Last night I spoke at a dinner for Reading Conservatives, and a very pleasant evening it was too. One thing they were keen to point me to is the Youtube clip below of the newly selected Labour Candidate for Reading West, Naz Sarkar, being interviewed on Radio Berkshire's Andrew Peach. It is a classic example of how now to give an interview. By the end of it, Peach was treating him with open contempt and sniggering at the pathetic nature of his answers. If ever someone was in need of media training, it is the man who wants to succeed Martin Salter. His Tory rival Alok Sharma is a very lucky man to have such an incompetent fool as his opponent.
UPDATE:A reader helpfully emails an article from the Waltham Forest Guardian which gives further examples of haplessness from Mr Sarkar. If he was selected, it makes you wonder what the other candidates on Labour's shortlist were like.
58 comments:
I would humbly suggest that there is a possibility that all of Labour's candidates will be hapless if an election actually happens!
I think he has been given the labour media training (of getting the daily labour message out to the media outlets and speaking constantly so as not to get interrupted).
The fact that he's so bad at it makes the above so obvious.
Bit harsh. He wasn't that bad. Interviewer sounds like the kind of sniggering twit you'd expect to be employed by the BBC.
He sounds as though he's been brainwashed.
This will not trouble Labour voters, as they suffer from the same delusions.
It gets worse.
His best friend is Kevin Lhymbajee, who runs media training sessions for Labour party members.
Check out this e-mail...
Media Training – Saturday 18 July 2009
Do you want to write better press releases and do more professional media interviews?
Would tips on handling the media be useful to you or other colleagues in your CLP or Labour group? Does your CLP have potential local candidates or existing representatives who you wish to ‘skill up' in dealing with the press in advance of next year's elections?
Then the Labour Party's media training session is the event for you.
Hosted by Khevyn Limbajee (a former BBC and Channel 4 news & current affairs producer and former series producer of the Politics Show) - and Royal TV Society award-winner David Poyser (Head of Broadcasting for the Socialist group in the European Parliament), the party's media training aims to give you the skills you need to deal with the media effectively.
This session costs £40 - payment can be made by cash or cheque on the day, providing attendees register for the event in advance to reserve their place.
I've got more on Naz...
Labour can thank the excellent Charlie Whelan for this one - he helpfully intervened to poison the chances of the original frontrunner Mark Bennett, a hardworking, bright, and personable councillor from Lambeth, for the appalling crime of having worked for Alastair Campbell for a while.
Thank god such stalwart friends of the labour movement like Charlie are looking out for the good of the party, rather than living in the past.
Sarkar is a high quality buffoon. Just the sort of idiot that Labour needs to win the next GE. They can recruit as many of those oafs as they like......please. ROTFL.
Do you think there was a disgraceful Labour bias in that BBC interview then, Iain?
Personal attacks on a political opponent - what happened to the Clean Campaign Pledge gimmick you Conservatives dreamed up ?
obviously suitable as a guest on question time.
liebours 12 years in power produce an articulate intelligent individual, no doubt with a liebour first class honours degree too.
so they really believe that they will lose this seat at the next GE?
OMG
That was dreadful....but so hilarious at the same time.
If this is the best candidate that Labour can field....the party must be close to meltdown.
He would be just superb to debate with because he is clueless.
BUT, fair's fair, he is not more clueless than Bob Ainsworth and he is now in the Cabinet.
I hope this is not an indication of how the 10% line is going down locally. Mr Brown will be upset
Awww... I actually ended up feeling sorry for the man. I'd love to hear Paxman use the "nice try at being a politician" line, though. That was priceless.
Bit harsh. He wasn't that bad.
What are you smoking, gustavus? The fool had nothing to say - I mean, he had literally nothing to say other than "Ten percent! Ten percent! Ten percent!". If that's your idea of a decent interview, I'd be interested to see what passes for a bad one in your mind.
Personal attacks on a political opponent - what happened to the Clean Campaign Pledge gimmick you Conservatives dreamed up ?
What personal attacks are you talking about, Marky Mark? Does linking to a video of an interview given on a publicly-funded radio station constitute a personal attack to you? If so, I'd like to hear your opinion on your party's policy of spreading lies about the mental health of the family members of your political opponents.
To hear Labour whining about personal attacks is like being harangued for political incorrectness by Nick Griffin.
Priceless.
Clearly Gordo could take some lessons.
For an even more inept interview (Joe Ashton this time) just listen to this!.
There'll be a lot more of this incompetence when short-lists are done to fulfil 'diversity' quotas rather than by merit.
I'm not sure he was any more or less hapless than any other Labour clone. The difference in the radio interview was that the DJ actually took him to task and insisted he answer the questions.
