Wednesday 5 May 2010

Portillo Moment?

I wonder if there'll be any Michael Portillo Moments at the General Election on Friday? For the benefit of readers living overseas, Michael Portillo was a senior Cabinet Minister who unexpectedly lost his Enfield Southgate seat at the 1997 general election; political commentators widely believe that he would have been elected Conservative leader had he retained it.

Many in the Electorate yearn for more Portillo Moments because it makes the whole mundane process more exciting and entertaining. I even writhed myself when he lost his seat. They were all lined up on the stage and the returning officer exclaimed, "Michael Exayvier (that's how he pronounced it!) Portillo, xxxxx votes". I heard one senior Labour cabinet minister describing the current Prime Minister as being a "big beast". Well, out in the field, we take pot-shots at big beasts, putting them out of their misery and hanging their heads on the walls.

Many observers believe that Mr Balls is perched on a rather precarious seat. Who else could suffer that Portillo Moment? I'll savour watching it!

3 comments :

Owen Polley said...

If Labour had their Balls cut off it would be more of a castration. Bring that on. He is among their most obnoxious MPs.

Anonymous said...

Well, I shouldn't think there will be any in N.I. I have a reliable source who informs me Speaker Bercow is highly likely to lose his seat though - which is nice.

W.

Timothy Belmont said...

I'm praying that little Bercow loses his seat. It would solve the whole embarrassing difficulty, then.