Two sides to every story - especially when they break around deadline
Deadlines? Just about everyone has at least a couple in their lives – even if they don’t realise it.
It could be getting to work on time, getting the kids through the school gates or getting the dishes washed before the start of ‘ Strictly’ - but there’s usually no ignoring the ticking clock over our shoulder. And this page is no exception. The deadline for filling it was before the proposed House of Commons vote on Brexit.
Tuesday was going to decide whether Theresa May would be the Prime Minister who ended our time in Europe - or whether Europe had ended her time as Prime Minister.
But then she abandoned the vote and headed across the Channel for help.
But as I write – it looks more like “bottled it” than Brexit.
We’ve gone from “a bad deal is better than no deal” to “no vote is better than a losing vote”.
Back in my days of daily newspapers, a breaking story - right on edition time – was always a huge problem. It was also hugely exciting!
What did we do with a story, like Tuesday’s vote, that could go either way? Or not happen as it turned out.
Quite simple really – we prepared two different versions!
A classic example was back in 2002 when football’s Champions League final came to Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
It was Real Madrid V Bayer Leverkusen and I was tasked with getting a “Winners Souvenir Edition” on the streets as fast as possible.
With a little help from Glasgow University’s language department – I had a German language version all prepped to go with the headline “Die Meister!” – The Champions.
A gaping hole was left for a huge picture of the winning captain holding the trophy aloft!
At the same time, I organised a Spanish language version with the headline “Los Campeones!” - and left the same blank space for a photograph.
By kick- off – both front pages were ready to roll.
It was time to go to the pub next door, watch the match . . . and pray it didn’t go to extra time!
It didn’t – Zidane, Figo, Roberto Carlos and co saw off the Germans 2 – 1 and the moment Madrid captain Fernando Hierro hoisted the trophy in the air, an image was electronically pinged back to our press room.
Before the thousands of celebrating Spanish fans made it back to the city centre – every street corner had a vendor selling copies of the “Los Campeones” edition of the Daily Record.
It added about 30,000 copies to our sales - and was later to feature in Spanish newspapers and on television!
The next morning, the editor shuffled past with a bacon roll in one hand and a copy of “Los Campeones” in the other.
He stopped, waved the newspaper and - between strands of bacon fat – managed to mutter “Nice one, Shieldsy . . .” before sauntering off.
Two days of hard work distilled into two words of praise might not seem much – but if you knew the editor involved, then compliments didn’t come any higher!
But hey, what’s all that got to do with Brexit?
In the days before that vote, all I can add is that maybe the Brexit negotiations should have been carried out by a special cross party department.
A coalition government worked last time we wanted IN to Europe – it was via the Normandy beaches! – and it may have helped us get OUT again.
With all the parties involved in the talks – it would have been easier to sell to all the parties in Parliament.
And if the negotiations are to continue after the final vote – it might still be an option.
Either way – I’d still prefer a second referendum with a simple, stark choice . . . BREXIT . . or REJEXIT !
I’d still prefer a second referendum with a simple, stark choice... Brexit or Rejexit!