Time for the pundits to keep their word

There were some dangerous pledges made in the heat of the election battle from both politicians and pundits. Paddy Ashdown promised to eat his hat should the exit poll prediction bear out. It did, and he has not consumed his hat, though he did go halfway and consume a hat-shaped cake. A similarly rash exit poll reaction was had by radio’s Iain Dale back in 2010, though he has not yet come good on his promise to streak. Unlike, it seems, the Telegraph’s Dan Hodges who promised to run naked down Whitehall singing ‘Land of Hope of Glory’ if Ukip polled over 6 per cent of the vote:

If UKIP break 6% at the next election I'll streak naked down Whitehall in a Nigel Farage mask whilst singing Land of Hope and Glory…

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) December 15, 2012

They did, and Hodges is standing by his pledge. ‘A Hodges is like a Lannister, he always pays his debts. Even if they are naked debts’, the columnist tells Mr Steerpike. Hodges says that this will not be some shamefaced affair, but instead a carnival of nudity thanks to sponsorship from Ladbrokes. Surely it is time for others to follow Hodges’ excellent example in keeping his word? Mr S is reminded of the fact that Russell Brand promised a self-inflicted Edward II style insertion of a firework should the Tories win a majority. You could certainly sell tickets to that spectacle.