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I'm an opinion writer who isn't sure of their opinions

I'm an opinion writer who isn't sure of their opinions

Times7 days ago
R ecently my dad's friend saw me on the BBC's Debate Night. 'Your daughter was on TV,' he told him. 'What now?' my dad asked, probably wincing. 'She was complaining about something again,' came the reply.
It goes with the territory. The role of a columnist is to grasp an idea, shake it and see what comes loose, then catch the pieces and arrange them in a new order. You could call them complaints, but I prefer opinions — little thought babies escaped from their mother.
Sometimes I'm asked if it's tiring coming up with so many new opinions. It would be if I was a different kind of commentator. My more combative colleagues will argue the opposite line just to be contrarian, a skill I admire and fear equally. It sounds terribly earnest, but I can only write it if I believe it. The truth is I haven't made up my mind about most things.
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