HORSEGATE...

PM David Cameron (Left)                          Rebekah Brooks (Centre)                        Raisa (ex Police Horse) (Right)

In many ways it was a classic piece of distraction, a superb example of how the implications of a larger complicated offence can be hidden by a minor infraction. Previous life experience tells me that the general public can at times be pretty fickle especially when it comes to the Police,while they may not give two hoots (at times) about Police officers getting savagely assaulted by rioters, they will not under any circumstances tolerate cruelty to animals e.g Police Dogs or Police Horses. This in a roundabout way brings me to the strange tale of the Prime Minister, A former Police horse and Rebekah Brooks.

The distraction story started small with the news that Rebekah Brooks (former News International employee) had homed a retired Police Horse (named Raisa) this is actually something that happens quite a lot, as Police horses are exceptionally well trained and good mounts. have not doubt that Brooks jumped the waiting list though. This was followed by the news that said horse had been returned in poor condition (the unspoken implication here being that said horse had been ill-treated or thrashed on a regular basis).

This works out quite nicely, it blackens Rebekah Brooks (even more) in the eyes of the general public and distracts the collective eye away from the exposure of the Metropolitan Police Service's questionable relationship with News International. All well and good save for the fact that the distraction story now begins to run and run and now because of Cameron's ill-judged friendship with the Brooks it now begins to involve the Prime Minister prompting questions at the European summit, much to the PM's irritation.

However this pans out I suspect that this latest episode won't help any relationship between the Metropolitan Police and  Downing Street. I predict its now only a matter of time before the Met quietly admits that Rebekah Brooks periodically drowned puppies at the Police Dog Kennels in an increasingly desperate attempt to avoid the full glare of media coverage of the Leveson Inquiry.