I am not a fan of the Conservative Party and even less of a fan of David Cameron. That said, I saw nothing wrong with his description of migrants trying to enter our country as a "swarm". He was clearly using a metaphor to indicate the number of migrants approaching our shores. There is nothing wrong with that. Not everyone agrees, though. For the sake of that one word, Mr Cameron has come under fire from members of the politically correct brigade.
Harriet Harman, who has said "he should remember he is talking about people and not insects" should be reminded of the idea of metaphor. I'm sure that Ms Harman must have covered it in English class when she was at school. She must have been taught it at some point. "A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable". That's what a metaphor is. The Refugee Council could do with a similar reminder given that they have pronounced his description "dehumanising" and "irresponsible".
Mr Cameron did make it clear that he was talking about people when he said "a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain" so how exactly did he dehumanise anyone? How was it irresponsible? How many insects does Ms Harman know that seek a better life anywhere, let alone in Britain?
It's a shame that Mr Cameron's critics lack the intelligence required to understand the use of metaphor but that certainly appears to be the case here. There are going to be plenty of opportunities to criticise both Mr Cameron and the Conservative Party before the next election but this is not, or should not have been, one of them.
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