goes further with some, than the feeling of being verbally mugged. In that regard; I was sorry that the first time thoughtful comments by Julian Stein a few days ago received a hostile response and has resulted in the loss of a potentially valuable contributor.
Btw. Your thoughts about whether the dynamic will change on the current oppositional internet blogging if there is a change of Government was an interesting one, and got me thinking. Might be worth a column?
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