Tuesday 16 November 2010

Photo finish

Well, not the photographs by David Cameron's so-called "vanity" photographer and movies by his videographer (though actually these were both recording State matters for posterity) but an end to their being employed within the Civil Service. They will now be paid for by the Conservative party, as they were originally.

Interestingly, this is what David Cameron and his team originally planned, but (it was reported in several places at that time) Civil Service chiefs scuppered that. I do wonder whether those Mandarins were being entirely straight over this or whether they were just trying to create an embarrassing item of news for the Tories...

Anyway, it has now clearly been found possible to return to the original plan after all, as it has today been announced that the duo will in future be employed from CCHQ. Their employment within the Civil Service was expected to result in efficiency savings as it was; and if they can still cover the same range of events in their new employment situation those savings should increase by the cost of their salaries and the other costs of their employment.

Predictably, this news is being reported as a U-turn on the part of Cameron and Co, and it is also being suggested in some quarters that today's royal engagement announcement was somehow devised to coincide with this so that the embarrassment would be minimised.

Fortunately, those with memories longer than that of a goldfish will, once reminded of the background (as above), realise the truth, even if the public message that has been put out is a bit wishy-washy.

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