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Monday 23 January 2017

Press Evades May's Trident Evasion

Politicians can get away with many lapses in behaviour and judgment. But two that they can not merely wave away are evasion and deceit. And Theresa May, our not at all unelected Prime Minister, has exhibited both these traits - live on TV - as news has leaked that a test firing of a Trident missile went badly wrong, with the device veering off its intended path towards Africa, instead making off in the direction of the USA.
But, so what? The missile was launched cleanly, it was unarmed, and all that happened was that its internal navigation system somehow went wrong. That, accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders, might have sufficed - had the event been reported at the time it happened. But everyone including the PM kept schtum, and a Commons debate and vote on renewing Trident happened between then and now.
The suspicion of deceit was only heightened when Ms May appeared before the host’s inquisition on The Andy Marr Show (tm) and was asked - four times - whether she had known of the failed missile test when the Commons Trident debate took place. Four times she evaded. It was the Sunday morning equivalent of Newsnight’sDid you threaten to overrule him?” moment - except that it then led the news for the rest of the day.
And the evasion of the PM is still at the top of the news agenda - except for the right-leaning part of the Fourth Estate, where Theresa May can be assured of not just support, but the selective disclosure that is there, at times like this, to help a beleaguered friend. So while the Mirror and Guardian have put the missile story front and centre, the rest of the press pack has dutifully kept the PM’s evasiveness off their front pages.
The creativity displayed, and the sheer lameness of the stories substituted, will no doubt make the likes of Paul Mason smile. The Telegraph claims “May trade deal will open door to US jobs”. What trade deal? There won’t be one - not until 2019 at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the Murdoch Sun puts an alleged cancer scare on its front page, except the idea that chips and brown toast causes it is unproven in humans. But it keeps the PM’s evasion out of the way, and is also used by the allegedly upmarket Murdoch Times.
Despite the Sunday Times having broken the missile test story yesterday, its daily stablemate can only manage the cancer scare, a mention of the PM’s visit to the USA, and splash the realisation that there are things called business rates. Who knew?
The Mail has - most conveniently - found that it might be possible to get from Brussels to London on Eurostar without showing a passport, which enables the Dacre doggies to frighten their readers with claims of “Terrorists”. But good of them to keep the PM’s failings off the front page - and tell those terrorists how it’s done.
Then the Express, retaining its joke paper status, screams that a million people who talk foreign are on their way to the UK (really? Not really), and that Free Movement should therefore be unilaterally stopped - which its editor knows is not possible.

All of these have dutifully covered for Theresa May’s deceit and evasion. Something to consider next time you are told of how vibrant and free our press is. It’s not just about what they print - it’s often about what they keep from you. And the PM is still in trouble.

7 comments:

David said...

Cancer! Immigrants! Rubbish weather! Royals (and Diana offspring to boot)! "Daily Express Bingo" full house, anyone?

David said...

Inward-looking, borderline xenophobic politicians leading to poor relations with near-neighbours; press covering up government failings; failed ICBM tests....is the UK turning into a cheap knock-off of North Korea?

Alan Clifford said...

I told you ages ago the woman is a liar and a hypocrite.

She always will be, even at potentially lethal cost to innocent lives. This latest episode proves it. There will be others.

All of it from a woman who talks of "a Fair Society," a tory woman who wouldn't know "fair" - let alone "society" - if it jumped up in front of her.

Mind you, it IS true there'll be no such thing as society if one of the wandering missiles actually lights up a city. Which doubtless some military brass hat loony in London and Washington is itching to try out.

Anybody would think the film Fail Safe wasn't made as far back as 1963, let alone the Doctor Strangelove manifestation that is Henry Kissinger.

Anybody who trusts the May gang deserves exactly what they'll get if a nuke "accidentally" drops on their empty heads.

Anonymous said...

Colin The Bat says:

Classic Headlines!

Time for Dan and Dan's Daily Mail Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI

All together now:

"It's absolutely true cos I read it in the Daily Mail"

D. Trump said...

I gotta tell you folks. GOD is the only way you can get through the next 4 years of my presidency.

I noticed Madonna has caused an eruption with her incendiary remarks.

Hey folks, I'm gonna pardon her anyway. To prove my sentiments, I have written a speech for her all on my own...

Here it goes.

"I feel it, its coming..
Rain..

"feel it on my fingertips, feel it on my window pane. Your love's coming down like rain".
Wash away my sorrow, take away your pain"

When your lips are burning mine and you took the time to tell me how you feel
When I listened to your words cause your a sexy bird.

Rain is what the good Lord brings for the first time I just heard my ears ring.
Call me a fool but I know I'm not,
I'll pay my taxes but not a lot.

And I feel God's rain..
Feel it on my fingertips here it on my window pane
Wash away my sorrow.....

When you looked into my eyes and said goodbye, could you see my tears?
When I turned the other way
Did you hear me say I'd wait for all those dark clouds bursting in the perfect sky, that's because I'm a climate change denier.
There's no return once the planet's gone, now I'll wait for the day where there's nowhere to run til I feel your rain....




Neil said...

Tim, you should be more concerned that Marr backed off with a pathetic 'I don't want to be nasty' and then asked a different question. This deferential treatment was what Spicer was demanding of the American press corp... if you ask inconvenient questions then you won't be invited to press briefings or if you are you won't be allowed to ask questions. You could see in Marr's eyes that he knew (or was being yelled at in his ear piece) if he pressed her further the next time Mrs May wants to come on TV on a Sunday she'll go to Peston on ITV or the new Sky news magazine show.

rob said...

I'm sure the credit note put in for duff goods will not go amiss in redressing the NHS shortfall of cash required to bring it up to speed.

In an alternative fact, post truth, parallel universe sort of way.