What Blair says and what the BBC hears

On the same news programme this evening I heard it reported that Tony Blair said something on the lines of :

"I did not pressure Goldsmith to change his mind"

The BBC reports in its news headline that Blair said pressure was no bought to bear on Goldsmith to change his mind.

Of course the two aren't the same.

Blair uses his lawyers grasp of words to say something you think means one thing, but in fact is very precise and does not.

So for example Blair could have had someone else lean on Goldsmith or have known someone else was doing it - and still been truthful in the words he used.

This is the problem with Labour - they live in a world of illusions and deceit and they can't help themselves.