I was asked to appear on BBC1's The Big Question this morning, but I reckoned a lie in was a better bet than a drive up the M1 to Leicester. It appears I missed a big story. Louise Bagshawe appeared on the programme, which was considering the question: Do politicians deserve to be called honourable? She takes up the story...It was the warm-up question, which was not broadcast live, which shocked me. We were asked Is Prince Harry a hero?' I advised Nicky Campbell, pre-show, not to ask this, as I thought there would be no debate on the matter. How wrong I was. 'Is it just propaganda?' the host asked. To my amazement, the LibDem MP said 'It's not just propaganda'. When he came back to her, she expanded that we were all human beings; that Harry went partly to do a job, but that he also went to rehabilitate his public image, and 'it worked' because we now all saw him differently.I confess I was dumbfounded at this. However, she was not alone; there were elements in that audience asserting that Harry had never even been on the frontline at all (rather like those American "moon landings", he inferred, it was all staged for the camera). Others criticised the Prince for warmongering.
I rather admire Ms. Teather for various things, including her robust defence of casework on the show and her work to free her constituent from Gitmo. Nonetheless, the LibDems have got to stop being so cynical and embrace bravery and selflessness where it is found, including in the Royal Family.
What an unbelievably crass thing for Sarah Teather to say. I've always thought she was a bit lacking upstairs. Sad to have it confirmed in this way.
