This morning’s Observer column…

When New Labour came to power it was terribly gung-ho about IT, which it equated with modernity, and there was a lot of pious vapouring about e-business and making Britain ‘the best place in the world’ in which to do it. Much of this rhetoric was emitted by one Anthony Blair, who spoke about these matters with the sublime ignorance with which teenage boys lecture one another on sexual technique. But then it emerged one day that the Prime Minister had tried to order flowers for Cherie over the internet and had made a hash of it. There was much sniggering in Daily Telegraph circles when this became public. So in best New Labour spin-doctoring style, it was decided to turn the gaffe into an opportunity, and Blair enrolled for an ‘IT for beginners’ course, accompanied by the usual horde of minders and TV crews…