In one of those mixups of understandings and misunderstandings, dear old Vince Cable , being questioned at the Institute of Directors, unintentionally got it right and then intentionally got it wrong.
Reasonably asked by the Institute's Director-General, Simon Walker, whether he thought that it was mad that the members of One Direction ,- who unknown to Cable are a boy band,- received ( we find it difficult to use the word "earned" here) five million a year a piece, Cable thinking that One Direction must be some kind of company of which the extravagantly paid persons Directors, piled right in , agreeing wholeheartedly and labeling the amounts as immoral.
At last a man who is prepared to stand up and say that while the nation is going on about bankers, super rich businessmen including the creators of wealth and jobs being immorally overpaid etc etc, it should add to the list pop stars, footballers, "reality" show winners, professional celebs, lottery winners and allied industries. A cheer must have gone up around the room,- and anywhere else that he was heard.
And then came the fall. Someone tipped dear Vince off that One Direction isn't in fact job and wealth creating monster but something altogether different and far more worthy. It's a band. Instead of sticking to his guns and saying,- "and yes , popstars , footballers and all the rest too", he back peddled. Fast. "Oh, sorry, a band , that's quite OK then" was the gist of how he finished.
For a weak kneed missed opportunity this takes some beating. Sadly he may not even understand that.
