Thursday 12 November 2009

Minister of Disinformation



To the absolutely delight of the nation Lord Mandelson is to be gracing our television screens even more. The founder of the words "spin to win" (or was that Alistair Campbell?), may well be making weekly televised briefings which would be broadcast direct through the Downing Street website.

Gordon Brown has appointed Mandy for the job because he considers he's failed to "sell" the government's message to the public.

What he doesn't appear to understand is that no matter how good the marketing, if the product is inferior then the public won't buy at any price. A good product sells itself.

In an interview he admitted: “I could present our message a lot better, I’m actually shy by nature rather than extrovert, someone who feels that your actions should speak for themselves, but that’s not the way politics works these days.”

If all else fails play the sympathy card. He wasn't shy in cutting the 10p tax rate or giving £ billions to his banking cronies was he? Is his 'shyness' his excuse for ducking out of the public arena for days after Tony Blair announced we were to invade Iraq? 'Actions should speak for themselves' - indeed they do.

It was much easier for Gordon Brown to take to his bunker when he was chancellor, but as PM we expect him to be a charismatic communicator because we all know good communication skills are high on the list of qualifications for political life - after all politicians require no formal qualifications.

Peter Mandelson I admit, is a smooth operator, but will he be able to spread the word or will he eventually have to beg the public not to shoot the messenger?

8 comments:

Apogee said...

Hi SR

Well, I thought the public have got the message perfectly well; no doubt at all.
As for not shooting the messenger, many people would ,I am sure, like to go a little further.......

D.

Clarinda said...

One J Goebbels (who also assisted his leader to power) as Minister for Propaganda came to a very unpleasant end. He is considered to be the instigator of the "Big lie" - so he would be proud of his legacy in the hands of Labour's master-mind?

Quiet_Man said...

Ah, it's comical Ali's twin brother. Any resemblance to the truth in any of his broadcasts will be purely by coincidence.

subrosa said...

Me too Apogee but it would seem we're being rather difficult not accepting it as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

subrosa said...

Clarinda, I think Mandy's collected so much on so many during his years in politics, that he can more or less do and say what he wishes now.

subrosa said...

I was going to use the comical Ali video QM just to stress the point but the Times photo did it rather well too.

Dark Lochnagar said...

I thought the phrase "spin it to win it", was Bruce Forsyth.

subrosa said...

I think you're right DL. I couldn't remember where it came from, it just sprung into my mind when I typed the word Mandelson for some reason.

Of course Mandelson's wheel is invisible. ;)

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