Gordon Brown got in a fudge over his favourite biscuit last week. Mumsnet.com users questioned the PM over his preferred tea time indulgence during an online forum – yet he refused to comment. Would Highland oatcakes be too loyal to his Scottish heritage and distasteful to English constituents? Were biscotti too continental? A pink wafer too effeminate?



The PM’s refusal to confess his biscuit predilection has been met with a ferocity which is quite astounding. The Times, Telegraph and the BBC all ran features on Gordon Brown’s jammie dodging of the question rather than addressing more pressing issues of his foreign or economic policy: it seems that the nation was in uproar over his lack of biscuit preference. Yet perhaps Brown’s refusal to enter into the debate demonstrates that he knew what a contentious issue biscuits can be.

Think back to the last time you were presented with a glistening selection box of biscuits; didn’t you dither – even for just a moment? The delicate ginger snap or the cream filled wafer; the thick-coated orange cream or dark chocolate cookie: It’s a dilemma that would set even the hardiest person on edge. What kind of machine should our leader to be if we expect him to arbitrarily choose a biscuit without taking variables into account; will he be dunking into tea or coffee? Could he sneak a second option with no one looking? These factors must inform our choice.

For my part, I’v