One of the few pieces of writing that made me emit an admiring whistle last year, was by
the Economist’s political correspondent Bagehot. He argued that Britain did not have the far-left and right political parties of Europe because
the British media provided an outlet for hatreds their respectable European counterparts ignored.
‘To pick a recent case study,’ Bagehot continued, ‘the Sunday Mirror reported on September 5th that the estranged second wife of an obscure Conservative MP was working as a prostitute. The following day, the outwardly respectable Daily Mail carried abject quotes from the MP on his doorstep, saying he knew nothing of his wife’s actions, and could prove that he was separated from her. At this point, the Mail noted coolly, the MP “began sobbing”. The piece concluded by naming his three children.’
The deadpan style – ‘At this point, the Mail noted coolly, the MP began sobbing.
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