The jury's still out

I’m not sure how I feel about the Rt. Hon. Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, appearing on Strictly Come Christmas Dancing last night. I worry when the serious job of Member of Parliament (let alone Cabinet Minister) is confused with celebrity. I’m not sure I will see beyond the dancer when I next meet him to discuss issues of serious concern to our Members.

Still, I have to say it was better than the Dragons' move towards celebrity and especially Peter Jones’s attempt at acting the fool in his shopping trolley adverts. In his case I now see him as a definite contender for Strictly Orchestral, where he can play the buffoon.

I have always said that meeting Government Ministers is like a sparring session in boxing; you try and get a punch in against some pretty fair defending, you work hard to score some points but generally leave feeling like you have gone twelve rounds against a strong opponent. I will have to brush up on my footwork before my next visit to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

I would be interested to hear what Members think. The question is: Are we human? Or are we dancer? Check out: http://youtube.com/watch?v=RIZdjT1472Y

Gareth, APA