On the BBC News Nick Robinson emphasised that Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World now embroiled in the NOTW phone-tapping furore, was an “Essex boy” and that he was valuable to the “posh boys” in the Cabinet because he provided a direct link to working class core Tory voters in deepest Essex.
The Guardian described Coulson as an “Essex Man’’ who was brought up in a council house and had a “street-smart background born of Beauchamps comprehensive in Wickford”. While Cameron and George Osborne were at Oxford University, Coulson was at the Basildon Evening Echo before graduating to the Sun’s bizarre page.
It’s interesting how deep the Essex stereotype has penetrated the media; an Essex comprehensive now equates with “street-smart”, whereas a Cornish comprehensive certainly wouldn’t.
Posh bloke seeks bit of rough with no baggage. Maybe Dave should check out Matt Cardle’s right-wing credentials…
I've never understood the cult of Coulson.
ReplyDeleteI met him about ten years back and he didn't strike me as a master manipulator, or even that sharp. At the time he'd been shifted sideways at News International to one of their dot com projects. It was basically the Sun's attempt to overtake eBay by getting into auctions. Can't remember the name of it and it seemed a stupid idea to almost everyone apart from the wonks of Wapping.
To be fair to Coulson, he didn't seem to have much enthusiasm for the project either. I interviewed him about it over a rather nice breakfast at Simpsons in the Strand, which is what I do remember. Great scrambled eggs - really creamy.
The point is that his star seemed to be descending at NI and I've never really understood how he got back from there.
Interesting inside informaton, Hackney Bloke! It shows how desperate the Cameron circle was to have a "normal" bloke onboard that they employed him, even though his star at NI was waning and the tapping scandal was aslways likely to get bigger.
ReplyDeletePleased you got some nice scrambled eggs out of him!