Column: Why is it so difficult to say sorry?

Sorry really does seem to be the hardest word.

Perhaps that should come as no surprise when we look at the calibre of politicians who lead us, and the endless procession of daytime telly folk who serve up a menu of gossip and fluff, and still somehow command huge salaries.

Caught in a hole of their own digging, they just can’t quite bring themselves to ‘fess up.

Two prime examples in recent days. One from Priti Patel, Home Secretary, and one from Eammon Holmes, co-host of This Morning on ITV; a programme stuffed with the banal, the trivial and the downright pointless. But enough about the presenters …

Patel was rightly scorned for her pitiful non-apology over a lack of PPE for frontline health care workers.

She gave the game away the moment she started “I’m sorry if …”

Those three words instantly render the rest of your sentence redundant when it comes to accepting responsibility.

“I’m sorry if people feel there have been failings,” she said, suggesting it was the fault of people who had felt aggrieved that 19 NHS workers had died from coronavirus. Not “I’m sorry – we will address this immediately and ensure no health worker is without PPE.”

Just words, spoken with all the emotion of a drone.The non-apology should be etched on Patel’s political tombstone.

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As a journalist, Eammon Holmes should certainly know that words matter, which makes his attempt to not apologise bewildering.

In a segment with consumer editor Alice Beer, they discussed the tinfoil hat brigade’s theory that 5G causes coronavirus.

Beers called it right. It’s not true, and it’s incredibly stupid. Holmes agreed and then wandered further off piste than a novice skier trapped on a black run.

“I totally agree with everything you are saying, but what I don’t accept is mainstream media immediately slapping that down as not true when they don’t know it’s not true.

“No-one should attack or damage or do anything like that, but it’s very easy to say it is not true because it suits the state narrative. That’s all I would say, as someone with an inquiring mind.”

Quite where Holmes’ inquiring mind went during that mangled think-speak is anyone’s guess, but it led to widespread criticism, so, he was wheeled out the next morning to say the ‘S’ word. Guess what? It was our fault. Not his. Ours.

He “wanted to clarify some comments that some of you may have misinterpreted from me yesterday”.

There was nothing to misinterpret. He flicked his brain into waffle mode, and took off. Lest we were still uncertain, he confirmed “no connection between 5G and coronavirus... “ but went at it again: “However, many people are rightly concerned and are looking for answers ... no scientific evidence to substantiate 5G theories.”

Somewhere in there is a full, unequivocal apology if you care to sieve through the rubble, and, if Holmes thought his week had hit rock bottom, it still had one rung of the ladder to tumble.

David Icke gave him his support. Maybe he can give him a loan of a tin foil hat as well ...