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The Words Remembered May Not Be The Words Chosen

The recent furore over striking workers due to workers from around Europe has been typified by the phrase “British Jobs For British Workers,” which of course we’re all sure that Gordon Brown said. Nope, says Paul Waugh, it was actually this:

It is time to train British workers for British jobs that will be available over the coming few years".

Problem is, the actual words don’t matter any more. What does matter is that everyone now associates those words with Gordon Brown. He can’t escape them any more.

There is precedent (isn’t there always?) of the reporting of a Prime Minister’s speech. Callaghan is always credited with “Crisis? What Crisis?” during the winter of discontent. The speech there actually said:

Well, that’s a judgment that you are making. I promise you that if you look at it from outside, and perhaps you’re taking rather a parochial view at the moment, I don’t think that other people in the world would share the view that there is mounting chaos.

Thank The Sun for the summation of that speech into a sound-bite that had a contribution to the downfall of that Government. It’s not like there’s massive amounts of public debt, strikes going on, and a cold snap going on to make any more comparisons.

February 3, 2009; Politics;

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Comments

2 Responses to “The Words Remembered May Not Be The Words Chosen”

  1. Zaphod Camden on February 3rd, 2009 21:14

    You know, the longer this goes on, the more similarities I see between Gordon Brown and Jim Callaghan. Both Labour prime ministers who took over mid term, both presiding over very difficult times, and both having the opportunity to call an election (’78 for Sunny Jim, ‘07 for Gordo) which it’s generally believed they both would have won had they did so.

    Whether this continues, and we end up with a Winter Of Discontent II – well, that remains to be seen. I was too young to care about it last time…

  2. David on February 3rd, 2009 22:16

    @Zaphod… well let’s hope that Gordon isn’t followed by Magaret Thatcher II (or should that be 2.0 these days???)

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