Daily Mailism

Ken Livingston blogged today about 'Daily Mailism'. It's an affliction I share an aversion to.

For those of you lucky enough to be unaware of the Daily Mail, let me enlighten you; An organ of the faux middle classes, it delivers its own brand of vulgarity and paranoia with venom. Believe me when I say - it's a dangerous and objectionable creation. To quote Ken, the Mail espouses "national narrowness, prejudice, [and] the idea that foreign countries can still be kicked around".

Ken writes on - "If Britain is to thrive and prosper in this new world economy, we need to think internationally and not retreat into national narrowness; it requires international movement of labour rather than hysteria against immigrants; it requires increasing interaction of culture, not attempts to shut out 'the foreign' "

Now, I disagree frequently with Mr Livingston, however in this case he's right on the button. We can only benefit, in my view, from the movement of skilled and 'unskilled' people within our labour markets.

Not only that, this mixture of culture and language provides for some ripe comedic moments;

My brother-in-law and family have braved the Watford Gap to visit us for the weekend. Lacking as we are in palatial accommodation, they've checked into our local novotel. Here, a young Polish man greeted them warmly. Though limited in nuance, his english was more than adequate to organise their stay.

However, on entering their room, they found that no travel cot had been provided for their littlest. They'd asked for this over the phone last week.

Bro went back to the guy on the desk and asked,

"Would you mind asking room service to bring us the travel cot we ordered?"

The guy gave bro a slightly bemused look, but assured him he'd sort it right away.

Back in the room, bro answered the knock at the door.

"Here's the plastic cup you asked for" said the hotel porter.




You had to be there...