Words Dept.: entry

Ofcom has ruled that an advert about the congestion charge shown on ITV earlier this month directed viewers to a website that “contained material that was almost exclusively in support of the congestion charge” and, as such, broke the Television Advertising Code rules on political impartiality. You might think this is quite a serious indictment. Not so, according to a dismissive press release from the Yes campaign.

Press Statement

28.11.08

Statement from The Yes Campaign in response to Ofcom ruling

Lis Phelan said: “The time has come for everybody to drop this obsession with adverts, websites and the wording of ballot papers.

“This referendum is not being decided by lawyers or watchdogs, but by the mother who needs to get her child to school; the pensioner worried about getting home safely at night, and those who will welcome the chance of 10,000 new jobs. Let’s just get on and vote.”

-Ends-

So, just to clarify: Issuing a press release containing nothing except for a condemnation of a distasteful YouTube video produced by associates of the No campaign that virtually no-one has seen and that has now been withdrawn, like the Yes campaign did on Tuesday, is perfectly OK. But when Ofcom rebukes ITV for showing an advert that’s biased in favour of the congestion charge in the ad break for Coronation Street, “everybody” is being obsessive.

[Sound of forehead being slapped and man shouting "D'oh!"]