What utter tipe

George Jones did his credibility nor my sides any favours, with his piece today about Gordon Brown.

Headlined, "Brown 'as tough as Thatcher' in dealing with EU", it has to be the most transparent piece of spin since Dyson invented his see-through twin turbine washing machine. What rather worries me is that the Torygraph actually printed this as news, rather than what mught more accurately be described as hope. worse he doesn't even hint that he recognises it as tosh.

"Gordon Brown will be as tough as Margaret Thatcher in standing up for British interests in the European Union, according to one of his chief lieutenants.

Ed Balls, the Treasury minister and one of the Chancellor's closest associates, makes the comparison in a BBC Radio 4 programme today.

Last week, Mr Brown said he admired the way Lady Thatcher had stood up for the United Kingdom.

Mr Balls stressed the Chancellor's toughness, saying his negotiating style in Europe would be similar to Mrs Thatcher's when she secured Britain's budget rebate.

"What we will see is Brown the tough negotiator who will stand up for Britain's interests, who's willing to say No when No is the right thing to say," Mr Balls said. When Nick Robinson, the interviewer, suggested that those remarks sounded like Margaret Thatcher speaking, Mr Balls agreed, replying: "There was a phase on the European budget where she stood up for Britain's interests and got a much better, fairer outcome."

That's it, no comment from anybody, no critical response, just a statement of some pre-recorded quotes he got from a chum at the BBC. And George Jones is the 'olitical Editor'!!