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The week on the web
Daniel Forman
If this week has shown anything it is the crucial importance of perception in politics.
The political week has been bookended and often dominated by comments on the wearing of Muslim veils.
It kicked of with shadow home secretary David Davis' "apartheid" warning on Sunday and local government minister Phil Woolas calling for the Yorkshire classroom assistant who refused to take her's off to be sacked.
Tony Blair then stepped in to the debate sparked by his own Commons leader at his press conference on Tuesday, before ministers were ticked off over sub judice issues in the case of Aishah Azmi.
It took David Cameron to show that it is possible to agree with Kirklees Council while also worrying about the appearance of politicians "piling in" on Muslims with a constant stream of attacks. It was a point Jonathan Freedland also made in the Guardian on Wednesday.
For while nearly all MPs, starting with Jack Straw, have been very careful in their language - keen to praise the contribution of Muslims and stress the importance of personal choice on the veil - headlines have predictably concentrated on criticisms. The message has probably done more to isolate Muslims, rather than achieve the MPs' stated objective of integrating them.
Conservative tax policy has been another key area of debate this week in which perception has been key.
The party published its tax reform commission's findings, setting out £21bn worth of cuts, but immediately distanced itself from them.
The story has certainly sparked a lively debate among commentators in the Guardian, Independent, Times, Telegraph and elsewhere as to what it means.
But what message will the public get? That the Conservatives will cut tax or not? Perhaps they are trying to play to two galleries at once, appeasing right-wingers with that prospect while also reassuring concerned floating voters on public service spending.
Elsewhere the prime minister launched a series of parallel policy reviews which could shape the government's agenda for the next five years. Yet reporting centred on what it means in terms of how long he will remain in office and his influence after he leaves.
But before the media gets blamed for this, it should also be said that maybe that is exactly what the reviews were meant to do and certainly how they were spun.
Because the media savvy politician - and there are none more savvy than Blair - knows the importance of perception.
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Published: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 14:53:08 GMT+01
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