Barry's Beef

Yesterday was a tricky day to be a Labour supporter, what with the heir apparent waxing lyrical about nuclear deterrents; but sometimes, just sometimes, the Tory Party can come along and show how crap political parties can be. Check out the pop culture references by Theresa May and her crack (smoking?) team of researchers. Ok so it makes your skin crawl and is balls-achingly embarassing when MPs do the down with the kids bit, but to actually credit a song to the wrong group really makes you look like a prat.

Finally, will the Leader of the House arrange a debate on the influence of popular culture on political life? I am sure that many hon. Members will be saddened to hear about the demise of "Top of the Pops", which has played such a role in the cultural life of the nation. Of course, pop songs can be very relevant to politics. For example, given the Home Secretary’s recent problems, I wonder whether he should listen to the U2 track "I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For". Perhaps we could have a touch of Dire Straits for the Deputy Prime Minister with the track "Money for Nothing". I suppose that the Chancellor might look to Diana Ross with "You Keep Me Hangin’ On". Perhaps the Prime Minister would like the Clash’s "Should I Stay or Should I Go". Talking of clashes, perhaps the Chancellor would describe his relationship with the Prime Minister with the White Stripes track "Every Day I Love You Less and Less". Or, given the Chancellor’s commitment to new Labour, maybe his track for him and the Prime Minister should be Elton John’s "Friends Never Say Goodbye"

Later on in the days' proceedings Iain Wright, sadly not the BBC star pundit but rather the MP, put down May accordingly:

Mr. Iain Wright (Hartlepool) (Lab): Before I ask my question, I should point out to the House that the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) was incorrect, because "Every Day I Love You Less and Less" is sung by the Kaiser Chiefs rather than the White Stripes, which demonstrates that in popular culture, as in other things, the Conservative party has got it completely wrong. With reference to the right hon. Lady, I am tempted to refer to the Artic Monkeys’ song, "Mardy bum", but I shall be more gracious, and say, "I bet you look good on the dance floor".

Not with those f*cking god-awful shoes mind. And even Jack Straw crowed in reply:

Mr. Straw: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his corrections in respect of the poor research by the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May). I say to her affectionately that that shows the danger for those of us of a certain age—[ Interruption.]—I am speaking for myself—in trying to pretend that we have knowledge of the younger generation.

# many thanks, as ever, to the most reliable and diligent, his most majestic; the good Count Callithrix for his unyielding sense of the banal.

// posted by Barry Beef @ 9:55 pm