Where the Sun shines

Like the rest of you, I try never to miss David Blunkett's column in The Sun on Wednesdays. The combination of insight, wit and erudition makes it irresistible.

This week, I feel that towering figure has really outdone himself with his reflections on the terrible treatment of Gillian Gibbons by the brutal Sudanese government. After much thought he comments:

If we ever needed a lesson in the stupidity of political correctness this was it.

Mr Blunkett goes on to compare the arbitrary imprisonment by islamofascist lunatics with the failure by "hand-wringing" town halls to send out religious Christmas cards.

He probably had this idea a week ago and has been scouring the media, worried lest another perspicacious commentator made this comparison before he did. What a relief! He turned out to be the only columnist who had thought of it.

Truly the Home Office's loss is journalism's gain.

Comments

[Ex-CRD]

Whereas with you, cheerfully enough, journalism gaining you also meant politics gained. Certainly the Party's never looked back since we said goodbye to you.

[Julian Cox]

Political correctness? Then why was he so loyal a member of a government that did so much to promote it?

I haven't seen so hypocritical a volte face since Trevor Phillips started thinking.

[Oliver Kamm]

Ex-CRD - It is true that Daniel is not really a Tory but is a leftist like David Aaronovitch and me, so I can understand your bitterness. But be aware that a noun that precedes a gerund must be in the genitive case; so it should be "journalism's gaining you", not "journalism gaining you". Just thought you'd like to know.

[Simon Stephenson]

Despite being unable to find Mr Blunkett's column, I found re-familiarising myself the nether reaches of The Sun to be an eye-opening experience. For someone like me, who spends much of his time abstractly thinking about how to improve the world, it's always been a source of mystery how I continually miss the important intellectual examinations of life captured so unerringly by publications such as The Sun.

Thanks for triggering the experience.

[Francis]

Im not sure about this gerund business. I find it hard to believe that ex-crd was attempting to use a gerund in order to have misused it (if indeed the terminology is strictly transferable into English). Instead he is using a participial phrase as the "subject" of the sentence. Whether this is strictly good grammar I dont know. The use of genitive in the way suggested to provide a clear subject to the sentence certainly seems preferable. It is after all a formula - x's lost is y's gain and as with many things sticking to the traditional way of doing things is best.