Eddie Barnes: Strictly nonsense

So Gordon Brown prefers the X-Factor on Saturday night. Whereas Lord Mandelson likes Strictly Come Dancing. TV news presenters declare with a wry grin how there is a split at the heart of the cabinet. Oh my, I nearly laughed.

I was told a salutary story the other day involving one highly capable political adviser within Downing Street. Managing to escape work one Saturday morning for a game of golf, and a chance to clear his head of political wonkery, the publicly-funded adviser had his game ruined as he was dragged into a conference call about how to deal with the political fall-out from "Biscuitgate". Brown had not seen a question in a web-chat for a woman's magazine asking him to name his favourite biscuit; now the story had got legs and Brown was being mocked for dithering over his choice. And so well-paid, well-informed special advisers were called upon at the weekend to manage 'the crisis'.

Are similar conference calls taking place now over the cabinet "split" on Saturday night viewing habits? Please God, let it not be so. I am beginning to wonder whether Armando Ianucci's brilliant series "the Thick of It" is actually a documentary. This has to stop.