The miserablists triumph over the Tory Polyannas

 
diary rachel johnson Pic: Dave Benett
Dave Benett
23 January 2014

Despite positive news of steady growth and falling unemployment figures it was a triumph of the gloom-mongers at last night’s Intelligence Squared debate at the Royal Geographical Society. Arguing for the motion that “We’ve never had it so good” were Rachel Johnson and Tory MP Jesse Norman. Against them were, as Norman called them, professional miserablists, the commentators Will Self and Rod Liddle, who “made Munch’s The Scream look like a frolicsome yodel”.

Self, chewing heavily on nicotine gum throughout, shot back: “I came here on the understanding that this would be with Jessye Norman, the American soprano singer, and had tears running down the inside of my eyes when told that all we had was this second-rate piffle.”

Rachel grumbled about living in the shadow of brother Boris before interjecting mid-debate to quote at length and plug brother Leo’s new book on sustainability, Turnaround Challenge. Come the final vote, the miserablists won by 60 per cent to 40 per cent. “Jesse was magnificent and Burkean. It was all my fault we crashed but I am mentally telling myself it was a mid-term protest vote,” said a contrite Rachel.

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