When I interviewed Nigel Farage this morning he was not a happy ukipper. he had just been bumped from Question Time because they wanted an economist on the panel. So we have just been treated to an hour of Richard Lambert of the CBI - possibly the most boring man in Britain. He has come out with so many statements of the bleedin' obvious that I have lost count. So why don't you bump Janet Street Porter instead, pleaded Nigel, pointing out that he has many years experience of in the City of London. No, we can't do that, said the person from Question Time. "We need to keep our gender balance".
And so ladies and gentlemen, that's why you have just had to endure an hour of Janet Stree Pawah - a woman whose voice is worse than chalk screeching across a blackboard.
I have to say Jacqui Smith was very good tonight.
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ReplyDeleteJacqui did well!?
ReplyDeleteDid you see the young lad who skewered her within the first 5 minutes. So funny. She was not happy!
Agreed but she did stick it to Sir Ian Blair and pointed out that Gormless Gordon had pushed us all into record debt.
ReplyDeleteListen to Farage and we will have another 10 years of Labour
Did she say anything about equal pay and the need to end unequal pay
ReplyDeletePerhaps I am alone in believing that it doesn't matter how well a Labour minister does, or what they say. It's the look and feel of NuLab that turns me off.
ReplyDeleteToo many years of spin and lie... They are doomed by their own history.
Tory Conference in Birmingham
ReplyDeleteevery blue nose on earth in Birmingham
Question Time in Birmingham
Camerons speech in Birmingham ( mentioned the T word a lot )
Guess who the Tories offer up to QT... Yes T's enemy, Hezza
Some of us do get it
Very clever spin
In fact QT vert rarely has a member of the shadow front bench - you all go to ground when faced with questions
Even though I sighed when I saw JSP was on the panel, I thought she did well tonight.
ReplyDeleteSmith may well have did well, but most of the time I just, involuntarily, stop listening whenever a Minister is saying their lines.
Janet was very good. Jacqui on the other hand was totally kippered by one and all. Janet was inspired. Iain - did you perhaps insert the wrong name into your post? janet was heaps better than Farago - even if she has got a voice like a chainsaw.
ReplyDeleteAre you all making hay about Northern Rock now.
ReplyDeleteUK citerzens now think its a safe haven
I see you have all gone cold on Mc cain and Palin
ReplyDeleteI dunno Iain, you turn off moderation and along come the c-brigade!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by JSP tonight, she sounded almost sane for most of the show. CBI guy was terrible though.
Heseltine wiped the floor with her during the opening question. We must have been watching different programmes.
ReplyDeleteIain,
ReplyDeleteJacqui Smith was terrible. Is there something wrong with your Television?
Kelly Will Not Fight Next Election
ReplyDeletehttp://news.sky.com/skynews/Politics
A vote of confedence in Brown, She has a 5K notional majority IIRC!
A big thank you to all your readers for their support in keeping free enterprise alive
ReplyDeleteKeep deregulation
its a wounderful thing for us here in the City
weve mad a killing
ha ha
Anon 12.14
ReplyDeleteAnother of Dolly's boys are you? Same message posted on Guido you boring tosser. At least try to innovate with your responses or have you got Brown's disease?
Iain,
ReplyDeleteWere you watching a version of Question Time that had been edited by 10 Downing Street?
JSP came out very much on the side of Boris and Michael Heseltine gave Jaqui Smith an absolute hammering.
She looked very "lonely" throughout the entire programme. The audience was decidedly hostile towards her. She had nothing of worth to say.
Jacqui Smith was good???
ReplyDeleteIs this some kind of blogging irony?
I am upset by this editorial action. Considering that every single SME business has just .. err... what's the word? Hmm.. gone. I dunno, I'd have thought a European perspective would have probably led to ridicule, but certainly not having to listen to Janet Street Porter - a more odious extrovert would be sectioned.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I missed the first 5 minutes.
ReplyDeleteToo bad they can never seem to manage political balance. It's almost always heavy on the lefties.
ReplyDeleteI've not noticed a 50-50 split on genders on QT before. Maybe Dimbulbum was being kind to the UKIP chap. Let's face it, we'd all like to suck lemons rather than listen to the psedo-fascists in the UKIP.
ReplyDeleteGot to agree with the comments above. I really don't think you were paying attention.
ReplyDeleteJaqui Smith got virtually no applause of any kind for most of her remarks.
It was a reminder of what a class act Heseltine is, ghastly little federast and regicide though he may be.
