Why the Prime Minister is turning into Sir Alex Ferguson
It was well documented during his 27 year reign as manager of Manchester United that Fergie (or Sir Alex as I should probably call him) wasn't the greatest fan of the press, or indeed the media in general. This is both surprising and not surprising to someone like myself that doesn't worship at the alter of MUFC. There were probably at least as many hacks in love with Fergie as were against him, but this didn't stop him from banning scribes from certain newspapers or media outlets that had the temerity to ask an awkward question or report on something that he felt should not have been in the public domain.
I suspect that he had nothing personal against any journalists whom he must have known were only trying to do their jobs (however distasteful) but he was clever enough to sucessfully manipulate the situation. This helped him to create and control the siege mentality that allowed him to cajole and push his teams on to success after success. After all, who can argue with someone who won thirty eight trophies during his time in Manchester?
This brings me nicely onto our current Prime Minister (pictured on the right adopting the 'Power Pose' previously pioneered by George Osbourne.....yes he looked like a twat as well) . I read today that she has appeared again on the campaign trail in front of a specially selected audience of local Tories, alongside a group of specially selected journalists who have previously had to submit the questions they wish to put to the PM. The eventual permitted questions (I reckon you can see where this is going) will have course have been specially selected as ones that Mrs May wants to answer.
Now I haven't managed to reach the ripe old age of 47 and still be naive enough to think that any politician is going to deliberately leave themselves open to a complete free-for-all, with the possible exception of Paul Nuttall. However, the PM has the following more than firmly on her side. The Times, The Telegraph, The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Star, The Express, Sky News & sadly now it seems The BBC which was formerly the finest broadcast organisation in the world. Even in the mainstream media, she would probably perhaps only face maybe one awkward question from say Channel Four News or some intern working for nothing at The Guardian which I'm pretty sure she could have easily faced down by repeating the phrase 'Strong & Stable' until everyone in the room had gone into a coma.
I'm not happy that the PM refuses to take part in the TV debate(s). If she's as 'strong and stable' as she'd have us all believe what has she to fear from taking on an old Lefty duffer in a geography teachers jacket, brown corduroy trousers and last years Hush Puppies? To me, the TV debate is now part of modern politics where surely May's brand of 'style over substance' should win through over a man who uses public transport by choice. Its a bit like Fergie's United drawing Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup and Fergie refusing to send a team just in case his decision to play Michael Carrick at centre back backfires. Having said that, Fergie's United did once get knocked out of the cup by Bournemouth, then in the third tier of English Football and managed by a much younger and less tax savvy Harry Redknapp, so you never know.
I'd like to see the TV companies still have the debate but with something in the place where the PM should be. Perhaps the public could become involved in an X-Factor style vote. We could have a build-up programme presented by Ant & Dec running through the options with their particular brand of Geordie wit. Or perhaps the PM could do what Fergie used to if he didn't fancy a press conference and send her right hand man (or woman) to face the music instead? Or even better, cut out the middle-women and let Rupert Murdoch or Lynton Crosby answer the questions. It could save a lot of time and expense in the long run.
What if the PM does relent and have a complete change of heart or be convinced by her spin doctors that even she will look good on stage with our Jeremy? I'd like to think that if things aren't going well for her then during the half-time advertisement break she'll be giving Lynton Crosby the 'hairdryer' treatment, or that if the host (in other words the Ref) D Dimbleby of Surrey or A.Boulton of Reading says something she doesn't like she will berate him publicly after the end of the programme. And I guess if she feels she is ahead as the debate reaches its final stages, I expect she'll be holding her arm in the air tapping her watch face.
When Fergie took over at Manchester United in November 1986 he said his aim was to 'knock Liverpool off of their perch' at the top of English football. At the time Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister, a new Ford Escort XR3i Convertible cost £10546 and the truly awful 'Every Loser Wins' by Nick Berry was the UK's number 1 single. So apart from the price of the equivalent new car going up, not a lot has changed. The number 1 record is shit and we have a right wing lunatic running the country.
I'm sure that with the help of the Tory friendly media that refuses to press the PM on the dreadful record of this Government on everything from the NHS , Schools, Transport, the disarray over Brexit negotiations , food banks, child poverty, the rise in hate crime, etc etc she will carry on after June 8th not only in the same position but actually stronger and able to make life much more miserable for lots of people that that don't support her team. Much like Fergie used to. Lets just hope she doesn't last for 27 years.
Now I haven't managed to reach the ripe old age of 47 and still be naive enough to think that any politician is going to deliberately leave themselves open to a complete free-for-all, with the possible exception of Paul Nuttall. However, the PM has the following more than firmly on her side. The Times, The Telegraph, The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Star, The Express, Sky News & sadly now it seems The BBC which was formerly the finest broadcast organisation in the world. Even in the mainstream media, she would probably perhaps only face maybe one awkward question from say Channel Four News or some intern working for nothing at The Guardian which I'm pretty sure she could have easily faced down by repeating the phrase 'Strong & Stable' until everyone in the room had gone into a coma.
I'm not happy that the PM refuses to take part in the TV debate(s). If she's as 'strong and stable' as she'd have us all believe what has she to fear from taking on an old Lefty duffer in a geography teachers jacket, brown corduroy trousers and last years Hush Puppies? To me, the TV debate is now part of modern politics where surely May's brand of 'style over substance' should win through over a man who uses public transport by choice. Its a bit like Fergie's United drawing Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup and Fergie refusing to send a team just in case his decision to play Michael Carrick at centre back backfires. Having said that, Fergie's United did once get knocked out of the cup by Bournemouth, then in the third tier of English Football and managed by a much younger and less tax savvy Harry Redknapp, so you never know.
I'd like to see the TV companies still have the debate but with something in the place where the PM should be. Perhaps the public could become involved in an X-Factor style vote. We could have a build-up programme presented by Ant & Dec running through the options with their particular brand of Geordie wit. Or perhaps the PM could do what Fergie used to if he didn't fancy a press conference and send her right hand man (or woman) to face the music instead? Or even better, cut out the middle-women and let Rupert Murdoch or Lynton Crosby answer the questions. It could save a lot of time and expense in the long run.
What if the PM does relent and have a complete change of heart or be convinced by her spin doctors that even she will look good on stage with our Jeremy? I'd like to think that if things aren't going well for her then during the half-time advertisement break she'll be giving Lynton Crosby the 'hairdryer' treatment, or that if the host (in other words the Ref) D Dimbleby of Surrey or A.Boulton of Reading says something she doesn't like she will berate him publicly after the end of the programme. And I guess if she feels she is ahead as the debate reaches its final stages, I expect she'll be holding her arm in the air tapping her watch face.
When Fergie took over at Manchester United in November 1986 he said his aim was to 'knock Liverpool off of their perch' at the top of English football. At the time Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister, a new Ford Escort XR3i Convertible cost £10546 and the truly awful 'Every Loser Wins' by Nick Berry was the UK's number 1 single. So apart from the price of the equivalent new car going up, not a lot has changed. The number 1 record is shit and we have a right wing lunatic running the country.
I'm sure that with the help of the Tory friendly media that refuses to press the PM on the dreadful record of this Government on everything from the NHS , Schools, Transport, the disarray over Brexit negotiations , food banks, child poverty, the rise in hate crime, etc etc she will carry on after June 8th not only in the same position but actually stronger and able to make life much more miserable for lots of people that that don't support her team. Much like Fergie used to. Lets just hope she doesn't last for 27 years.
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