Good News - shhhh

Ministers get told a lot of secrets, and the important thing about a secret is that it must be kept secret. You can't even tell anybody what it is that's secret!

Ministers are also charged with sharing the Good News. It's not a secret! It's a public offer, open to everybody. It would be unfair to keep it secret.

It's a tricky balancing act. I have to talk enough with people so that they will continue to listen when I start talking about the Good News. But I mustn't talk so much that I inadvertently give away a clue about someone's big secret.

This means that the safest subject about which to talk - is about me! I do want to hear from the person I am talking with, but they mustn't feel like I am conducting an interrogation. If I want them to tell me about themself, then I must be prepared to begin by talking about me.

At the moment I have a secret of my own. It is good news about me. But I mustn't talk about it!

This makes conversation rather more difficult than usual. It is easier with people who don't know me at all, because normally they don't ask me questions about the subject that is secret.

However, in a few days time, I should be able to speak about my secret. Which will be good, because as you can tell, I am finding it quite hard to keep it a secret!