Politicians, being either constitutionally unable or pragmatically unwilling to say what they mean (or mean what they say) have many code-phrases which allow them to mean something while denying that they said anything of the sort.
My current favourite is "it's time to move on". This is polspeak for "Bugger - I've been caught right in the headlights, and my only slim hope of wriggling away from this one is to point past you and shout 'Oh my God! Percy! A giant humming-bird is about to eat your hat and cloak!' ".
The Director of Public Prosecutions' shredding of the 'case' against Damien Green MP was so comprehensive yesterday that Jacqui Smith didn't even dare try the "time to move on" line herself. That was left to Shaun Woodward. "What matters now is to move on", he said, though why the task should have fallen to the Northern Ireland secretary is a question on which the press remains silent.
He's had a busy shift, though, being called upon by The Scotsman to defend Gordon Brown over "smear-gate". He does not disappoint:
"Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward later defended Mr Brown as an "honourable man".
"I'm extremely sorry this happened because I think we're all degraded by it and I think the Prime Minister today hopefully has made it absolutely clear that he is extremely sorry," he said.
"It is now time, I hope, to move on."
Wonderful thing, hope... it springs eternal, or so I'm told.
Jacqui Smith herself, of course, was entirely correct to say that it would have been irresponsible of the police not to take action if sensitive information had been leaked. The only problem is that none of the leaked information could reasonably have been described as sensitive, as the DPP's report so crushingly confirms.
Ms Smith must be wondering if, perhaps, it is now time to move on.
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