Reader's Blog: Politicians should admit ‘I don’t know’

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed was asked the same question at least seven times on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, on Wednesday’s show, and each time he gave an answer which was far removed from what he was asked. The patience of interviewer Audrey Carville was surely being tested. Ms Carville said to the minister at one stage, “Some people might say you are treating listeners as being stupid”.

It reminded me of “Comical Ali” of Iraq, who gave similar responses to reporters when the allied troops were at the gates of Baghdad. The question, which Minister Creed was finally to admit being “difficult to answer”, was: “In the event of a hard Brexit, if a truck-load of milk goes from Derry to Donegal, where will the (import) checks be carried out — when the truck crosses the border?”