East Lancashire MPs make their own literary comparisons

10:28am Monday 14th July 2008

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BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw has revealed that his family often compare him to Badger from The Wind in the Willows.

Mr Straw was speaking after Prime Minister Gordon Brown likened himself to the brooding and tormented Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights.

Following Mr Brown’s comments, East Lancashire MPs have been talking about which literary figure they best resemble.

But instead of choosing romantic figures like Mr Brown, they have described how they see themselves as fun characters from popular fiction.

Burnley MP Kitty Ussher compared herself to Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series, while Blackburn MP Jack Straw said his family say he is like Badger from Wind in the Willows.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans chose a slightly more highbrow figure in 19th century American philosophical writer Henry Thoreau.

But Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson, Hyndburn MP Greg Pope and Pendle MP Gordon Prentice did not join in the fun saying that they could not think of a character to compare themselves to.

Mr Straw, couldn’t choose which traditional children’s favourite he best represented, so chose two.

He said: “My family say I’m like Mr Badger from The Wind in the Willows but less grumpy and more extrovert.

“And the other one is Owl from Winnie the Pooh because, apparently, I tell long rambling stories and like to correct people when they’re wrong.”

Mr Evans said he was a fan of Henry Thoreau’s books and said he admired the philosophical writer’s views on life.

He said: “He wrote about himself and If I was to be anybody other than myself it would be him.

“He wrote some of the best prose ever about living life to the full.

“He famously said that the worst thing would be to go through life and then realise you haven’t lived at all and I think I agree.”

Mr Thoreau is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings.

Kitty Ussher said she would compare herself to Hermione Granger, the determined witch from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Books.

She said: “I think that on a good day I would be Hermione from Harry Potter because when things are going well, with a lot of hard work, determination and a little bit of magic, I seem to be able to solve problems.

“And I think a witch is quite appropriate for Burnley considering the history of Pendle.

“On a bad day my husband would probably say I’m more like Worzel Gummidge.”

Mr Brown was compared to the romantic, flawed anti-hero in Emily Bronte’s work in a recent interview, and insisted the comparison with anguished and self-destructive figure was “absolutely correct”.

He added: “Well, maybe an older Heath-cliff and a wiser Heathcliff.”

His choice of character was seized upon by his political opponents who said that an erratic, violent man and possible murderer was not the best character for a Prime Minister to align himself with.