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Politicians have denied that the phrase ‘an open and honest debate’ is deployed as a weaselly method to avoid expressing an opinion on a topic.
They have however conceded that perhaps an open and honest debate on the use of the phrase ‘an open and honest debate’ is required.
“I certainly wouldn’t use the phrase ‘an open and honest debate’ rather than express a clear opinion,” said Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday.
“But I accept the fact that perhaps the time has come for an open and honest debate on the use of the phrase.”
The criticism of the phrase began after a Tory politician on Radio 4’s Today programme suggested that an ‘open and honest debate’ was required on the current migrant crisis.
A Labour politician was invited to comment and immediately called for an urgent ‘open and honest debate’ on the topic, because it was ‘tremendously important.’
Then they both went home.
“I’m starting to think that they actually don’t want a debate, open and honest or not,” said normal person Simon Williams.
“And even if they do, the amount of times I’ve heard one of them call for an open and honest debate on something or other, we’d be having open and honest debates until the end of time.”
When questioned about when to have the open and honest debate about the use of the phrase ‘open and honest debate,’ Mr Cameron said we needed an ‘open and honest debate’ about that and then walked off.
