Analysing a quotation

FORENSIC spin analysis time… On BBC Radio Ulster’s flagship morning news programme Nick Clegg said the following which was later repeated on the Beeb’s news website:

"Over time we clearly need to try and create a NI economy which is more diverse in which you have more people employed in the private sector," he said.

"That's not something you can just wave a magic wand and do overnight.

"We're very aware of that and we're also aware that these are exactly the kind of things we need to consider when we make these decisions about how to deal with the deficit."

First paragraph – sounds quite Conservative, but might be libertarian in a weird sort of way.

Second paragraph – common sense breaks out, but may just be a political aberration, as most people in Government have had their common sense functon permanently removed.

Third paragraph – Nick knows “exactly the kind of things” the Government needs to consider. Well we should bloody well hope so, or he really hasn’t been paying attention. But then comes the “when” word – as in the re-emergence of the blame game…

For those of you who can remember beyond the latest rambling about dire times, the Government offered a deferment of the budgetary slash and burn clearance.

So, when ‘Norn Iron’ and its Celtic cousins reel with fright after October 20th, the Con-Lib Dem coalition can say, well we did try and soften the blow…

In summary – sort your economy out, we have no magic pixie dust, and it’s all your fault anyway, is the essence of the quotation. Thanks Nick. We all fell so much better now!