Mr. Richard Soddy, chairman of the Athletic Union of Exeter University, has unwisely decided to match wits with Boris Johnson.

In case you can't be bothered to click the link, the story is related to the sad case of an Exeter student who died after a boozy initiation ceremony at the university's golf club. Richard Soddy has decided this sort of tragedy can be avoided by inventing some new rules: in future, any member of an Exeter University sports club who takes part in a drink-related ceremony could be fined £400.

Boris, quite rightly, has made some pretty firm comments about this. Students involved in university drinking activities are adults, and if they want to drink too much that's their business and their responsibility. It isn't up to the Richard Soddys of this world to tell them what they can and can't do.

It's tempting, at this stage, to let Soddy off the hook. He means well, and he's already been told off for his kindergarten fascism. But first we need to pull him up on one more thing. Stung by the BoJo bollocking, Soddy told the press that Boris

should be supporting the positive outcomes of this tragic incident and endorsing the student policies that will bring about an improved and safer experience for those in higher education.

Eh? I think that means something like, 'Boris should realise that some good has come out of this, and we'd like him to back us when we try to make student life safer.' Does anyone speak English any more?

Richard, if you ever read this, read this, too.

Labels: BoJo, idiocy, Orwell