Monday, February 12, 2007

Cameron's potty to hide behind 'privacy'



If there's one constant in the UK, it's that we Brits like nothing more than building someone up in the limelight only to sit back and watch when they get knocked sideways.


And after two days of being the darling of Fleet Street's political editors and commentators, David Cameron may just be feeling that the worm is beginning to turn.


The sad thing is, he only has himself to blame. The issue about him smoking pot as a child - as reported across the Sundays and no doubt in depth in the Mondays too (very slow news weekend overall) - could easily have been wafted away when he was going for election.


Why wouldn't he admit or deny taking class A drugs prior to becoming a politican? And why won't he admit or deny smoking pot as a teenager? A denial would be a swift way of knocking it on the head, unless he did smoke pot in which case journalists will soon find the proof. Admitting it would simply serve to show him regretting his past and using his own experiences to good effect.


But instead he hides behind some pretence that he deserves the right to keep his life before politics private.


Which is rubbish. He chose to stand for election, chose to run for leader of the Conservatives, chose to start presenting himself as an alternative to what everyone assumes will be a Gordon Brown-run Labour Party at the next general election.


By choosing to do all those things he has invited the spotlight into his public and private life - warts and all. He has pledged a clean and honest party, and one which will take the Punch and Judy element out of politics. He's already failed on the latter, and is in danger of falling down on the former.


As an elected representative, he can't on one hand call for cannabis to be reclassified but not divulge if he has ever smoked it. That smacks to the British public of 'do as I say, not as I do.'


If he wants to represent the British people on a world stage as our leader, he has to answer every question put to him. We have a right to know everything about him.


After all, if he feels he can pick and choose what he tells us about himself, can we trust him to be clean on affairs on state if in charge?


He might have a stronger arguement about privacy if he didn't, when it suited him, flout parts of his personal life in public in a desperate attempt to hide his privileged upbringing by screaming 'Hey middle England, I'm like you too, honest.'


Grappling with the webcam in the kitchen with the child appearing bang on cue as he tries to discuss politics while doing the pots - it's a great way to show he's just like each and every one of us but once he's started, he can't decide when to stop.


And what a stupid issue to decide to become the bastion of MP privacy over. Smoking pot. There was a time when it seemed you weren't worth knowing if you weren't admitting to enjoying the weed as a youth.


With his cronies coming out of the woodwork to back him up, we're learning a lot about Cameron's Tories. They believe they're reinventing politics, doing a 'New Labour' in the 21st century. They think they're deciding the rules, playing the game they're way, and the rest of us can play along.


Wrong. We make the rules. We're the ones who vote for you. And by refusing to accept that, the mask of Cameron is starting to slip.


If this man really believes he can have secrets from the British public, then the British public has a duty to make sure he never gets the keys to number 10.

No comments: