Love and Liberty

Let’s play spot the difference:

• Juries

• Elections

• Opinion Polls

So, which is the odd one out, and why?

I can think of three answers.

Want a clue?

It involves some people who are more clueless by the day.

It involves some people who are frightened of their own shadows.

It involves some people who are all mouth and no trousers.

…

…

…

Thought about it? All ready with your answer?

And, of course, it was a trick question. There are three reasons why one of these is the odd one out, but in each case it’s the same one.

The odd one out in each case is opinion polls.

• Juries and elections both involve real people having to make real decisions, and opinion polls don’t.

• Opinion polls are the ones Labour ministers claim as justification for every bit of bullying they do.

• And in a by-election called to challenge the Labour Government over their sweaty-palmed eagerness not to let juries decide whether someone’s innocent or guilty… Labour insist opinion polls back them up, and opinion polls are all they can cling to because they’ve just announced that they’re too utterly afraid to put that to the test of real people’s real votes. They won’t even defend their own policies where the voters can answer back. Brave, brave Sir Gordon!

Whoops! I’m wrong. Turns out that people back David Davis’ and the Liberal Democrats’ stance in opinion polls, too. So Mr Brown’s last friend – meaningless reams of numbers – has deserted him. Well, I suppose anyone who’s been watching the economy tank would already know that…

Labels: British Politics, Labour, Stupid Ideas