Even making tea is a divisive issue these days
Left or right, capital versus labour, in or out?
These days we are so tribal that we fail to see eye-to-eye on so many issues.
This week a video by Boris Johnson kicked off another divide.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn the video Boris Johnson is seen answering questions to the man behind the camera while he goes about his day’s work.
During the footage we see him make a cup of tea and that is where the controversy starts.
Boris puts a teabag in, adds hot water but he pours in the milk without taking the teabag out.
As you would expect, social media went into meltdown over this issue.
There were two groups.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThere were those who found that manoeuvre appalling who said that the milk gets inside the teabag and that makes some people queasy.
Others backed the move as efficient.
I think you can tell a lot about a man by the way he makes his tea.
Boris Johnson likes his tea white but does adding the milk while the bag is still in show impatience?
His supporters may see it as a positive.
He doesn’t mind making a bit of a mess to get the job done quickly.
That’s on-brand for his Brexit message.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe BBC, with its obsession about balance, probably reached out to Jeremy Corbyn to ask when he adds the milk if he makes tea.
There is no point asking as we all assume he has herbal tea.
I hope someone asked Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson how she has her tea or she’ll threaten to sue.
Although you can’t ask someone how they take their tea without it looking like you’re offering to make one.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThis social media storm-in-a-teacup is so typical of modern politics.
No matter what happens, the big question is still ‘in or out?’
Steve N Allen is a comedian who was raised in Sutton-in-Ashfield and stars in The Mash Report on BBC2.