Matt T

Times leader competition

A. “We are all minorities now,” declared Jeremy Thorpe after the inconclusive general election of February 1974. The Liberal Democrats under Nick Clegg enjoy a poll rating comparable to that achieved by Mr Thorpe. At the time this figure was seen as a breakthrough. Now there is a sense that the Lib Dems remain stubbornly ensconced as a minority, while the other parties enjoy alternating large majorities. Mr Clegg's leadership is not regarded as providing a way out.

B. For her meeting with Janice Turner, of times2, Mrs Gül was a picture of cheerful optimism. Yet if the judiciary that regards itself as custodian of Turkish secularism has its way, she will not be First Lady for much longer. Despite the solid parliamentary majority that enabled her husband to become President, the country's Constitutional Court is determined to press ahead with a case intended to outlaw the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and ban its leading members from politics.

C. Yesterday was a day for bogeys and yips, not birdies and eagles. Phil Mickelson is the world No 2. So, in the absence of Tiger, he is the favourite on paper. But even he managed a triple bogey seven on the 6th, which is some sort of dystopic score for him and the Open. Nevertheless, it was understandable but wet of Sandy Lyle to chuck in his putter and walk in at the 10th. He had reason: “My hands were hurting from a few real skanky shots.” He was 11 over par after a string of bogeys. At the 8th his ball had bounced on top of his partner's, and ricocheted 30 yards through the green. And the 10th is a sharp dogleg to the left through a Himalaya of dunes.

Mmm, well we can rule out C, I think, as Oliver has never expressed any interest in any sport as far as I am aware. B or A? A might be considered too nice to the Lib Dems, whilst B uses the style times2, which I expect Oliver would have avoided if he could. I disagree with something in A, by the way (not in the excerpt there). The leader writer criticises the Lib Dem proposal to cut the number of MPs (of which I am only aware because he/she (or are they all hes?) mentions it) but this has always seemed to me the only proposal that would increase the power of the legislature vis-a-vis the executive, and indeed perhaps that is why the writer doesn't support it?

Labels: The Times

posted by Matthew @ 7/18/2008 07:40:00 AM Comments: 3