A couple of days ago I posted about 'The press versus David Davis'. A diary story in today's Daily Mail might partly explain why the problem has existed:
"Andrew Mitchell MP, brusque campaign manager for leadership candidate David Davis, inquired of a stooped, bespectacled man at a News International party: 'Who are you?'
The reply: 'Robert Thomson' [pictured].
Mitchell: 'And what do you do?'
Stooped man: 'I'm editor of The Times'."
Until recently Mr Mitchell was running Mr Davis' press operation.
Ouch
Posted by: EU Serf | 12 October 2005 at 14:55
It's so amateurish isn't it?
Posted by: greg | 12 October 2005 at 15:00
How pathetic!
It says a lot about the man who appointed him!
Posted by: Selsdon Man | 12 October 2005 at 15:32
Selsdon - more positive comments about your fellow Conservatives. He must have really upset you at some point.
Posted by: Jules | 12 October 2005 at 16:30
If I had to compare the way in which the candidates are dealing with the press with let us say a snack in between meals, I'd say that:
DC is like a jam tart, shiny, shallow and sticky. Not quite a biscuit nor a cake but enjoyable nevertheless with a glass of milk.
KC would be a double-cholcholate muffin, twice as big today as they were 10 years ago but they still stick to the roof of your mouth and have to we washed down with gallons of black coffee.
LF would be like Sesame Snaps. Full of energy mixed with goodness. They set off all sorts of little explosions in your taste buds but can only be sold in small packets because you'd get sick of them if you had too many of them.
DD would like a Bourbon. A multi-layered chocolate biscuit sandwich with, unimaginatively, a choclate filling, but at least has the consistency not to disintegrate when you dunk it into a hot cup of tea.
Posted by: andy | 13 October 2005 at 09:04
Ed...and there was I thinking you didn't believe everything you read in the papers.
Posted by: Wat Tyler | 13 October 2005 at 09:50
I can't be sure, Wat, that it's true but it 100% fits my knowledge of how Mr Mitchell does treat people.
Posted by: Editor | 13 October 2005 at 10:03
Jules, I cannot be positive about incompetence. You simply cannot afford to make such mistakes, especially when it concerns the editor of a very influential national newspaper. I like Mr Davis but Andrew Mitchell was a very poor choice to run the press operation.
Posted by: Selsdon Man | 13 October 2005 at 12:39
Andy - I loved your post, I compared them to cleaning products on another blog because someone's going to have to clean up a real mess.
Posted by: a-tracy | 13 October 2005 at 12:56