20 October 2005

Factual inaccuracies

I wanted to highlight (for posterity) this extract from Ann Treneman's sketch in The Times:
"This year Railtrack shareholders took the Government to court and, although they lost the case, the judge said Mr Byers talked “little above gibberish”. Of course, for Mr Byers, that could almost be construed as a compliment.
It is a law in Byers World that one bad thing deserves another. It came out at the trial that he had given inaccurate testimony to the Transport Select Committee. He came to the Commons earlier this week to explain and also, perhaps, to dazzle us with gibberish.
In case you think I lie, here are his words: “I did not lie to the select committee. I did not deliberately mislead the select committee, but that due to an inadvertent error I gave factually inaccurate evidence to the select committee. I deeply regret that this has happened.”
I cannot be the only one who found this very liberating indeed. Children across the land will be thanking Mr Byers for this is a major improvement on crossing your fingers and hoping no one shouts “fibber-wibber” at you.
Sadly it all comes a bit late for George Washington and his cherry tree. “I cannot tell a lie,” little Georgie said. If only he had known, he could have added: “But I’m sure that a factual inaccuracy would be in order!”

Politicians: so much aspiration, so little to admire...

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