The man in charge of the CBI was useless and JSP, voice no less ghastly than ever, made several very pro Conservative or at least anti government remarks esp. over crime.
The teenage boy crushed Smith to universal applause.
Buddy - I'll have pseudo fascists over lads who clearly haven't got the first clue what they're doing? ID cards? Oh, oooh - angry again.
ReplyDeleteWe had Street Porter on BBC 1 and that twat Livingstone with his nasal voice on BBC 2.
ReplyDeleteThe young chap who nailed Jacqui Smith looked a bit like "Asquith", a one-time contributer to this blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm not that bothered about the editorial blunder - just proper bad form and demonstrates the arbitrary nature of journalism. That could have been proper entertaining - " get out of that Houdini?" No offence Iain - but it's like the weather forecast - they all talk shite......perrraapppss.
ReplyDeleteAre you all making hay about Northern Rock now.
ReplyDeleteUK citerzens now think its a safe haven
Oh look, it's Dirty European Socilaist trolling without a name but with hisusual illiterate idiocy.
I dunno why I watch it to be honest. The three party-reps just spout the party-line over and over, and the other two panelists provide us with populist crap in the hope of getting clapped.
ReplyDeleteEasy money's on Hezza wouldn't go for it. Can't blame the dude for that -
ReplyDeleteI was watching last night's Question Time. Which one were you watching Iain where Jacqui Smith did well?
ReplyDeleteShe was decimated by the young man who humiliated her during the first question.
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ReplyDeleteUtter bunkum from the labrodor party - cheerio. I'm concerned. Not much
ReplyDeleteCrikey the VPOTUS debate is nearly upon us!
ReplyDeleteI think i will go to bed shortly, no doubt Biden will out Kinnock - Kinnock. I wonder if Biden has been offered a Latex mask of his speechwriter by the British protege of Neil kinnock, one Nick Clegg?
Nick Clegg is rubbish and his party is full of pious little scallywag's who need concrete blocks attaching to their legs and pushed into deep water. Indeed I would go as far to say the LD's are the infedel in British politics; shocking, tastless and wrong.
The presenter's jacket is a hideous colour.
ReplyDelete"Can I call you Joe?"
ReplyDeleteWell, that was a nice touch, although I dunno if that was meant to be picked up by mikes.
Biden is Mr Grin.
I should imagine the presenter is a democrat as well!
ReplyDeleteBiden is definetly like Kinnock - he goes on and on! Palin has won it already!
Palin's first answer was unexpectedly excellent. Schmaltzy by Brit standards, but excellent.
ReplyDeleteBiden is doing quite well too so far.
Yes, Palin seems more relaxed, composed and has good presentational skills as one would expect from a former TV newscaster!
ReplyDeleteBiden looks abit surprised, could be an upset on the cards!
Biden comes across in a monotone, boring drown where as Palin has a very consumable voice.
ReplyDeleteUnless a major slip is made by Palin, she should win on soundbites and media clips. If it is a dead heat the Dems. will suffer IMO!
I agree about JSP's voice but I think she does offer something quite offbeat that maybe Farage would not. I think by gender balance they may have meant the usual balance of four serious people with one comic absurdity, such as the role Ian Hislop played last week.
ReplyDeleteI agree Jacqui Smith was excellent.
Ross - Ian Hislop was not on last week's QT panel which consisted of Fraser Nelson, Vince Cable, Theresa May, Hazel Blears and the inarticulate Union leader Derek Simpson. Which QT were you watching?
ReplyDeleteI found Smith toe curling. Boris has done what she should have done months ago. She just quoted the same old spin lines. How can anyone be impressed with her for what she has done to the police force.
ReplyDeleteI do worry about your perceptions Iain
Jacqui Smith, on Question Time - now a floor cloth thanks to the venerable Hezza...hypocrisy exposed and skewered on AlBeeb - priceless. Hope Guido gets a tape of that little put-down...
ReplyDeleteI thought Smiffy was a mess, Her tearful tirade about the crap copper ( politically appointed it should be pointed out,) was ridiculous, the London mayor doesn't want an enemy in charge, in any case People are sick to death of this walking catastrophe.
ReplyDeleteHow can you say that Jacqui Smith did well? She was absolutely rubbish - and didn't get a clap once throughout the entire programme!
ReplyDeleteI despair at how poor Question Time has become. I read yesterday that the singer Will Young is to appear soon - following in the footsteps of other youth figures such as Davina McCall and the chap from Blur. This is supposedly an "inclusive" step to help broaden the programme's appeal beyond its conventional audience. So can we expect to see Jeremy Paxman in the Match of the Day studio or on Strictly Dancing the judging panel?
