Pigs' Ears and Barn Doors
I didn't manage to watch live TV session of the Westminster Parliament on Monday.
When the defence secretary - Liam Fox - had to make a statement and answer questions from the Labour opposition - who were not unreasonably baying for his blood.
But by all accounts it was the Labour side who managed to make a pig's ear of things - and in front of an open goal.
Or - to continue with the country metaphors - Labour took aim at a political barn door from only feet away - yet somehow managed to miss.
Witness the following report in The Scotsman - by David Maddox.
"Labour hounds kept at bay as prey manages to brush off his pursuers"
"In the good old days people dressed in red coats were rather handy at fox hunting, but if yesterday's events in the Commons were anything to go by times have changed.
It may simply be because Labour actually banned hunting with hounds, but as Defence Secretary Liam Fox faced the most difficult moment of his career apparently cornered over his allegedly dubious dealings with a friend - Adam Werritty - he did not seem to be prepared to run.
Instead the baying pack was the one behind him as Tory MPs crammed on to the government benches to support their man.
The baying from the Labour benches was slightly more muted and soon it appeared that the party's master of hounds for the day - Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy - looked more like the hunted man.
Why? Well the Tories had just caught on to the fact that Mr Murphy and his front-bench team had been enjoying a trip abroad at the expense of Cellcrypt, the company at the heart of the allegations.
And some Tory MPs smelt a rat rather than a Fox. Richard Hamilton asked if this was a conspiracy between a company which had lost a contract bid and the Labour Party.
He was not alone on the Tory benches in making the claim as the Labour front-bench got hounded. Dr Fox himself turned on his attackers. He called for "transparency all round" as he accused Labour of a "conflict of interest". Maybe Labour should have tried shooting instead of Fox hunting, they weren't short of ammunition."
The report provides other examples of Labour questions mis-firing - but in the end they failed to get their man - which was a remarkable feat in the circumstances.
If I were on the Labour front-bench - I wouldn't be applying to join The Mounties - anytime soon.
Seems like Her Majesty's opposition was compromised - by that old-fashioned favourite - enjoying a trip abroad at someone else's expense.
And that 'someone else' just happened to be a disgruntled company - disgruntled at having lost out on a lucrative defence contract - according to The Scotsman.
So the Fantastic Mr Fox lives to fight another day - and the saga continues.
When the defence secretary - Liam Fox - had to make a statement and answer questions from the Labour opposition - who were not unreasonably baying for his blood.
But by all accounts it was the Labour side who managed to make a pig's ear of things - and in front of an open goal.
Or - to continue with the country metaphors - Labour took aim at a political barn door from only feet away - yet somehow managed to miss.
Witness the following report in The Scotsman - by David Maddox.
"Labour hounds kept at bay as prey manages to brush off his pursuers"
"In the good old days people dressed in red coats were rather handy at fox hunting, but if yesterday's events in the Commons were anything to go by times have changed.
It may simply be because Labour actually banned hunting with hounds, but as Defence Secretary Liam Fox faced the most difficult moment of his career apparently cornered over his allegedly dubious dealings with a friend - Adam Werritty - he did not seem to be prepared to run.
Instead the baying pack was the one behind him as Tory MPs crammed on to the government benches to support their man.
The baying from the Labour benches was slightly more muted and soon it appeared that the party's master of hounds for the day - Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy - looked more like the hunted man.
Why? Well the Tories had just caught on to the fact that Mr Murphy and his front-bench team had been enjoying a trip abroad at the expense of Cellcrypt, the company at the heart of the allegations.
And some Tory MPs smelt a rat rather than a Fox. Richard Hamilton asked if this was a conspiracy between a company which had lost a contract bid and the Labour Party.
He was not alone on the Tory benches in making the claim as the Labour front-bench got hounded. Dr Fox himself turned on his attackers. He called for "transparency all round" as he accused Labour of a "conflict of interest". Maybe Labour should have tried shooting instead of Fox hunting, they weren't short of ammunition."
The report provides other examples of Labour questions mis-firing - but in the end they failed to get their man - which was a remarkable feat in the circumstances.
If I were on the Labour front-bench - I wouldn't be applying to join The Mounties - anytime soon.
Seems like Her Majesty's opposition was compromised - by that old-fashioned favourite - enjoying a trip abroad at someone else's expense.
And that 'someone else' just happened to be a disgruntled company - disgruntled at having lost out on a lucrative defence contract - according to The Scotsman.
So the Fantastic Mr Fox lives to fight another day - and the saga continues.
