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Liz Anderson

Liz suggests


Macavity Watch!

Tuesday, 15th May 2007

Yes, it's the exciting new game from the Spectator Blog. It's impossible to move at the moment without hearing the words 'Macavity' and 'Gordon Brown' next to each other. Today it's Rachel Sylvester in the Telegraph. Yesterday it was Peter Oborne on Disptaches. Last week it was Martin Kettle in the Gaurdian.

All sorts of people claim to have been first to use the description. But I think I know who first did - and it was a long, long time ago. In her Times column of 11th April, 2001, the ever perceptive Alice Miles referred to the Chancellor as Macavity.

So here's the competition - beat that! If you can find an earlier example of the description of Gordon Brown as Macavity, you will win a unique prize - the recognition of the millions of Spectator blog readers as an all-round political geek.

UPDATE: And what an exciting game it is turning out to be, with all sorts of unexpected twists and turns. Have a look at the comments below.

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Alice Miles

May 15th, 2007 3:58pm

having enjoyed the plug I am going to admit that I wasn't the first! When they reach the scene of crime, Gordon's never there - Opinion. By Mary Ann Sieghart. 27 September 2000 Does this make me a double geek? Alice

David Boothroyd

May 15th, 2007 4:51pm

Another interesting mention, from Anne McElvoy in the Independent on 28 December 1998: "Like TS Eliot's nifty malfeasant Macavity, Geoffrey Robinson .. stole away quietly from the scene of the commotion at the end of 1998".

mary ann sieghart

May 15th, 2007 8:56pm

Thanks, Alice. Good of you to point it out. Mary Ann

Paul Stuart

May 16th, 2007 8:46am

"He is becoming the political antithesis of Macavity the Mystery Cat. Wherever you may care to look, Peter Mandelson is there."

Fran Abrams, Independent
July 2, 1997

Stephen Pollard's Blog Roll

Oliver Kamm
Politics, economics and culture from the master. Unmissable.

Daniel Finkelstein's Times Comment Central
A daily must-read. 

Tim Worstall 
Lots of interesting nibbles - and a ruthless swatter of economic gibberish.

Marginal Revolution
Tyler Cowen's riveting economic blog.

Harry's Place
Must-read left of centre blog from writers who understand the threat to the West. 

Thought Experiments
The peerless Bryan Appleyard's blog.

Opera Chic
An American in Milan, on opera.

Intermezzo
A London-based classical music enthusiast.

Jessica Duchen's classical music blog
Does what it says on the tin.

Samizdata
Libertarian blog, packed every day.

Norm's blog
The thoroughly sensible thoughts of renowned left-wing academic Norman Geras, Professor of Government at Manchester. And cricket, too.

Public Interest
Peter Briffa's inimitable take on The Yazzmonster and other assorted demons.

Reform
The public sector reform group; their website is an invaluable source of data and ideas.

Centre for the New Europe
The leading European public policy think tank.

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