The best of the UK leading editorials, all in one place.
South African President Jacob Zuma made a few appearances on editorial pages today. Photo credit: Eric Miller for the World Economic Forum
The Guardian dealt with polygamous South African President Jacob Zuma’s recent uneasy visit to the UK and the on-going saga of Michael Ashcroft’s tax status. Surprisingly, their editorial page did not deal with Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s appearance before the Iraq Inquiry panel today.
On Zuma’s visit, The Guardian wrote that – contrary to how his visit has been covered by other media outlets – “[t]here are many more serious concerns about President Zuma’s rule beside his domestic arrangements.” Pointing a finger at other outlets rather salacious fascination with Zuma’s three wives, the paper wrote, “There is an undertone of imperial snobbishness about it as well, the mockery of a visiting president exposing a British national weakness for thinking of foreign leaders in the most simplistic, comic-book terms.”
And, The Guardian opined, in top Tory donor Michael Ashcroft’s recent revelation of his non-dom status, “we have seen the art of breaching the spirit while (perhaps) honouring the letter of the rules taken to giddying heights.” Urging reform of the campaign finance system, the paper wrote, “If they do not, all politicians will continue to be tempted to talk clean but deal dirty, and the public will despair of a political class that says one thing and then does another.”
The Times also took a look at Zuma’s visit and Brown’s Inquiry appearance, and had a rather bizarre editorial take on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies.
The Times wrote today that it’s not difficult to find reasons to knock Zuma, but his wretched opinion of women and understanding of the AIDS crisis aside, it’s his friendlier stance toward Zimbabwe and its President, Robert Mugabe, that really gets them. “South Africa is easily the most sophisticated and powerful country in the continent,” the paper opined. “It is time that it started acting like it.”
With Brown facing the questioners today, The Times outlined the 10 questions it most wants to see the Prime Minister regarding the Iraq War. Up until now, Brown has portrayed himself as more on the sidelines of the decision to go to war, but The Times wants to know how much he knew, how much a part of the decision making process he may have been, and, in light of accusations that his under-funding of the Army led to deaths in Iraq, how he defends his conduct after the invasion ended.
And on Love Never Dies, Webber’s poorly received sequel to Phantom of the Opera, The Times wrote up a few new lyrics for Webber to sing, to the tune of Superstar: “Every time I hear my shows I don’t understand, Why it is that all my songs now sound very bland.” Righty-o.
And finally, at another end of the political spectrum, The Telegraph: The paper today has thus far only tackled Brown’s appearance at the Inquiry.
The Telegraph, not unlike The Times, wants to know “he did anything to place our soldiers in greater danger.” “Whether or not the Armed Forces were properly equipped is a matter that Mr Brown very much needs to address, especially given the continuing war in Afghanistan,” the paper wrote.
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