Paper Monitor
10:52 UK time, Wednesday, 20 October 2010
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Much of the country may be awaiting the government's Spending Review with trepidation.
But as the momentous announcement loomed, Fleet Street is whooping for joy at that most serendipitous of commodities - a ministerial mishap.
Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander inadvertently revealed the number of public sector jobs due to be axed, when a document he was reading was photographed through the window of his official car.
Presumably, this is not news that said civil servants will greet with much enthusiasm. But the papers are keen to trumpet the disclosure as the result of what the Daily Mail describes as a
The Daily Mirror, not generally noted for its enthusiasm towards the coalition and its many doings, headlines its double-page spread "YOU MUPPET!" above photographs helpfully highlighting the alleged likeness between Mr Alexander and the Jim Henson character Beaker.
In case this doesn't quite convey the newspaper's attitude towards the minister, it opens its report by referring to him as
The Daily Telegraph is kinder, describing Mr Alexander as having
The Guardian offers some insight into why the papers love nothing more than a carelessly non-concealed document in its history of
These include ex-housing minister Caroline Flint accidentally flashing a briefing paper predicting a house price crash while on her way to Downing Street in 2008; senior police officer Bob Quick revealing an impending counter-terrorism raid in the same manner a year later; and Mr Alexander's boss Nick Clegg helpfully showing the Conservatives his hand when a list of his demands were captured in his hands by a photographer as he made his way to coalition negotiations.
Surely there will be more to add to this list in future. Fleet Street can only hope.
The 
