Last weekend, I took the opportunity to visit the ‘controversial’ Banksy versus Bristol Museum exhibition. For any cultural hermits, Banksy gained notoriety by using stencils to paint images on a diverse array of outdoor locations – graffiti in other words. The Banksy exhibition presents a considerable body of work and many 3D pieces which were unfamiliar to me. I’m not going to add my opinion to the “is this art, debate? But look at what appeals to me, professionally. He’s a great communicator. A populist, where his work is instant and immediate and not highbrow. You may not like the contemporary subject matter, or his medium, but you cannot argue with his creative power of expression. There’s satire, there’s wit, there’s social criticism. Delivered invariably by the juxtaposition of images and double meaning, all of which is very hard to do, and do well.

He’s a modern day William Hogarth and our streets (and museums) are a better place because of Banksy.

Watching the BBC news this morning, I was outraged by Andy Burnham’s advice, or lack of it, regarding swine flu.  As someone who works in marketing and communications, delivering the right message, to the right person, at the right time, through the right channel is key.  Yet, our health secretary didn’t appear to answer a single straight question for all those baffled by the conflicting advice being propagated by our Government, health officials and other esteemed advisors in the media.  When asked how many people had died as a result of swine flu, who didn’t have previous underlying health problems, the health secretary failed to give the answer - apparently, the BBC news, watched by millions of concerned members of the public before they head out to work, wasn’t the time or place to provide an answer.

So, who should we turn to for answers?  One tip for pregnant women concerned about swine flu was to discuss it with their family.  So, if I have got it right, with the Government unable or unwilling to communicate facts and provide clear direction, pregnant woman are to make decisions based on chit chat, anecdotal stories and gut feelings?

I am sure that I am not alone in thinking that the Government’s communication strategy around swine flu is an exemplary example of how not to do it, am I?