Saatchi takes ‘simple’ route to honours

As a sycophantic tribute to Lord Saatchi, and in recognition of his contributions (NB creative, not financial) to the Conservative Party and the nation, Diary would like to reproduce three excerpts from a speech he gave last year, showing how he managed to reach such lofty heights.

“My attitude is the same as the person who commissioned Chartres Cathedral. If you want something fine, assemble the best master builders, the best masons, the best sculptors, the best wood carvers and stained glass artists. Give them your dream and then give them your absolute backing….tell them to build tall. To build a spire that soars above the roofscape of the city and the trees in the country, so that what they have built can be seen for miles around and act as a beacon, a magnet and an inspiration to everyone who sees it.

“You are the creators of this new democracy of information. Now you need a path, through a wood. Just a few leaves. Some gravel. A few stones. Rocky in parts. Some steep falls in places. But well-trodden by some of the great men of history. And it comes to a wonderful clearing in the wood. Full of light and clarity. To reach that clearing in the wood you need only to speak in simple truths. They will clear the way…that simplicity is a gift from the gods.

“It used to be an insult to be called simple. But in the world of creativity, I think it is the highest praise.” Quite.