By Darren McSweeney

Last updated at 10:46, Tuesday, 03 July 2012

Many years ago during my misspent youth I listened as Edward Tudor-Pole posed the question “Who killed Bambi?” The song appeared in my mind again last week as I watched the government’s (most) junior minister torn limb from limb by Jeremy Paxman on live TV.

Darren McSweeney

As Ed once sang, “You bravely faced the world, Ready for anything” Or maybe not.

So just who did kill Bambi?

Chloe Smith on Newsnight appeared to be the personification of the startled fawn, having somehow earlier survived hunting dogs on Radio Four and the poacher’s gun on Channel 4 News. Paxman played the role of any one of the number of wild animals that appear to tease their target before deciding it’s lunchtime in an Attenborough documentary. Ruthless, on the verge of bullying even, once it became clear that the poor Chloe had been badly briefed, dreadfully prepared or just offered for sacrifice by George Osborne. It certainly gave the social media channels something to get excited about – the unknown junior was suddenly the talk of Twitter, Facebook and the subject of various YouTube screen captures. Suddenly the usual suspects of pop stars, footy and the rest dropped right off the online radar as Chloe became Britain’s most talked about subject.

The dailies have ensured that the youngest minister (varying in age from 28 to 30 throughout their various reports) is now a household name. Not bad for a 30 year old (I’ve done my homework, she was born in 1982, I have NWEM standards to keep you know!). Equally impressive for such a “junior” junior minister who allegedly got the job by accident - if rumours around Westminster that David Cameron offered her the Treasury role believing she was an accountant are true. (She did actually work in an accountancy firm, but then so did the lady who emptied the bins there every night.)

But back to the question I posed – who killed Bambi? I can’t really blame Paxman – he was only trying to get answers to a few simple questions. I think he only asked three in total. Three unanswered.

So was she a victim then of her own youth? I’ll rule that out, as I saw our own cherubic faced John Woodcock survive a Channel Four news session a week or two back – and he was sat alongside (and thrown evil side glances from) Louise Mensch – a challenge in itself!

So I point to George Osborne as the guilty one. It seems increasingly clear as the week has progressed that the reversal of the fuel duty was only discussed in very limited circles and poor Chloe knew very little about it, until she was briefed that morning before it was publicly announced. Knowing that this decision would provoke some challenging questions - Osborne sent a junior minister in to face the questions.

Cowardly.

And so what should have been a positive announcement now has a real nasty taste. Well done George.

First published at 10:45, Tuesday, 03 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk