Quintin Jardine's blog

As my bio says, I started my working life as a journalist. Occasionally, I’ve found myself regretting that I didn’t stay in the profession, and go down a specific path, politics, for example, or golf. Most days though I’m glad I got out. I may have missed some excitement, but the upside is can look myself in the  eye every time I face a mirror.

I have no brief for Wayne Rooney, although I’m sorry for his wife, who’s having his misdeeds slammed in her face, and I’m outraged by the whores who took his cash and are now apologising to Mrs R for practising their profession. (Akin to Wayne apologising to the people of Switzerland for stuffing one in their net last week.) I’m deeply opposed to betting, and it’s on those grounds that the allegations against Pakistani cricketers concern me, but if they are as poorly paid as is said, those who run their sport should be condemned for putting them in harm’s way. I’ve always liked what I’ve seen of Ricky Hatton, while worrying also that his proclaimed fondness for Dom Perignon and Guinness didn’t quite fit with the example that a successful sportsman is expected to set, yet I can’t for  the life of me see why he should be able legally to pour those down his neck and yet not sniff some powder up his nose.

Still, the things that all these people are alleged to have done are, if true, blameworthy, in a domestic or criminal context. But in my book none of them matches up to what my former profession has done to them. If I could be David Cameron for a day (Insert the head of government of your choice; Barack, Julia, Stephen, John, etc) then I would table a new statute which would make it a crime  to film or record, for commercial purposes, any individual without their knowledge. I don’t mean a misdemeanour either: I’m talking about an offence punishable by a minimum of two years in the slammer for every one involved in its commission,  up to and including the editor of any newspaper, broadcasting station or website  that makes use of material so obtained.