Downing Street on defensive over Jeremy Clarkson video

When 50,000 people signed an online petition to make TV motoring presenter Jeremy Clarkson the next prime minister, they were disappointed when the petition was wiped from the Downing Street website on the grounds it was not serious. (It seems about as serious as many things that have occupied the great minds of the Prime Minister’s Office lately).

However, Number 10 has infuriated the signatories by creating a video answering their petition and posting it on Youtube. Maybe this is the first step in Gordon Brown’s next relaunch? Perhaps he sees Clarkson as more of a clear and present danger than Miliband?

A Downing Street spokeswoman claimed: “It was a light-hearted response to a humorous petition.” She stressed - or maybe she was stressed - that in case there was any confusion, that it was knocked up in “half an hour” by some web monkey below stairs.

We wonder how much money  will buy half an hour of a web monkey’s time? After all, Gordon Brown recently appointed 4 people to improve his image on a salary of some £140,000 each. Maybe this Youtube extravaganza is part of a campaign to make Gordon Brown more likeable than Jeremy Clarkson.  

Steve Rowley, one of the signatories of the Clarkson petition, fumes: “Do they seriously have nothing better to do with their time and my money?” 

With Brown now back from holiday, PATC advises you to watch this space, Mr Rowley. As Jeremy Clarkson might say, fasten your seatbelts…

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