A timely death

Date: 27/02/1997

Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's death last week was not in vain. British officials have nothing but good to say of a politician who timed his demise perfectly to wipe the European Parliament's damning criticism of Conservative government policy over BSE off the front pages of newspapers in the UK.

British Conservative MEPs could be seen in Strasbourg toasting the departed Deng, well aware that his passing was a welcome diversion from the daily round of attacks on UK policy over mad cows.

The convergence of events reminded veteran political watchers of the time former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan took strong exception to a critical article about his government in the first edition of a newspaper.

He contacted his press secretary and instructed him to do something so that the offending article did not appear in later editions. Between the first and second editions, three British policemen were shot dead and the dramatic news consigned the earlier article to the waste bin. The following day, Macmillan told his press secretary: “Don't take me literally next time.”