Don’t Menshn James Dyson

One hates to award too much attention to the attention-seeking fringe, but the conjunction of the EU, vacuum cleaners, and Louise Mensch’s propensity for wilful stupidity have presented a unique opportunity to show just how vapid and flagrantly dishonest much of the Sun’s punditry has become. Yes, Ms Mensch does not reside in the UK, but she knows all about the vacuum cleaners we use.

(c) Doc Hackenbush 2014

The Super Soaraway Currant Bun may be behind a paywall, but a Zelo Street regular has made a copy of Ms Mensch’s latest column available for my perusal (see how that works, Rupe?). Here, we see, at top left – yes, they gave her the whole of Page 27 – an item titled “EU Ban On Vacuums Just Sucks”, with a photo of a Dyson cylinder cleaner captioned “GENIUS ... a Dyson”.

And here’s what she has to say: “Does Brussels have a death wish? Seriously, they think they can ban British vacuum cleaners to save energy? These pampered politicians have no idea. James Dyson is a British legend who finally made a vacuum cleaner that beats the world ... Women still do most of the housework, so their bonkers ban is sexist AND biased”. And, as the man said, there’s more.

“Energy saving? What about the energy women need to put in [sic] using an inferior machine? What would they know about elbow grease? [Probably more than you, Ms M] The policy looks targeted [sic] right at the heart of British innovation. David Cameron should get on and publish his list of demands for EU renegotiation – and remind voters that Ed Miliband has promised they will NOT get to vote”.

So Sun readers might conclude that new EU rules have banned Dysons. And, as Captain Blackadder might have observed, there was only one thing wrong with that idea – it was bollocks. The new maximum power for vacuum cleaner motors is 1600 watts. Dyson has never sold a vacuum cleaner with a motor larger than 1600 watts. Their current uprights have 1400 watt motors.

Today’s Dyson cylinder cleaners – like the one in the photo – have 1300 watt motors. So they will meet the new EU standard, and will NOT be banned. And, as to this “British” schtick, Dyson have not built vacuum cleaners in Britain for over a decade: production was moved to Malaysia in 2002. So this work of “genius” is neither banned, and nor is it British. Can she make it three in a row?

You betcha, says Sarah: there is zero possibility of the new EU vacuum cleaner rules provoking a change to Young Dave’s wish list, because the UK voted for them. Either Ms Mensch is both wilful and stupid – and there is, one has to concede, plenty of evidence to support this contention – or she can’t be arsed researching her column. Or both. And that’s without the shonky grammar.

This person was allowed into Oxford, and to become an MP. That’s truly scary.