Author: MI5VictimMI5Victim Date: Aug 20, 2007 13:37
Dimbleby / John Major, April 1997
Certainty level: 90%%
Dimbleby interviews John Major during the election campaign. Here is
the exchange, regarding Neil Hamilton, the "sleazy" Tory candidate;
Dimbleby: "It's a direct quotation from what he said to Sir Gordon Downey
and what he said to his local newspaper, the Knutsford Guardian".
Major: "Well, heaven forfend that I should doubt what the Knutsford
Guardian actually said"
Dimbleby: "Well I should hope so"
Major: "Absolutely, it would be quite unforgivable to doubt the
Knutsford Guardian"
What I find in this segment is an assonance between "Knutsford" and "Nut"
or "Nuts". I think Dimbleby deliberately invents the play on words,
and says it clearly enough for Major to pick it up and repeat it.
You can gauge Dimbleby's intent from his facial expression of false
honesty when he uses the words "Knutsford Guardian"; and Major's reaction
follows from his recognition of Dimbleby's intent; Major smiles and says
it would be "unforgivable to doubt the Knutsford Guardian".
These are much clearer on the original video than on this Quicktime clip.
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