This ‘news’ is cynical spin designed to soften us up for the swindle

DID you ever feel you were being softened up? Politicians are great at it — preparing the ground so you won’t be disappointed, or so that you’ll know who to give the credit to when something happens.

Sometimes they’re subtle about it; sometimes they’re crass and vulgar. Well, taxpayers are being softened up this week and so are people with a disability.

The two examples of softening up I’m talking about are from last Sunday’s newspapers, and both of them are, alas, of the crass and vulgar kind, involving a fairly gross bit of media manipulation. But sure, what else would you expect of this crowd?