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Idol promises
It’s been another rough week for our esteemed premier. After taking a battering over China last week, his visit to America seems to have been overshadowed by the simulataneous touring of a Pontiff. And higher matters were exercising “religio-political” blogger Archbishop Cranmer. Noting Brown’s sign-off “thank you and God bless you all,” delivered at his appearance on American Idol, he wondered whether the Prime Minister’s ease with the G word would survive the return trip across the Atlantic. Cranmer wrote that he:
“…would have rather more respect for this initiative if Gordon ‘did God’ at home as openly as he appears to do in the US. Or perhaps he is afraid of the consequences?”
Ahead of his meeting with the three candidates for the US presidency, Sam Coates’ Red Box blog wondered which would earn Brown’s support. On the balance, he reckons a Hillary victory would most please the PM.
By the end of the week, Jon Severs was starting to feel sorry for him. After Lord Desai compared Brown to porridge, he explained:
“Lord Desai says Gordon's only purpose in life is to remind everyone how good Tony Blair was. Ouch. Bit unfair that, as Gordon also exists to show how excruciatingly painful social occasions can be when you have the people skills of a wasp, how miserable one man can look…”
Goodbye Gwyneth Dunwoody
Sadness at the death on Thursday of parliament’s longest-serving woman MP, Gwyneth Dunwoody. On Friday morning, a tribute was posted on Labour Home:
“I greatly admired Gwyneth Dunwoody as a fierce and independent MP who believed strongly in holding the executive to account and was nobody's patsy - the ideal model for a backbench member. In my small dealings with her she always displayed intelligence and integrity.”
Fleet of Worlds called her “honourable and wise,” while Jonathan Calder described her as “a voice of sanity on transport and, as a select committee chair, more than a match for most ministers”.
What have we learned this week?
Iain’s Dale’s Diary reveals in, er, dribbles, the results of his political sex survey. Apparently, the average member of UKIP has over 34 sexual partners. I’m sceptical.
Across the Pond
Richard Adams on the Guardian’s deadlineUSA blog reports on disquiet over the quality of ABC’s presidential debate moderation. You wouldn’t catch Dimbleby getting booed by the Question Time audience.
Video of the week
Animator Matt Buck this week prepared a brilliant short cartoon marking Brown’s visit to the US, entitled A very special relationship.
Quote of the week
“We will be the Battenberg Martyrs. Rally to my banner. They can have our cake when they pry it from our cold, dead, chubby hands. ‘Bergers Unite! You have nothing to lose but your teeth!”
Chicken Yoghurt on the Food Standard Agency’s war against Battenberg cake.
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