Worstminster

IT may have taken a couple of decades but I think we can safely say Alastair Campbell has finally proved it is possible to unleash WMDs in 45 minutes.

He managed it with the first episode of his political rip-off of – sorry, I mean homage to – The Apprentice

At this early stage the WMDs on Channel 4’s Make Me Prime Minister appear to be Weapons Of Mass Delusion rather than destruction – although, in some cases, it is debatable whether that diminishes the potential for danger.

As for this programme’s similarities to Alan Sugar’s long-running BBC1 hit, I do wonder whether Campbell will be receiving a quiet word from Claude Littner in the not too distant future.

Then again, Channel 4 might reasonably argue that as The Apprentice is basically Big Brother in business suits, they are just taking another bite from their own pie. In any case, there are some differences between the two shows.

For a start, The Apprentice is often funny, entertaining and dramatic.

MMPM has so far, sadly, drawn a blank on all three.

Also, MMPM does not have at its helm a charismatic figurehead who has actually been there and done it. Which suggests perhaps that Channel 4 was always mindful of copycatting issues. Either that or Tony Blair said no. What really sinks MMPM though is the ending. There are no drama-filled, pointy-fingered boardroom firings here. Instead, upon losing a task the defeated team captain is merely invited to resign. If they refuse, then Campbell and the Karren Brady of the piece, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, decide who gets the chop instead. And guess what? In both of the two episodes I’ve watched so far the losing captains declined to do the honourable thing. This killed any drama stone dead. However, it did make me wonder where on earth these contestants got the impression that it was okay for politicians to refuse to take ultimate responsibility for a massive cock-up on their watch. Do let me know if you have any ideas on that one, eh?

Weapons of Mass Delusion rather than destruction