A Hove Conservative politician was compared to Darth Vader at a council meeting on the opening night of the latest Star Wars film tonight (Thursday 17 December).
Councillor Peter Atkinson, a Labour member for North Portslade, suggested that Councillor Tony Janio was the Tory equivalent of the intergalactic baddie.
The throwaway line seemed implicitly to liken the Conservatives to the Empire – and the likes of the Hangleton and Knoll councillor to a driving force on the dark side.
Councillor Atkinson resisted the temptation to liken any council members to other characters from the film series such as C-3PO and R2-D2.
But did he have anyone in mind?
Conservative councillor Nick Taylor, who represents Withdean, has C-3PO’s diplomatic charms and is still shiny and new.
Is another youthful new member – Councillor Joe Miller – a young Anakin Skywalker? Or perhaps Luke Skywalker as he answers the call to serve?
And who could be Princess Leia – or General Leia as she has since become? Jabba the Hutt? Han Solo? Chewbacca?
With such a cast, the possibilities surely stretch to infinity and beyond. Or maybe that was another film?!?
I do not think that to liken anybody to somebody else’s creation is wit. It is as dull as saying Scrooge.
My chagrin is that I stockpiled an array of gags to use in debate with cllr Janio but did not have a chance to use all of these, say so myself, vintage items.
Sometimes i suspect that he enjoyed all this.