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Wanted: a useful idiot

Graham Smith | 09:33 UK time, Thursday, 13 May 2010

I think it was Lenin who first coined the phrase "a useful idiot" to describe people who naively thought of themselves as an ally when in fact they were being cynically manipulated.

Before the election the Conservatives told us that Hertford & Storford's Tory MP Mark Prisk would be appointed as the minister for Cornwall. That might still happen, although David Cameron now has the additional option of chosing from any of the six Cornwall MPs - Conservative or Liberal Democrat.

It must be sorely tempting to appoint someone whose voice can be safely ignored at Westminster, yet who can be blamed for whatever might go wrong. With public spending cuts now expected to be sharper, deeper and quicker than they might have been, the minister for Cornwall should not expect to win too many popularity contests.

Nominations, please.

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