The Porn Ultimatum

The Telegraph had a gem of a front page this week. The lead picture on 22^nd Feb  featured ex Home Office Minister, Jacqui Smith, in the neon lights of SoHo on the pretext of investigating the porn industry. In the death throes of a political career here was Jacqui Smith’s last chance to make it in the “meedja”. 

From the make-over in 30 minutes show to ridiculous plot lines we go along with for the sake of being entertained, conceits exist everywhere in the media.  But despite her protestations about getting to the bottom of this issue I can’t help thinking Jacqui Smith too is pulling the wool over our eyes? How unacquainted with porn is she? The fact her husband was buying it on expenses without her knowing doesn’t mean she didn’t know what it was.  Secondly she was a Minister of the Home Office – surely Law and Order meant she had to have some handle on it? Being photographed in SoHo may make great promotional material but frankly two hours at a PC would tell her everything she needs to know (and I suspect she does). 

Who’s playing who here? I’m starting to feel used. Should I  expect Michael Grove to take a PGCE after failing to sort out our schools? Will Liam Fox quit to learn how to shoot guns? Will Vince Cable admit to knowing nothing about economics (or maybe he is already doing that)? 

A career after politics is hard – ask Lembit Opik – but rebuilding on the very platform that helped end your career seems an interesting starting point. It seems even though she may not like it she understands porn well enough to know that sex sells.