The issue at stake is why all interviewers aren't as probing. Even Paxman has become a caricature, insisting people answer the smallest points while letting the big lie hang in the air.
Ooo... that was a bit painful.
Someone needs to point out that he isn't running to be Gordon's cheerleader for how bad the Tories and their cuts are. Rather, he is running to represent a part of the UK, and therefore knowing at least something about the local area might help his cause...
TNL
Oh that was bad. Mr Sarkar forgetting he's there to fight for Reading West, not the parliamentary Labour party.
"So what do you know about Reading?"
"Well, actually nothing - so let's talk 10% cuts that I also haven't got a clue about"
And so it goes on.
It's going to be a painful election for Labour if that's the best they can do.
You're a bloody racist, Iain. Shameful. Utterly shameful.
I think I read somewhere he used to teach Maths in a Secondary School. Which one I wonder? Where are those Labour league tables?
I thought it was pretty poor all round. The interviewer clearly had no idea whatsoever about politics and the interviewee clearly had no idea whatsoever about the local area.
Hilarious! Nearly as hopeless as that Tory woman on QT last night. The audience were openly laughing at her.
***Last night I spoke at a dinner for Reading Conservatives.***
I was always taught that it was bad manners to read at the table.
***His Tory rival Alok Sharma is a very lucky man to have such an incompetent fool as his opponent.***
Was that really necessary? You have this distressing habit, Iain, of turning into a complete bitch when it comes to anything to do with Norfolk politics.
***Nearly as hopeless as that Tory woman on QT last night. The audience were openly laughing at her.***
Was that the woman in pink?
Steve, just as a point of information, Reading is in Berkshire, not Norfolk.
***Steve, just as a point of information, Reading is in Berkshire, not Norfolk.***
Oooh, just kick me as you pass, Iain, why don't you?
Sorry, I left a sentence off the end of my previous post by mistake. It should have read: "But even that's nothing compared to how bitchy you get when discussing Berkshire."
My point stands though. Notwithstanding geography, ever since this by-election in Norwich started, you've become distinctly nasty about the other parties in Norfolk and it's bleeding into your non-Norfolk views too.
Oh get over yourself. This is a blog. With opinions. Criticising rival parties and politicians is all part of democratic debate. What should I have done? Praised the idiot candidate in this video?
***Oh get over yourself. This is a blog. With opinions. Criticising rival parties and politicians is all part of democratic debate. What should I have done? Praised the idiot candidate in this video?***
Iain SH, calling someone an incompetent fool (ooops it's now risen to idiot) isn't criticism, it's contumely.
Yours is one of the few right of centre blogs which tends to eschew the usual foam flecked ranting and personal abuse. Please don't take away our online refuge in some attempt to become a pink Guido.
As for "get over yourself", when are you next on the telly?
Getting nasty about the other parties??????....ooooh yes please and here we go......This guy is a Bozo and it shows just how low the Liebour barrel is that they are presently scraping..
fuzzat
"If he was selected, it makes you wonder what the other candidates on Labour's shortlist were like."
Quality is irrelevant; gender & ethnicity are the over-riding criteria. [Aren't they Mrs Harman?]
Sea Shanty Irish here:
It is NOT a personal attack to critique candidates based upon their public remarks.
It is NOT racist to critique candidates from minority groups based upon their statements NOT their ethnicity. Especially when you praise their opponents who are also minority group members.
Plenty of grounds for attacking Iain Dale if you wish, no shortage of hostages to fortune there!
BUT the when you resort to BS like saying he's a meanie and a racist (the latter being particularly ridiculous in Iain's case) you actually HELP him out.
Kindly put on your thinking cap before you let your fingers do the walking over your keyboard.
Stevo,
If you're pining for a decent blog, may I suggest that you improve yours?
Surely family photos are for friends on facebook etc and the whole world doesn't really need to know - get over YOUR self.
P.S. If only Leonard would have stayed in Canada...
Sea Shanty Irish again -
IF you want your comments to persuade others (as opposed to merely amusing yourself) then you should NOT use terms such as "Liebour".
Must admit that in recent past was personally addicted to the usage "The Cheney Administration" which I still think is an accurate description. HOWEVER it was pointed out that that made it very easy for others to dismiss what I was saying out of hand.
So curb yourself IF you want to improve your argument.
On this note, once had a teacher who advised writers to always ditch the lines and phrases they loved the most in their writings. On grounds that the impact on others was almost always less positive than ones personal perception.
Sarkar was also sacked as the Cabinet member for Leisure, Arts and Culture (or whatever it was called that week) in the London Borough of Waltham Forest for sheer unadulterated incompetence.
