Saturday, March 04, 2006

The first thing I thought when I heard Tessa Jowell has split from her husband?

PR stunt.

Does that make me a bad person, or simply say something really rather nasty about this government?

Sunday Update: Official denials that it was a PR stunt? So we can take it as confirmed that that is precisely what it was then? Good good...

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I thought the same but felt kinda guilty after it :/

3/04/2006 12:23:00 pm  
Blogger Unknown said...

No, it just means you can tell when the timing is "helpful", as it'll get something else out of the news...

As the Romans used to say "Qui bono?": who benefits?

3/04/2006 01:42:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It serves both their interests, doesn't it. She puts some distance between herself and the Italian court case. He gets to damp down some of the frenzy in a British press pack who are chasing him because they want a Blairite scalp.

3/04/2006 01:47:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It certainly saves her job. Since she's reported to be "heartbroken" no-one's going to be asking her any difficult questions, about, y'know, suspicions of money laundering and all that. Qui bono indeed.

Any bets on when they'll get back together?

3/04/2006 02:09:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's all about transparency in government - after a transparent lie / evasion to hide the fact that she's been caught doing something wrong, possibly actually illegal, there comes the transparent attempt divert attention / gain sympathy and distance herself from the wrongdoing. Kind of pathetic if it weren't so serious.

The rallying round of friends does rather make you wonder what other bodies have still to be uncovered.

[pedant note]It's "cui bono". I know this because I did 'A' level latin in 1973. [/pedant]

3/04/2006 04:22:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's 'attempt to divert attention', obviously.

[sigh]
It's like the old usenet rule that any spelling flame will incude spelling errors.

As for when they get back together - clearly as soon as they think
a) we've forgotten all about the shady dealings and
b) when they can sell the story to 'Hello' or similar.

3/04/2006 04:25:00 pm  
Blogger Jonn Elledge said...

"Does that make me a bad person, or simply say something really rather nasty about this government?"

The words 'not mutually exclusive' leap to mind...

3/04/2006 10:46:00 pm  
Blogger The Pedant-General said...

John,

"The words 'not mutually exclusive' leap to mind..."

My thoughts precisely.

Not often you get me putting a charitable interpretation on the behaviour of Labour ministers...

3/06/2006 10:17:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's not a PR stunt, it's a serious move to protect the family assets by ensuring that she takes much of the accumulated wealth in her own name. (Also known as the Aitkinson approach).

3/07/2006 12:37:00 pm  

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