As usual, David Mitchell is spot on
The expenses scandal demonstrated three things: first, that British politicians can be dishonest, albeit in a petty way that genuinely corrupt political cultures would find quaint; second, that they can be idiotic, either in their stubborn refusal to concede that there were any irregularities or their spineless acceptance of every criticism hurled; third, that they weren’t paid enough either to stop them ferreting for perks or to preclude the aforementioned morons infiltrating their number. I can’t see which of these three problems reducing ministerial salaries and increasing the price of salads in the Palace of Westminster will solve. Surely it will exacerbate the last two.
Read, as they say, the whole thing.
[still banned]
On the other hand he apparently is leading a campaign to save the Observer, which in fact would surely be better taken outside and put out of its misery?
I quite agree about the Obscurer. I’ve developed a sort of neo-Heseltine view of newspapers; I’m ready and willing to intervene before breakfast etc. to start new and better ones, but first, let’s burn down the dead wood.