Joe Mayes argues in Durham University’s Palatinate that ‘genuine contrition’ should be rewarded:
It’s a sad situation and it’s getting more and more absurd. Once infallible, politicians the world over have suddenly become sullen-faced and are falling over themselves to say sorry.
Nick Clegg is sorry. Todd Akin is sorry. Even Andrew Mitchell is kind of sorry. Mea culpa rings out across the public domain.
Such a concert of apologies is rare because saying sorry in the alpha culture of 21st century public life is typically fraught with danger. Apologies invite accusations of incompetence, weakness or, worse, a spoof video. So it takes a brave politician to put their hands up and admit they got it wrong…
Full story here.
Politicians shouldn’t be afraid to apologise
It’s a sad situation and it’s getting more and more absurd. Once infallible, politicians the world over have suddenly become sullen-faced and are falling over themselves to say sorry.
Nick Clegg is sorry. Todd Akin is sorry. Even Andrew Mitchell is kind of sorry. Mea culpa rings out across the public domain.
Such a concert of apologies is rare because saying sorry in the alpha culture of 21st century public life is typically fraught with danger. Apologies invite accusations of incompetence, weakness or, worse, a spoof video. So it takes a brave politician to put their hands up and admit they got it wrong…
Full story here.
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About the author
Editor. Matt is a second-year Philosophy student at the University of Birmingham. He is also a multimedia editor for Redbrick.