New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Politics
8 September 2011

Osborne’s joke misfires at GQ awards

Chancellor "lowered the tone" as he accepted his Politician of the Year award.

By Samira Shackle

George Osborne may have been voted in as Politician of the Year at last night’s GQ awards, but he may have to work on his humour. Accepting the award, he said:

I’m not sure who actually reads the politics pages of GQ magazine.

I suspect they are the only pages that a teenage boy hasn’t stuck together in reading the magazine.

Some might say that’s because the wankers are on the page rather than reading them.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Rather than raucous laughter, however, the joke was met with stony silence, with some members of the audience even heckling. Host David Mitchell said that Osborne had “lowered the tone”. According to the Metro, “he was said to be embarrassed and apparently left the stage quickly”.

 

Content from our partners
A luxury cruise is an elegant way to make memories that will last a lifetime
An innovative approach to regional equity
ADHD in the criminal justice system: a case for change – with Takeda