News of Jeffrey Archer’s admission that he asked a friend to lie in
court broke on Sunday, and this review of Sunday and Monday’s news
stories found that ’Max Clifford promises more’ was a big message.
The man who shopped the peer claimed he had done it when he realised
Archer ’could be ... mayor’, though the Guardian said it was for the
price of a new car.
Tony Blair’s description of the choice of Lord Archer as mayoral
candidate by William Hague as a ’terrible misjudgement’ was often
repeated. Hague’s endorsement of Lord Archer at the Conservative Party
conference as a candidate of ’probity and integrity’ hurt the Tories,
too, and only the Daily Telegraph spoke up for Hague’s belief in
innocence until guilt was proved.
Affectionate tributes to the colour that Archer brought to the London
election were few. Stefan Shakespeare, Archer’s spokesman, confined
damage limitation to dismissing reports of legal penalties and
repayments, making the rare admission: ’He’s not relishing the
attention.’ Everyone else was.
Analysis and commentary by Echo Research. More information can be found
at www.echoResearch.com.
