Michael Brown: Don't put blind trust in blind trusts. Or the Government
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference."Is it not now time we had an urgent debate on blind trust?" I thought I heard Eric Forth, the shadow Leader of the House, inquire of Robin Cook in the Commons. Then again, he might have actually been asking for a debate on "blind trusts".
But the subject of blind trust would probably have been of more interest to the increasing number of journalists who have lost all trust, blind or otherwise, in the Blair Government.
You could also have an interesting debate on the blind trust that the Downing Street press officers have kept placing in Mrs Blair's ability to tell them the truth.
For Mr Forth, blind trusts were "neither blind nor trustworthy". He carried on where the Tory leader, Iain Duncan Smith, left off on Wednesday.
Being of a less squeamish tendency than his boss, however, Mr Forth was determined to put the boot in. He made the point that the ministerial code of practice is supposed to provide a framework for the "ethical conduct" of ministers. "But is it not the case that the code is written by the Prime Minister, policed by the Prime Minister, monitored by the Cabinet Secretary who is appointed by the Prime Minister and who reports to the Prime Minister?"
Mr Forth cannot see controversy, scandal or trouble without wanting to cross the road to engage with them. He salivated with delight as he gave the details of the latest revelations in the press. It was his good luck that the swimming pool (which Mr Blair had told the House was emptying just as Mr Duncan Smith was about to take the plunge) was filling up from a channel containing extremely smelly political sewage.
Mr Cook, the DynoRod of the Government, tried to unblock the drains. But his opaque reply – that doing so "after the last week or two" involved "great difficulty" – implied it was Mrs Blair and the spin doctors who had caused the trouble, though he mouthed the usual mantra on Mrs Blair's "loyalty to her friend".
At this point the Speaker intervened with a plea "not to bring families on to the floor of this House". So Ann Winterton, the wife of the Tory grandee Sir Nicholas Winterton, MP for Macclesfield, obligingly retreated from the chamber.
She had been required earlier because she is also an MP and was due to quiz Paul Boateng, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, about foundation hospitals. This enabled Michael Howard to remind MPs that Gordon Brown had told The Guardian that he was opposed to foundation hospitals. "Not the Guardian breakfast again," cried Mr Boateng. "How many times is that particular meal to be regurgitated?"
When I later asked Mr Brown's press officer what the Chancellor eats for breakfast, I was told: "Michael Howard." But the truth is that Mr Howard is successfully getting the measure of Mr Brown. And even on the Labour side, there is no longer "blind trust" in the Chancellor.
Simon Carr is away
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments