Friday, February 22, 2008

Today, Tony and Telly

Enjoyed the Today Programme this morning albeit that Tony Benn rather dominated the discussion - but I know my place in these things! They played a wonderful archive clip of Jack de Manio interviewing a public schoolboy with an accent Brian Sewell would be proud of. He told of his speeches at Speakers' Corner. Tony, in his endearing way, veered off the topic completely and launched an attack on the BBC for never reporting public speeches unless they were broken up by fights. He asserted that the BBC didn't report a single speech from the anti-war rally in Hyde Park. I pointed out that this was a load of old cobblers as I remembered seeing news reports of Charles Kennedy's speech at the very least.

We then did a separate and longer piece for the World Service on a similar theme. I made my usual point about the BBC having a liberal world view, but I was rather undermined when we walked back into the Today newsroom when Tony pointed out a John McCain poster on the wall. He found it most amusing.

I'm now sitting next to Gary Bushell in the reception of the LWT building waiting to do a piece for the GMTV Sunday programme with the Telegraph's Robert Colville on his CPS pamphlet, on why politicians are so rubbish at using the internet. It will be shown on Sunday between 6am and 7am.

The London Universities Conservative Ball at the Russell Hotel last night was very enjoyable despite the onset of a streaming cold (I feel like **** warmed up today). Boris spoke during the drinks reception and Nadine made the after dinner speech. Highlight of the evening was having my picture taken with Nadine clasping my head on her ample bosom. My life will never be quite the same. No more middle eastern earthquakes caused by me then!

So, once I have done this interview I'm off home to curl up in bed or maybe get my new Vaio up and running. Mind you, with my capabilities it might take all weekend...

19 comments:

Wrinkled Weasel said...

I want any pics of Nadine Dorries, for my own personal use.

Get well soon.

Anonymous said...

I'm not entirely sure that a John NcCain poster is sufficient evidence to undermine your point about the BBC "having a liberal world-view"! (Quite the reverse, in fact.) ;-)

Anonymous said...

Ooohh... Matron !!!

Nick Drew said...

get my new Vaio up and running

was that vaio, or viagra ?

Anonymous said...

ww - not sure that you really want ANY pics of Nadine for your 'personal use' ....

Would the one with Iain's head obstructing the view of key elements really be of interest ?

Then again, I don't kknow you, so maybe it would ;-)

Word Verification = amrVIAO ...

that's creepily anagrammatical of Iain's latest toy

Anonymous said...

Gary Bushell? We all know what he uses the intenet for!

Anonymous said...

CentreRight suggests that McCain would be Al Quaeda's choice for President. Perhaps that explains the poster in the Today newsroom? ;-)

Anonymous said...

Benn the bore and Bushell the bigot - no wonder you feel ill and just want to curl up in bed.

Hope you didnt catch anything from them.

Anonymous said...

I think I was the only one listening - but even I shall not be up at 6 on sunday morning...

Anonymous said...

Look if your personal tastes don't run to Nadine's cleavage that's fine by me but can you let someone else have a turn

Brian said...

I'd be in favour of more Speakers' Corners if they could be used for the original purpose of allowing condemned prisoners to utter their last words before being stabbed with a Bridport Dagger and dancing the Tyburn Jig.
Anyway, that aside, hope you feel better soon Iain.

Manfarang said...

The McCain poster comes as no surprise to those who have listened to past World Service reporting of American presidential election campaigns.

Anonymous said...

Gallimaufry - Devil's Kitchen refers to people swinging from lampposts for crimes against our Constitution, as 'air tap-dancing', which has rather a jolly ring to it.

James Schneider said...

Iain, I know you want to keep Gio in dog biscuits but you're advertising for Red Ken's reelection. At least you can be assured that your readership is unlikely to be fertile campaigning ground for the "cheeky chappy".

Anonymous said...

Nadine hmmm maybe, but it reminds me of that old joke...

What's brown and sticky?

My poster of Beyonce

asquith said...

Get well soon, Iain. :)

I wrote a post that may appeal to you. After my little difference of views with Praguetory, I realised I might have been a bit too negative.

I decided to write something nice, and the result was a little piece expressing positive views on your mate David Davis' performance as Shadow Home Secretary. And by extension, it's warm towards call me Dave.

I don't aspire to be in the Daley Dozen, but still. Maybe next, Gary Elsby will decide he has a soft spot for certain Tory ideas :)

AloneMan said...

At the first sign of a cold kill off the bugs with a few large measures of whisky. Never fails for me (seriously).

niconoclast said...

Tony Benn rails against the BBC -for not being Left wing enough! His avuncular persona conceals something malevolent and Leninist -yet he is presented as a loveable teddy bear and gets a free pass by most interviewers.(This was the man who refused to condone the cold blooded murder of a taxi driver taking miners to work during the coal strike.)

Thank goodness his son doesn't appear to be a chip off the old Bloc.

Anonymous said...

"was rather undermined when we walked back into the Today newsroom when Tony pointed out a John McCain poster on the wall."

No you were not; you just don't understand much about politics.

John MacCain (nice bloke but) is more leftish than Hills or Barmy with the sole exception of defence/foreign policy, and the latter is undermined by his other policy positions. That's why Al-beeb like him. And that's why the Republicans will not vote or vote Democrat - they're sick of being betrayed.