Ill Met by moonlight
Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Does Sir Ian Blair, Metropolitan Police commissioner, have any time to do any actual, y'know, policing? He seems to spend so much time putting the wind up the public these days that, if he was in any other profession, his boss would be saying, "do that on your own time, Blair, not the company's."

He's been at it again tonight in his Dimbleby Lecture . (How many hearts must have sank at "During the next 40 minutes...")

Is this his job? What he's paid to do? I, and others, would argue that it is not.

And how about this?

The sky is dark...

Ring any bells? It's the same gothic imagery he used in his last piece of scaremongery, published in The Sun, during his failed attempt to interfere in the parliamentary debate of the new terrorism legislation.

He's obviously very pleased with the metaphor. Maybe it comes from a poem he wrote as a teenager ("Why do all the nice girls hate me?" or somesuch) and somebody said, "Oooh, Ian. I don't know how you do it but you paint the picture so vividly". That stayed with him and ever since he's been dying to use the phrase again. And again.

It makes you wonder what's next from Britain's Top Cop. Maybe he could embark on a busking tour (as long as he's got his busking licence) of the London Underground, regaling commuters with a rendition of "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall". Hours of fun to be had writing his set list. It's The End Of The World As We Know It.

'A' Bomb on Wardour Street?


10 Comments:

On November 17, 2005 1:42 AM, Blogger Andrew Field said...

Dare I suggest maybe some Smiths?

'Panic on the streets of London,
Panic on the streets of Carlisle...'  


On November 17, 2005 11:27 AM, Blogger Phu said...

the way you broke down his 'sky is dark' imagery had me in stitches...  


On November 17, 2005 12:33 PM, Blogger Underblog.co.uk said...

I was half expecting him to appear in the line-up for "I'm a celebrity..."  


On November 17, 2005 12:36 PM, Blogger Jarndyce said...

I'm loving your witty anti-Blair sentiments.  


On November 17, 2005 1:01 PM, Blogger Justin said...

Britain's most influential Stopper, you know.  


On November 17, 2005 5:40 PM, Blogger World Weary Detective said...

Gothic images and the creation of a country based on fear allow those in power to exert control without question. The gradual undermining of accountability and democracy is what the terrorists want isn't it?  


On November 18, 2005 1:13 PM, Blogger bedblogger said...

Last night on This Week, Rod Liddle like also asked where next for Sir Ian Blair, Celebrity Come Dancing? Great little on-screen image to go with the gag.
Now that'd be a good use of his ahem, "talent".  


On November 20, 2005 6:08 PM, Anonymous Sazza said...

Quite right. If police chiefs get used to explaining their ideas to the public, what next? Worst case outcome: no more whinging about police being secretive.  


On November 21, 2005 12:05 AM, Blogger Justin said...

Sazza, you'll have to exapnd on your point. It was largely obscured by what I took to be biting sarcasm.  


On November 21, 2005 11:07 PM, Blogger Rachel said...

Much better said than what I managed, *claps*. Must learn to be more succinct. And funnier.  


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