Maybe the stupidest question ever asked in the European Parliament

WRITTEN QUESTION E-5478/06
By Robert Killroy Silk (NI)
To the Commission
(27.1.2007)

Subject: Distorted mirrors in Marks and Spencer, UK

Is it conceivable that within the millions of EU regulations covering virtually every aspect of life in the EU, there is not one that makes it illegal for Marks and Spencer, in the UK, to have mirrors that deliberately distort women’s shapes so as to make them look slimmer in M&S clothes than they actually are?

With admirable composure the Commission official did not tell him to piss off, but did include this sentence,
“Under the Directive, a commercial practice will be considered unfair if it is contrary to to the requirements of professional diligence and if it materially distorts the economic behaviour of the average member of the group of consumers to whom the practice is addressed”.

I do like the magisterial use of the words ‘distorts’.

Update
It seems the mainstream press have finally caught up. What with the BBC here and the Guardian here. both organisations are picking up, unattributed, a piece in the Sun yesterday that sadly is not on line. And where did the Sun get it? Well you only have to look here.