Bizarre Priorities

While I’m definitely not a member of the Jacqui Smith fan-club, I do find the hysteria about the expenses claim error (where the expenses included two porn films her husband had watched) to be more than a little bizarre.

Firstly, this error is about a mere £10. Not exactly an earth-shattering amount, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Secondly, the claim actually went through – this is all a storm about something that has already happened. I don’t understand why it isn’t about “Well why wasn’t the claim checked properly in the first place?“. At least that would be justified. After all, most HR/Payroll departments check expenses claims pretty thoroughly in my experience – so why isn’t it the same for MPs?

And finally, why are there calls for Smith to resign about this expenses claim – for only £10, don’t forget – when they’re not clamouring for it over the other £116,000 that’s in doubt on other expenses claims she’s made?

It’s all just a bit bizarre…

Jade Goody

So, Jade Goody died today. And already all the weasels are coming out of the woodwork (I know, it’s a mixed metaphor – live with it) with their tributes and homilies.  Of course, high up in the order is good old Gordon Brown, who wouldn’t be saying anything at all if she weren’t a reality TV “star”. (which means, “star” in the loosest possible sense of the word)  In fact, if she hadn’t died of cancer, the two-faced toss-pot would probably prefer to be deriding her as all that’s bad with the world™, a single mother with no education or job prospects.

Now, I have no problem with the fact that Goody’s cancer has resulted in a surge in the number of people getting scans for cancer – that’s nothing but good in my book.

But seeing all the tributes about how she was such an inspiration, such a great person (and even in one case “a Princess Diana from the wrong side of the tracks” – purlease!) really just makes me want to vomit.

The media seems to have forgotten that Jade Goody came to their attention as part of Big Brother (Series 3, I think) where she was villified for being

• fugly
• pig-thick
• unpleasant

She also then went on to show all these character traits again in Celebrity Big Brother where she was – let’s not forget – the epicentre of the racism complaints.

Yet somehow contracting cancer nullifies all these bad points, and turns the sufferer/victim into some kind of Joan of Arc figure, almost saintly in their purity, humility and beauty.

Get a fucking grip. She died. It happens every day. Sure, she was more in the public eye. But think on this – if someone like Margaret Thatcher were to die of cancer, would they instantly be converted to sainthood too?