Street briefing

[webofevil]

It’s not the content of this story that interests me—house prices to fall; and so they should—but the nature of it. Minister walking into 10 Downing Street carrying confidential briefing notes is photographed from across the street as usual, and the quality of the digital picture is so good that the first page of those notes is entirely legible:

UK house prices could fall “at best” by 5-10% this year, according to secret Cabinet briefing notes accidentally revealed by a housing minister. Caroline Flint’s notes also said: “We can’t know how bad it will get.”

The notes were photographed as Ms Flint carried them into Number 10 for a weekly Cabinet session. [BBC]

Comments

[lowlowprices.livejournal.com]

Technology brings my redundancy a step closer.

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

Why, were you previously leaking secret Cabinet briefings without the aid of digital photographs?

[lowlowprices.livejournal.com]

Yes. And, MPs may as well just be photographed carrying a speech into Parliament. No one will care what happens after that. Not like now.

[strictlytrue.livejournal.com]

I love the way the report keeps referring to things like the notes being "accidentally revealed", and "the slip-up by Ms Flint" - the hack taking a picture of the notes from across the street had nothing to do with it, of course.

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

While that's true, it would be a bit like walking out into the pouring rain in your best suit without an umbrella and then furiously trying to get the rain to admit responsibility for ruining your suit.

[strictlytrue.livejournal.com]

While that's true, it would be a bit like walking out into the pouring rain in your best suit without an umbrella and then furiously trying to get the rain to admit responsibility for ruining your suit.

Well, not really. She was carrying it in her hand, not waving it around, saying "look at these gloomy predictions", and as the photographer was on the other side of the road, it's fairly safe to say she wasn't aware of anyone taking her picture.

A little careless, perhaps, but this is definitely a case of the media trying to fit something into the usual pattern of "incompetent Government in crisis" etc. etc. in a rather underhand way.

[lowlowprices.livejournal.com]

I disagree. She is certainly aware of that she—but not necessarily her notes—will be photographed going in No. 10 and the contents of the briefing are undoubtedly newsworthy.

[strictlytrue.livejournal.com]

I disagree. She is certainly aware of that she—but not necessarily her notes—will be photographed going in No. 10 and the contents of the briefing are undoubtedly newsworthy

Oh, the contents of the briefing are definitely newsworthy. It's the framing of it I take objection to.

I know there are usually a couple of TV crews outside No. 10, but are there usually photographers taking pictures of any junior Minister who happens by? I mean, there might be - I've no idea. I would have thought not though.

In any case, it's not really a big deal. For once, I think Caroline Flint found exactly the right words for the occasion.

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

> but are there usually photographers taking pictures of any junior Minister who happens by?

Yes, of course! For library shots, if nothing else. TV cameras, too; think back to The Day Today - they had hours of stock footage to play with of any and every bugger who had set foot within a half-mile of the palace.

[strictlytrue.livejournal.com]

TV cameras, too; think back to The Day Today - they had hours of stock footage to play with of any and every bugger who had set foot within a half-mile of the palace.

Yes, I know there are TV crews there (and I said as much above) but until recently, I wouldn't have thought they'd have the sort of resolution to read documents at that distance. I suppose you could zoom in. I hadn't really thought about it. Odd that it's the first time something like this has happened.

[g0ldt00th.livejournal.com]

As I was reading this comment it was being reported on Radio 4 news. In a statement, Caroline Flint explained she wasn't the first, and wouldn't be the last, to be caught out in this manner.

[lebeautemps.livejournal.com]

Great. Were they hanging out a window trying to look down her cleavage?

[strictlytrue.livejournal.com]

We get a pretty good view up in the Press Gallery - she's not all that.

[lebeautemps.livejournal.com]

I knew there had to be a better reason for you lot working at Parliament.

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't get too excited. The most notable view that the parliamentary gallery usually affords is a comprehensive study of the various stages of male pattern baldness.

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

Also, the semiotics of Brylcreem usage.

[lowlowprices.livejournal.com]

If I'm ever faced with the choice of losing my holiday or doing a w@nky postgraduate cultural studies degree, I might choose as my dissertation title "Adjourning the Debate: Performative Speech, Strategies of Intervention and the Poetics of (Hair) Product".

[strictlytrue.livejournal.com]

Ah, but the Lords is of course bereft of the presence of the heavenly Ms Goldsworthy...

(There is, obv, plenty of baldness, sadly.)

[lifesizemonkey.livejournal.com]

Could she not have used a briefcase? Never mind tho', it's just the UK economy that might be affected.