Are we literally starving students into submission?

Magnificent. Epic in its stupefied leftism. A paragon of self-obliviousness. An unbeatable Question To Which The Answer Is No. Barbara Ellen is a fifth columnist at the heart of rightonness, trying to make The Observer look ridiculous, and succeeding.

She was trying to explain why fewer students had turned up for a demo than she thought should have done.

That is number 881 in my series. First spotted by James Vaughan, who has been entered for the competition to win a signed copy of the Questions To Which The Answer Is No book. (Download available here.)

Also notable, a rare collectable undated QTWTAIN asked by The Forbidden Knowledge:

Is the Moon the creation of intelligence?

That is number 882. Thanks to CM.

Keep those entries coming in. Six more signed copies to be won before Christmas.

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• Junius

  An uncharacteristically ungallant piece, Mr Rentoul. Shame on you. Quite apart from the fact that it is very wrong to mock the afflicted. Besides, the Observer will never look ridiculous while there are journalists of the calibre of Andrew Rawnsley on its payroll.

  Contrast your negative piece in the Indy with Mr Rawnsley’s upbeat take on the subject of Britain’s membership of the EU, and in particular your implied criticism of Ed Miliband’s position. ‘The Labour leader gave a brave speech to the CBI last week, in which he made the case for continued membership of the EU. It was a good speech, in that it engaged with the arguments with some clarity and force. But it was also a “brave” speech in the Yes, Minister sense.’ (For brave, substitute foolhardy.)

  Here is Mr Rawnsley: ‘When – or if – the fundamental question is put, it will matter a great deal that the commanding heights of British politics are still occupied by people who believe in British membership of the European Union. Nick Clegg has told colleagues that he will “fight to his last breath” to stop us falling out of the EU… A more important component is the position of the Labour party. Ed Miliband has waited more than two years to make a speech about Europe but when he finally defined his position, in an address to the CBI last week, it was worth listening to.’

  Mr Miliband understands something that anti-EU politicians do not. The ordinary voter is sanguine about Britain’s membership. In one Ipsos Mori Issues Index after another – a monthly opinion poll in which people are asked, unprompted, which issues are most important – only one in 20 mentions Europe/EU/euro/Common Market. Indeed, in the September Index, when people were asked which single issue was most important to Britain, only one in 100 mentioned Europe/EU/euro/Common Market.

  By nailing Labour’s colours to the EU mast, our 21st century Disraeli has silenced the handful of Eurosceptics in the ranks. “Damn your principles! Stick to your party.” As he attempts to quell his own indisciplined, squabbling rabble, David Cameron must be green with envy.

• creggancowboy

  No Giovanni, our cunning plot is to take the students away and have them trained by BRUCE LEE who as any fule kno was not killed but is training the Chinese to take over the west. Next year the students will appear at G8 in County Fermanagh led by Rehill.

• Adam Hewitt

  It’s rare that the commenters on a CiF piece are more sensible than the original writer…but that one takes the biscuit.

• takeoman

  Cut and paste Rentoul J. doesn’t seem to realise that he has been making the Independent look ridiculous for years with his pro Blair hissy fits and blatant adverts for his totally with out merit books.