ReplyDeleteJacqui Smith good; what have you been smoking? Like watching a stuck pig wriggle. And whilst JSP can be an irritating woman, at least she was articulating the concerns of the Clapham omnibus crowd.
ReplyDeleteIain, it's fairly common knowledge that the Question Time producers want to see more celebrity guests and women on their panel, rather than politicians.
ReplyDeleteRe QT I note from the young questioner in the audience that Labour is continuing with its "Etonian" sneer. Well if that's all they've got, and seeing it worked so well for them in Crewe and Nantwich.
ReplyDeleteps re Smith, quite ironic to be making a big thing about reading the small print after Brown's budget antics over several years.
So the producers want celebs and women - not politicians? This sounds like unintentional sexism - so women aren't politicians? It shows what a tin ear so many people have when it comes to gender prejudice - try saying 'they want more men rather than politicians' to see what I mean.
ReplyDeleteJanet streeet porter was better than Smith's party political broadcast, Porter voiced what the people would have done but couldn't. So I'm very glad she was there. Someone has to remind the politicians what we think of them. Smith laughed at the young man who reminded her that what the people think matters as we could be getting rid of them.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they're in office they don't much care if they're in power. It's preferable and they'd sell their own children to be there(or retreat to them when things don't go so well) but being in office is enough.
Oh for Heavens sake! 'Gender balance'. What the 'having a bleedin' clue what I'm talking about balance'?.
ReplyDeleteNone of them had a clue about its pernicious effect on, nay, agrravation of, the credit crisis. I do. I work with its stupidity.
And why the bloody hell did the Tories wheel out Hezza?
OOps previous post went wrong. It should have read_
ReplyDeleteOh for Heavens sake! 'Gender balance'. What about the 'having a bleedin' clue what I'm talking about balance'?.
And as regards all their rabbiting on about the need for more financial regulation - none of them had a clue about its pernicious effect on, nay, agrravation of, the credit crisis. I do. I work with its stupidity.
And why the bloody hell did the Tories wheel out Hezza?
The Home Secretary was absolutely flame-grilled by Heseltine. It was a reminder of how over-promoted and out of her depth she is, compared to a genuine heavyweight. It was like watching a tough, experienced centre-back win every challenge against an arrogant rookie centre-forward who has been put in the first team after a few goals for the reserves.
ReplyDeleteNo-one's mentioned Charles Kennedy's forlorn showing. Are the Lib Dems really that irrelevant?
Iain, Iain what were you watching?
ReplyDeleteJacqui Smith was as awful as usual. She trotted out the political-influence spin on Boris getting rid of Blair and the rest of the panel ate her alive. Say what you like about JSPs speech impediment she was more reflective of the audience and likely Londoner's opinions.
Jacqui Smith is out of touch - that was very clear to all last night. The young kid killed her stone dead. Hessletine showed he is still a great orator.
QT like it or not is IMHO a very good barometer of public opinion - if you're getting no applause, you'll be getting no votes come the election. Regardless of the message you don't seem to be able to buck the QT trend. The message is get in line or get out - as the young lad put it.
Keep up with the rest of the class Dale.
I thought Janet was excellent - intelligent, interesting and articulate. Much better than the UKIP clown would have been.
ReplyDeleteI thought Janet S-P actually spoke some sense and was worth listening to.I never thought I would say that
ReplyDeleteSteward
Nigel Farage is a bore.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Janet made some good points and definitely deserved to be on the panel. Why are you being so snobby about her? It's not like you have blue blood.
ReplyDelete:)
Nothing to do with snobbery. I just can't stand listening to that dreadful screech.
ReplyDeleteSorry Oscar - you're quite right, I must have been thinking of the week before. I think the theme works however, as said role was filled last week by Simpson as you say.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I thought Richard Lambert performed very well -- better than Farage would have.
Incidentally, the talk about making QT more relevant or inclusive of the "yoof" is well-intentioned but wholly the wrong approach. Why not broadcast it at 9.00pm instead of 10.35pm? I know scheduling isn't as important with iplayer and Sky+ but it's still a major issue.
ReplyDeleteThe young boy who apparantly 'skewered' Smith was talking complete nonsense. He managed to conflate a) misconduct processes and the de Menezes inquiry with b) routine police form filling. Was he seriously arguing, and the audience agreeing, that there shouldn't have been an inquiry into the shooting or the allegations of misconduct?
ReplyDelete(and this is from someone who has never voted labour and will not be at the next election).