Paper Monitor
A celebration of the riches of the daily press.
As predicted yesterday, the Daily Telegraph now has "Newspaper of the Year" emblazoned on its front page. The Times, previous owner of the mantle, has just Max 15C, min 3C. And while we know that the Daily Express remains "The World's Greatest Newspaper", how can we not have previously noted that the Daily Mirror offers "Real News... Real Entertainment", the Daily Star is "Britain's most successful newspaper", and the FT"World Business Newspaper". Odd that last one, but Paper Monitor isn't making it up.
There's more Budget coverage in today's papers than one could decently consume in a week. But Poppy, 19, from Somerset, gives the Sun's Page Three her analysis on the increase in tax on cider. "It is a uniquely refreshing beverage which scientific studies have concluded to be rich in health-improving antioxidants - or, as the Wurzels put it, 'it soothes all me troubles away oh arr oh arr aay.'."
The Times's Ann Treneman, celebrates having witnessed the "" (taunting the Conservatives about closing tax loopholes with Belize): "It was a whoopee cushion with eyebrows. No one saw it coming, possibly because we were trying so hard, as when driving at midnight, just to stay awake... I knew that [Mr Darling] had probably been up all night, dulling [the Budget] down. After all, this is a man who boasts that he won the Most Boring Politician of the Year award from Trucker's Weekly."
One award the paper is trumpeting is that to political cartoonist Peter Brookes, whom Paper Monitor has long considered a towering talent. But try as one might, one can't work out who a character with his head on the chopping block about to be done for by an executioner Alistair Darling is. It looks a bit like Benjamin Netanyahu, but that can't be right. Edward Heath maybe? The legacy of Edward Heath? No, that's nonsense. A banker, perhaps? He is wearing a blue suit so it might just be a Conservative, but that doesn't feel quite right. Maybe it's a character meant to indicate public spending? If so, convention surely dictates he would have the words PUBLIC SPENDING in massive lettering on his clothes. Maybe it's just Paper Monitor's failing. , and are invited to put us out of our misery either in comments below or via the Magazine's update on .
(PS. Just think, in a few weeks, we won't be able to link to things like this on the Times without the possibility of hitting a paywall.)
Comment number 1.
At 25th Mar 2010, Ill Phil wrote:I think he represents civil servants, but since the budget signalled cuts, I'm not sure what is meant. Perhaps it is a suggestion that the heralded cuts won't in fact happen, or at least Darling won't oversee them, because he'll be gone after May 6th. (What's happening on May 6th?)
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 25th Mar 2010, BaldoBingham wrote:Looks more like Sunny Jim Callaghan, without his glasses, to me.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 25th Mar 2010, Polly S wrote:I think it is the over-bloated budget deficit, that he chickens out of cutting; despite posturing and waffling he runs away from the tough task
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 25th Mar 2010, Wonko wrote:Is it Lord Ashcroft perhaps?
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 25th Mar 2010, RYGnotB wrote:It's obviously Boris Yeltsin, representing the hike in tax on spirits
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)