Hutton

So, Hutton eh? The whole thing's bizzare - I listened to most of the summary as it was being read out because I was cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom so had the radio on. My jaw, like everyone else's I guess proverbially hit the floor at the verdict - is there anyone who didn't expect a sort of "there was a bit of blame on both sides" kind of a conclusion? But Hutton seemed to totally vindicate the government - and that's not blairite spin on the conclusions, those really were the conclusions. I wish I was in better possesion of the facts (although, obviously, not enough to actually read the facts.) As it stands, I am at the mercy of every fibre of my being thinking "BBC good, government bad" and just sort of reeling from the conclusions. I think, rightly or wrongly that the BBC is to be admired for standing up to the huge pressures put upon it by a government who were, in just 18 odd months, going to be looking again at the charter.

Comedy side issues - when Blair came out and said (and I'm paraphrasing) "Lord hutton's report was very thorough and not open to any interpretation" Yeah - that's what you'd have been saying if he'd sided with the Beeb.

John Reid on Five Live saying of Michael Howard "It's unseemly when politicians don't admit they've made a mistake". He was in the studio with Steven Byers man...when was the last time you heard this government apologise for a mistake - and take responsibility for it? I found it a bit sickening.

The Speaker threatening to chuck out MPs for shouting - how disrespectful is that? These people are supposed to be running the country and they're flummin' hissing at each other like school children - all the more ammunition for my world view which - the only way to change the world is to change ourselves...