Return to: Home | Blogs | Bright's Blog

Brown's Cones Hotline Moment

Concerns over food waste are well-founded, but Brown's comments make him look out of touch

Gordon Brown's speech on Britain's food storage habits was a strange political moment. Could this be his version of John Major's Cones Hotline: not a bad idea in itself, but somehow redolent of the man himself. When the Prime Minister becomes a red-faced motorist in a traffic jam it's demeaning of his office. The Steve Bell image of Major with a cone on his head was almost as iconic as the underpants worn outside his trousers.

Brown is right to talk about not wasting food just as Major was right to be annoyed about roadworks. But the speech just reinforced the nation's idea of Brown as patronising, interfering and out-of-touch. As the 19th teenage knife-crime victim is named, we don't want to be told to eat up our greens.

Post this article to

  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • newsvine
  • Reddit

3 comments from readers

guido
08 July 2008 at 10:10

Excellent analogy

Anthony Z
08 July 2008 at 10:48

Completely agree. There are starving children in Africa who'd be glad of those Brussels Sprouts, young man.

(sorry, Mum)

knave
08 July 2008 at 21:37

I agree with you on this Brighty.

The comment about the knives was up to your normal high standard.

Also I thought your mate Boris was going to bring in immediate measures to reduce street crime in London.

Although he was probably interviewing this week for new deputy.

You and Cohen have been quiet on that issue.

I wonder why ?

Post your comment

(Your email address will not be published)

Recent Posts

The horror comes home

22 January 2009 09:58

Ken Clarke's return

19 January 2009 16:10

A New Deal of the mind

15 January 2009 09:31

It's a New New Deal

08 January 2009 09:51

A year of ups and downs

18 December 2008 09:44

Mystic Mart

15 December 2008 13:06

The two-man show

11 December 2008 09:44

Past Entries

Follow this blog

Vote!

Will Baroness Ashton be an effective EU foreign minister?

Suggest a question

View comments

© New Statesman 1913 – 2009

Tracker