There are doubtless more important headlines to put on the front page of a 3 million-a-day-readership national newspaper than “JOANNA LUMLEY FOR PM”, but given the Sun’s benchmark of significance normally settles just under Peter Andre’s divorce proceedings, we can all let it go. Or, perhaps more accurately, most of us can let it go, while the broadsheet newspapers fall over themselves with polls, discussions and debates about whether Gordan Brown should be replaced by the star of a 90s sitcom.
That’s not to say Lumley’s recent campaign for the Gurkhas wasn’t an important issue, but asking readers whether this qualifies her to run the government is just lazy political journalism. Try asking yourself how you might answer the question. It might go something like this: “Well, hmm, what are her policies on the economy? Er... well I’d have to know her tax rates and such...Erm...I mean I need to make an informed decision...” Well done for turning a light hearted discussion into Question Time, David Dimbleby.
Ok, so maybe I’m taking it all too seriously. But then what to make of the question? The answer these polls are revealing is essentially something more like, “well of course I probably wouldn’t actually vote her for PM if there was some sort of referendum, but I recognise that this is a light hearted question with little to no relevance, and I think her Gurkha campaign was good, so I’ll answer yes.” This all seems a little pointless to me. Perhaps it’s time the media got over the gimmicks of personality and focused on policy, before we vote in another buffoon because he was quite funny on a quiz show.
This week Tom finally finished his essays that have taken up the last few weeks, and looks forward to writing more blog articles.
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