And another thing…

I’m very grateful to those in the mainstream press who have continued the debate on “happiness” (or “misery”, depending on your perspective). I hope you will take a look at the column by Tom Brown in Scotland on Sunday. Also, The Independent‘s opinion column yesterday is worth looking at, as is Andrew Sparrow’s reasons for calling me naive in the Guardian blog. His critique on Philip Hammond’s opportunistic attack on me last week also has a ring of truth about it.

Just returned from GMTV studios in Glasgow where I was trying to defend my views on happiness, or lack thereof. Most people, I think, understand the point I was making, even if they don’t agree with it.

But given the importance of this issue and the relative sophistication of its various elements, isn’t it rather depressing that Philip Hammond’s only response has been: “The short answer to Mr Harris’s question asking why everyone is so miserable is, ‘Because we’ve got Gordon Brown as our Prime Minister’.”

That’s the political equivalent of chucking rocks at a squirrel – entertaining, but rather missing the point.

UPDATE (7.30am): I’ll be doing the Today programme in about an hour on the same subject.

I’ve always been aware of the pitfalls to blogging, especially as an MP and more especially as a minister. With every post I’ve written, I’ve asked myself: would I be comfortable if this found its way into, let’s say, The Daily Mail? Well, I’m about to find out.

Today, as I was driving home up the M6, I received two calls from journalists. Apparently Philip Hammond, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, is a fan of my blog and has decided my comments about people being miserable are worthy of exploiting for party political reasons. So read the Mail tomorrow.

Seems a shame if ministers and MPs can’t provoke a debate about serious subjects without having some headline-chaser making capital out of it.

UPDATE (10.40pm): BBC Five Live have just invited me to be on their show just after eleven tonight to defend my “insensitive” comments. And I’ve just switched on Sky News to find I’m the front page splash in the Mail. Golly!