Downing Street's website has, since April, played host to a
petition signed by 49,447 people for Jeremy Clarkson to be made prime minister.
Last week Downing Street posted a wry video
reply to the petition showing Clarkson's face framed on an inner wall of number
10 amongst past leaders, with text reading, "We've thought long and hard about
[making Clarkson prime minister]... but on second thoughts, maybe not."
Lighthearted tomfoolery, you might think.
Well, apparently not.
An outraged signatory told the Daily Mail, "Do
they seriously have nothing better to do with their time and my money? I signed
in good faith that they take these things seriously."
In fairness to the signatory, Clarkson
probably is more popular than Brown, but, crucially, Clarkson is not running
for prime minister, and an online poll cannot, in itself, justify a change of
government. Sometimes faith just isn't enough.
