Following the death of Rod Liddle the Sunday Times is seeking to hire a new “bloke down the pub” or “golf club bore” type to write a column every week. Inviting candidates to submit a sample article, the ad suggests people think of 1,000 words that might comfortably sit between “I was talking to this bloke down the pub, and he reckons” and “Spose you can’t say that any more”. Points will be deducted for citing any evidence beyond your gut feeling on the issue, attacking anyone with the power to fight back, referring to Muslims as anything other than “Muslamics”, or saying “I’m not racist/sexist” without instantly proving that you are. Reports suggest the job was initially offered to comedian Al Murray, who patiently explained “No, the pub landlord’s a character, I’m actually very intelligent.” “It’s what he would have wanted.”