The Dancing Bear

I am indebted to the Hunstman for this superb metaphor for our ailing Prime Minister,

It came to me near the end of his half-hour upon the stage: for what he resembles is no more and no less than one of those deeply sad Dancing Bears that once were found in England and now have been eliminated such that they may now only be found in the eastern extremities of Europe and India. There he stands angrily swiping at his tormenters upon whom he would dearly love to land the ‘great clunking fist’, turning first to this one then to that as he snarls and slavers in his pain.But his tormenters nimbly dance aside and he is goaded to yet more fury.

I cannot think of any of our Prime Ministers of the television age who has presented such a sorry and sad picture in the weekly bear-pit that is PMQs. When not speaking he glowers and sulks, his head moving about the Chamber as he seeks out the source of the next outrage he perceives is being committed upon him. He mouths what one suspects are silent profanities that dwell upon some supposed weakness or personal flaw of his enemy. It is possible to see in his self-exhibition many of the character defects of which those who have had the chance to observe him at close quarters have spoken or written.