Comments on: Ducking the question

By: Henry Farrell

Henry Farrell — Thu, 06 Nov 2003 16:41:15 +0000

Jeremy – probably means the same thing everywhere – I was posting at 1.30am – have changed the wording. Thanks.

By: Jeremy Osner`

Jeremy Osner` — Thu, 06 Nov 2003 13:34:40 +0000

Even if he had not previously lied about his actions… how does circumlocution in the service of avoiding a question amount to “telling uncomfortable truth”? And Henry, in the US “on the up-and-up” is idiom for “honest”—does it mean “on the rise” in Britain?

By: James R MacLean

James R MacLean — Thu, 06 Nov 2003 07:13:30 +0000

Henry, Thanks so much for this essay. I’d been out of touch on UK politics since…uhm, I don’t care to say how long I’ve been out of touch but I was pretty certain there was no way in hell IDS was going to be PM. Do you really think Howard’s got a chance?

By: James R MacLean

James R MacLean — Thu, 06 Nov 2003 07:13:27 +0000

By: Brian Weatherson

Brian Weatherson — Thu, 06 Nov 2003 06:34:51 +0000

Fair enough. Until about 10 years ago it was common practice in Australia for politicians shortly before or after retiring to supplement their income with defamation suits. The High Court eventually stopped it by deciding the clauses in the constitution saying there had to be elections implied a right to relatively free speech about the people standing in those elections. That’s probably lousy jurisprudence, but it was good public policy and it seems to have stopped many of these suits, and meant we can feel a little freer spouting off about them. On the other hand we haven’t yet figured out how to make Australian decisions binding on English courts, and Michael Howard is approaching retirement, so caution is perhaps advisable.

By: Henry

Henry — Thu, 06 Nov 2003 05:08:45 +0000

A little cautious, I admit, but litigiousness does seem to be on the rise in the blogosphere. And Tory politicians are notoriously prone to legal action …

By: Brian Weatherson

Brian Weatherson — Thu, 06 Nov 2003 04:49:31 +0000

Now, Ann Widdecombe has Parliamentary privilege, and I don’t, so I’m going to forebear from commenting directly on Mr. Howard’s past record as a “teller of uncomfortable truths.” You mean you’re worried about a known liar suing you for calling him a liar? I know the defamation laws in England are completely insane, but this is a bit over the top isn’t it?