Sal Paradise wrote:
Could have been worse - his legal team did it on a no win no fee basis!! That will be an interesting agenda point at the next partners meeting.
as the saying goes "You can always get out by paying" - Mitchell needs to pay up and retire from public life.
The Tories need less arrogant toffs not more odious individuals like this a true waste of a skin.
Don't forget that Cameron selected him personally to hold one of the highest positions in the cabinet, that of Chief Whip, and its not as if he didn't already know the nature of the bloke, he wasn't just a run of the mill MP.
Mitchell painted himself into a corner right from the off by denying that he used the word "pleb" which they all recognised from the start would be far worse than f-ing at a police officer, a bizarre situation that tells you everything you need to know about the almost unique British class system and how an innocuous word can define an attitude.
Once denied he could only have hoped that it would all go back in its box and if he'd just f-ed at a police officer it may have, but the stigma of Camerons cabinet of posh boys was just too good to have a pop at, he could still have apologised and said that he couldn't recall saying the pleb word several weeks later but by taking his stance then suing to "clear his name" was always going to be the only way out especially when Cameron "accepted his resignation" (or booted him into the long grass so as not to be tainted any longer).
There is only one question remaining now - is the cctv that covers the gates of Downing Street really so poor in quality that they have no other recordings other than those in the public domain?