Jamie Allen

There will be people who think this is deeply unfair, but it can’t be avoided anymore. You cannot do politics like this now - going on the radio or TV and using a clever form of words to avoid saying the thing you think will end your career. It doesn’t work and it hasn’t worked for a long time. The career-ending thing isn’t saying “I broke that promise and I’m sorry, but here’s why I really think it’s the right thing to do…” It is repeatedly saying you did it without holding up your hands; in the process treating your audience like they’re daft and eroding trust so much that nobody listens to your actual argument. Why would you get a hearing for what you believe is right if you can’t show enough respect to admit your choice broke a promise? No parent would accept that kind of apology from a child; why do some of our politicians still think voters should accept it from them? Trust people to give you a hearing and they’ll listen even when you admit mistakes - maybe even more then, because it is human.