He also issued a begging letter to his Labour colleagues seeking donations towards his campaign to be selected in another parliamentary seat, which he didn't get, that was headlined "Life Chance For Naz".
Personable though he may be Naz Sarkar is a wholly self interested careerist apparatchik as this appalling interview once again demonstrates.
The candidate was weak, but to be frank I found the interviewer more objectionable.
The 10 per cent figure isn't nonsense - what he should have been challenging the Labour guy on was what Labour is going to do. How can they deny that they will need to cut, if re-elected?
And so what if he doesn't know what an acronym for a local road stands for? Very poor.
If he gets this much stick from labour loving BBC, imagine what it would be like with a real interviewer?
Some would vote for a dog t*rd if it had the right rosette - this will be put to the test once Gordo takes a courage tablet or five and calls an election.
That really is incredible. Even if he knew nothing about Reading, you'd have thought he could ask some locals what the local issues are rather than spouting that 10% nonsense. If that's the best Labour can do, in one of the nicer seats in the country, they're done for.
Iain
Looks like some of the liebour buffons also need to have a geography lesson as well as media interview lessons !
Stevo Bevo has a point. This is cheap nasty personalised stuff. Leave that to Paul and Phil, Iain.
LOL, is that the best they can come up with. FFS.
Apologies for the text speak but that was a joke.
Lord Lavendon
Learn to spell - it's 'buffoon', you f**kwit.
To think there is are children being taught lessons by this man. In the words of the immortal Maude Flanders of the Simpsons, spoken with all the alarm of a lunaticL 'Won't somebody please think of children!'
Lord Snooty
Well, you need to learn manners.
Having said that I have told you to F off in a post I think will be deleted by Iain, but hey ho.
@ Iain Dale 3:49 PM
"Oh get over yourself."
I have noticed you have become ever increasingly aggressive in your replies to your readers Iain. Is this advisable. Do you think its appropriate to say such things?
Even though this blog is partisan you have increasingly aggressive in slagging off the other parties and to my opinion that means you still don't understand politics.
I agree have a debate and criticize where appropriate but you don't seem to see or 'understand' anything good from the other parties. You seem to defend the indefensible at times.
What the Labour PPC was trying to talk about was the debate on public sector cuts. (even though he was terrible in conveying this message).
The Conservatives have put forward public sector cuts but the response from you centre-right bloggers has been to attack and ridicule at the very mention of cuts.
On a separate note regarding the Norwich North by-election I still have not heard anything substantial in policy terms from Chloe Smith in terms of policy. She seems to understand little about policy.
When will Chloe Smith start to talk about policies that matter to people?
I still am waiting to hear from her how she is going to stimulate demand in the economy.
To be quite honest I am very disappointed in her and would rather vote for Rupert Read because he is able to put together a policy platform and is easily identifiable as to his political views.
Bladerunner86
Just accept this is Iain's domain and he can do what he wants and act, as he wants. It's his show, if you get upset by what you feel is his one sided approach to etc, just get your own goggle blog and rant to high heaven.
I have read several stories on Naz in the Guardian. (Waltham Forest Guardian, that is...)
He seemed to come over as a bit of a spouter of set phrases. And someone not comfortable with his brief. Or very knowledgeable, either.
Should be titled, "How not to conduct an interview for a public sector broadcaster committed to impartiality." It was appallingly biased.
lord snotty said.
Learn to spell - it's 'buffoon', you f**kwit.
July 17, 2009 8:14 PM
I rather like the sound of buffon you potty mouthed moran.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=moran
lord snooty said
Stevo Bevo has a point. This is cheap nasty personalised stuff.
and then Lord Snooty said...
Lord Lavendon
Learn to spell - it's 'buffoon', you f**kwit.
Typical labour hypocrisy,do as we say not as we do.
God help us if this excuse for a politician is ever elected.
I have heard he is tipped for the Cabinet after this polished interview.
What an appalling state of affairs we have come to to see such a wonk selected to become an MP but then again he will be joining a House full of like pea brained wonks.
Oh dear. I was at Bristol Uni with Naz. He's a nice guy and was a successful student politician at Bristol - ending up as a popular Union President. Funnily enough he was an avowed independent in those days and was not aligned with any political party.
Whether or not he wins his seat at the next election, I am sure he'll bounce back from this!
We hear worse than this almost every day on bbc radio 4 Today Programme etc. and this from supposed professional politicians in the Cabinet.
If you allow them to speak without interruption as Toady Programme does, then they end up sounding from another planet.
yep agree that it wasn't the best interview but the DJ was a twat really wanting to show up any politician up on air- whoever it may have been.
But as a resident of Reading, certain issues aside from the 10% were relevant.
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