Life, the Universe and Everything

I own a couple of ‘T’ shirts with a picture of Calvin - of cartoon strip Calvin and Hobbes fame - on the front looking very disgruntled. Next to this image is the legend, “Every day of my life I have to add another name to the list of people that piss me off!” I have often toyed with the idea of actually getting a list of names printed on the back of the ‘T’ shirt: Kelvin MacKenzie’s name would head the list.

Although I would never buy the Sun - or any of the Murdoch newspapers - a copy was left on the desk at work last night. As the newsagent had sold out of Guardians, I looked through the Sun and was not disappointed: MacKenzie still makes me seethe. In yesterday’s column he recounts how as Editor of this rag he had a sign in his office that read: ‘Make it fast. Make it first. Make it up.’

It is refreshing to see that the final one of these three sentiments is still dear to his heart. In his ‘ten reasons why you would be mad to vote for Livingstone’ article, he quotes the London Mayor with saying: “Only a ghastly, dehumanised moron would get rid of the Routemaster.” MacKenzie then assures us that Livingstone: “Then promptly scrapped it.” Introducing the new bendy buses to London is not the same as scrapping the Routemaster. I was in London on Tuesday specifically to watch the Red Arrows and Typhoon fighters fly over the London Eye. I went with three of my friends and their four children to make a day out of the trip. Although we did see lots of bendy buses - which I noticed were also called Red Arrows - I did still see lots of Routemaster double-deckers. In Trafalgar Square I even saw one of the original designs of these symbols of London with the open platform at the rear.

MacKenzie’s ten reasons published - he claims he could have written 2,000 reasons, but then asks readers to email him any glaring omissions - could be countered with one reason to vote for Red Ken: if Livingstone is not elected, we will have four years of that buffoon Boris Johnson running our capital city.

MacKenzie signs of his column with the observation that he has “… never met a black cab driver who has a decent word for the mayor …” I do not wish to generalise or perpetuate a stereotypical image here, but I cannot help but think that this says more about MacKenzie and his views than it does about Livingstone and his abilities.