Tony Blair called Prescott into his office one day and said, 'John,
I have a great idea! We are going to go all out to win back Middle
England'.
'Great idea, Tony. How will we go about it?' said Prescott.
'Well' said Blair ' we'll get ourselves one of those long Barbour
coats, some proper wellies, a stick, and a flat cap, oh' and a Labrador.
Then we'll really look the part. We'll go to a nice old country pub, in
"Much Something" or other or, one of those villages we'll show we really
enjoy the Countryside.'
'Right Oh' said Prescott.
A few days later, all kitted out and with the requisite Labrador at
heel, they set off from London in a westerly direction. Eventually they
arrived at just such a place they were looking for (Much
Piddling-in-the-Brook) with a lovely country pub (The Surly Yokel). With the dog, they went in
and leant on the bar.
"Good evening Landlord, may we have two pints of your best ale, from
the Wood" said Blair .
"Good evening Prime Minister" said the landlord, "two pints of best
it is, coming up"
Blair and Prescott stood leaning on the bar drinking their beer and
chatting, nodding now and again to those who came to the bar for a drink.
The dog lay quietly at their feet.
Suddenly the door from the adjacent bar opened in came a grizzled
old shepherd, complete with crook. He walked up to the Labrador, lifted
its tail, looked underneath it, shrugged his shoulders and walked back
to the other bar.
A few moments later, in came another old shepherd carrying a crook.
He walked up to the dog, lifted its tail, looked underneath, scratched
his head and he went back to the other bar.
Over the course of the next hour or so several other locals came in,
lifted the dog's tail and went away looking puzzled.
Eventually Blair and Prescott could stand it no longer and called
the Barman over.
"Tell me," said Blair, "why did all those old shepherds come in,
look under the dog's tail like that? Is it an old custom?"
"Good Lord no," said the barman. "Its just that someone told them
that there was a Labrador in this bar with two arseholes!"