The political lives of Walter Mitty

The political life of Walter Mitty

Nigel Farage attacked the ‘Walter Mittys’ in his own party. A few of the many uses of James Thurber’s daydreaming character in politics:
— In 2003 Tony Blair’s official spokesman Tom Kelly described the late government weapons scientist Dr David Kelly as a Walter Mitty. He was later forced to apologise.
— In 2011 friends of Liam Fox described his friend Adam Werritty as a Walter Mitty who had exaggerated his role as an aide to Dr Fox.
— In 2009, a leaked British National Party training manual called many supporters ‘Walter Mittys’ who ‘can’t write proper English’, are ‘compulsive liars’, ‘get carried away with conspiracy theories’ and who therefore should be discouraged from writing blogs.

Eastern promises

Labour committed itself by returning the top rate of income tax to 50 per cent. High earners could save themselves a fortune by going against the general flow of European migration:

	Top rate of income tax in 2012
Bulgaria	10%
Lithuania	15%
Czech Republic	15%
Romania	16%
Hungary	16%
Slovakia	19%

Moneyball

Liverpool fans complained that they will be charged up to £93 for a ticket to see their team play away at Arsenal in the FA Cup. How would the top of the Premier League look if it were decided on the price of the most expensive matchday tickets?

1 Arsenal	£126
2 Chelsea	£87
3 Spurs	£81
4 Fulham	£75
5 Newcastle	£70

…and in the relegation zone:

18 Sunderland	£40
19 West Brom	£39
20 Hull	£30

Band practice

Where did orchestras get their money from in 2012/13?

Total	£140m (+3% on 2009/10)
Earned income	£66.6m (-1%)
Arts Council funding	£39.7m (-4%)
Council funding	£8.2m (-7%)
Donations and sponsorship	£24.8m (+44%)