Obiter has learned to watch chancellor George Osborne’s pronouncements from behind the sofa. Like a previously seen episode of Frasier or Some Mothers do Have ‘Em, knowing what’s coming somehow fails to dull the impact.

And so often in politics these days, one does know what’s coming. Not yesterday though, when George had an assault on ‘whiplash’ claims that had, unusually with assaults on matters legal, not been trailed in the media at all. To what should we attribute this surprise inclusion of an item that hard-pressed lawyers had naively thought might rank below Islamic State/world war III and all that?

Obiter is speculating, but maybe George’s boss Dave (pictured) is ultimately to blame? His morning, we learn from the Evening Standard, got off to a ‘bumpy start’, when the PM’s official Jaguar reversed into another official vehicle as it readied to take him to parliament.

The drivers, we understand, stayed in their respective cars, and no documents were exchanged – and off the PM went in his scratched means of conveyance. Obiter can’t help wondering if a prime-ministerial text was sent on the way: ‘G!de0n – RTA! rear-ended [albeit while reversing, Lol] + called that number from This AM ad + got turned down! Close this loophole!?! D@v£ X.’

Low-speed speculation on Obiter’s part, of course. Especially if the Conservative frontbench is more, erm, conversant with the Little Red Book and the quotes of Mao than they pretend. Reaching behind the Cranks cookbook for Obiter’s uncle’s friend’s copy of the chairman’s idées, it seems other forces could be at play.

‘Ask your subordinates about matters you do not understand or do not know,’ runs one injunction. ‘We should never pretend to know what we do not know, we should not feel ashamed to ask and learn from people below.’

So, following this logic, to blame: the driver of either car, or Michael Gove – the other [lord] chancellor, perhaps? A hundred blooming flowers to anyone who knows for sure.

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