Monday, September 10, 2012

Andrew Mitchell's Schooldays

Black Dog in the Mail on Sunday provides an insight into the character of Andrew Mitchell, the new Conservative chief, er, whip:
New Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell spent much of last week trying to live down his Rugby schooldays nickname of 'Thrasher'. 
It won't be easy. Fellow ex-pupils say that by the time Mitchell became head of house at Rugby in the Seventies, all the boarding houses had abolished beatings - except one, Tudor, where self-proclaimed disciplinarian Mitchell was in the all-powerful position. 
'The cool set had a spliff in one hand and a Hendrix LP in the other,' said a contemporary. 'Andrew had a big stick in one and a Tory manifesto in the other.'

1 comment:

Frank Little said...

People can reform. According to a contemporary (Simon Raven?), Douglas Hurd was known as Hitler Hurd at his school because of a similar approach to discipline.