Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

The tragically blind, former DWP minister, David Blunkett, is to be a guest editor of Radio 4's Today programme for a day.

The agenda-setting breakfast programme ordinarily sees politicians centre stage being grilled by the presenters, but this is a chance for one politician to dictate what goes on air.

David Blunkett said: "Editing the Today programme is something that I'm sure most listeners (and I am very much a listener now!) would want to have a go at."

During the Christmas period, we will hear the tables turned as Blunkett plays interviewer to regular host John Humphrys - feared by many politicians for his razor sharp questioning style. Blunkett is said to be keen to push him on the state of journalism and hopes his stint as editor will prove entertaining.

He goes on to say: "I'm particularly keen to reflect a better social and geographical spread, without alienating the traditional audience."

In-ter-esting. Crippled Monkey is sure that disabled people will be tuning in between Christmas and New Year to find out whether this 'social spread' includes fellow disableds, as he has previously found it a little difficult to ally himself with this particular societal grouping - one that you might expect him to be naturally appreciative of.

Let's remind ourselves of what the Blunkmeister said when a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ journalist asked him if he identified himself as being disabled:

Β• Listen to clip of Blunkett weazeling out of saying that he's disabled

"I identify myself as me. And I have all the obstacles, all the barriers to overcome, that other people who have no sight have. My challenge has been to do that in a way that enables people to forget that I can't see and to judge my performance as a politician, and my behaviour as a human being, on the same grounds as they do other people."

(Sorry Dave, we're forever dragging this up innit. We don't even particularly care either, that's the interesting thing)

UPDATE: It has just been confirmed that David Blunkett's guest editorship will be on December 30.