Cameron is a husband, he should know better than to not apologise

By Ben Furber / @benfurber

Arguments with my girlfriend go one of two ways; I say sorry (and it’s all over quickly), or I don’t (and we argue about it for days). Cameron is a husband, so he knows this too. And yet, this morning, he didn’t apoligise to the public.

Last week me and my girlfriend spent a few days estranged. Why is of course very obvious, I did something wrong. I still have no idea what I did wrong, or how I did it wrong and I certainly don’t know how I can not do it wrong in the future. Naturally this wasn’t the first time I’ve made some mysterious/unknown mistake and unfortunately it won’t be the last.

The bigger mistake I made last week though is the same one Cameron just made; WE DIDN’T SAY SORRY.

The argument I had ended-up lasted about 72 hours, 2 passive-aggressive meals eaten, 2 storming offs and 1 slammed door. But if I’d said sorry when the original argument had happened, none of that would have happened.

While this scandal isn’t really about Cameron, because of the press conference he just gave, he could still end-up being a casualty. So he knows a publisher and hired an ex-hack, big deal. It doesn’t even really matter what he could have apologised for.

“If Andy Coulson did know more than he told me, then it was a mistake to hire him and I’m sorry that I did.”

“I’m sorry that someone I trusted to be a senior staffer of this government has spent the morning in a police station.”

“Because of someone that I employed, I’m sorry that this press conference even has had to happen.”

You say sorry because it enables you to move on. There are judges to be appointed, the PCC to reform and (probably) police officers to be fired. All of which could have been done with Cameron as the strong and defiant leader doing what needs to be done. He could have even been philosopher-in-chief and he could have started drafting a lecture about the relationship between the media and politicians. But by staying in denial about his small part in this whole ordeal, it now looks like he’s just trying to cover his own arse.

“You never say sorry. Ever.” That’s what my girlfriend said earlier when I told her I was writing this article. Why? Because more than forgive when someone apologises to you, you normally forget the argument as well.

This story will be around for years, these commissions will take time, if charges are brought that will take even longer and the PCC 2.0 will take over a year to form. Plus, because Cameron didn’t say sorry today, every time these stories break, Number 10 will be on the back foot still saying it wasn’t a mistake to hire Andy Coulson.