High horse of principle

Later Downing Street said that Britain had reminded Iraq of the British Government’s opposition to the death penalty and asked it to consider that position.

This is one of those occasions when you can watch public figures going through the motions, doing what they have to do no matter what they think is right. Public life is not very adult in this. No principle is always right, and nor do you necessarily undermine a principle by acting against it occasionally. But in public life, the press would be back up on their moral high horse (do they ever get down?) shrieking at you, "You said ...., and now you do .....!!!"

How tedious.