Gadd Fly Not

The forlorn sight of Gary Glitter meandering round international airports in the Far East with his carrier bag, was a sad sight. It was all so unnecessary too if Jacqui Smith had resisted the temptation to shoot her mouth off to appease the press with a suitable soundbite. I don't blame Me Gadd for not wanting to set foot in a country whose Home Secretary has publicly announced that he would be effectively imprisoned again if and when he returned to the UK. Her statement that he wouldn't be allowed to leave the country if he returned was yet one more example of her pandering to the media. There are others, like the re-re-classification of cannabis, which seem to be designed more to appease the media than the electorate or the teams of experts she has to advise her.

Both statesmanship and humanity seem sadly lacking in New Labours new Britain.