Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Why Did Brown Insult Adam Boulton?
I'm not sure what Gordon Brown thought he was going to achieve by being just plain nasty to Adam Boulton this morning. You could almost feel the votes slipping away among Sky News viewers. He called Boulton a "political propagandist". Even if he thought it, he shouldn't have said it.
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103 comments:
I am getting the overwhelming impression that Gordon is being set up by his advisors to be the hate figure and scapegoat for what is left of the Labour party post May '10. Maybe it is not just the Right who wants to see the back of "New" Labour.
Maybe he's decided to launch a vendetta against the owner of The Sun, The Times and Sky News, and Boulton was just the first in the firing line.
One would have thought this isn't a decision which will exactly help Labour's re-election, but hey, that's Gordon for you. Always was his own worst enemy; now he's more like a one-man Labour demolition squad. With a leader like him, who needs enemies?
Perhaps forgot his pills ?
It was a very bad interview, though it came after a rather "soft" few minutes on GMTV. Brown then really didn't settle for BBC Breakfast so he ended up looking very tetchy there too.
On Sky News he could barely get into the mood of the questioning, I think he must take a while to move from "sofa telly" to "newsroom" modes, something Blair was able to do far smoother.
Love the way the clip is cut at the start so his face moves from false smile to death stare in the first 2 seconds.
I think it's called the evil eye.
I note your stand against honesty in politics: "if he thought it, he shouldn't have said it".
Perhaps forgot his pills?
He did seem incredibly tetchy; simmering with suppressed rage. This won't help draw a line under the Marr row.
Strange? With all of Boulton's affiliations (wife,Blair etc) he has always come across to me as Labour friendly. There you go when the going gets tough the Nokias go in all directions, even towards Boulton. Is it because he works for Murdock?
Pete-s
He's not the hero of the people who have lost their jobs, had their savings eroded, pensions eroded to pay for his theoretical Socialist universe.
he can talk about policies and cuts but he will never do them. Like Blair.
Actually he comes across as far more human than usual. Speaking so much crap as usual, but at least a human being.
Why does Brown have difficulty in pronouncing some moderately difficult words, like dementia (pronounced "demensia").
His face at the end. Priceless.
Why won't someone just ask him why he will not say "England" when dealing with devolved issues?
That would make him squirm.
Why? Brown is an control freak arse. Simples!
I agree with Grumpy Old Man. It does rather look as if a narrative's being created in which the general election will be lost by one single individual - which, by the way, also implies that Cameron isn't so much going to win as be a casual bystander at Brown's personal Gotterdammerung. I further suspect the cleverer Labour figures (Campbell, Mandelson etc) understand this latter point perfectly well, and that it's part of their project's bleak yet genuine appeal.
Nice to see our overlord telling the media in a free country what questions they should be asking.
GB's face right at the end is brilliant.
Adam didn't let him wibble for 11:57 seconds about how he not only saved the world but will cure cancer too perhaps?
Anyone who allowed Our Glorious Leader to claim curing cancer as a conference speech claim is either equally deluded or setting him up.
I guess those tablets are wearing off... ;)
"I am getting the overwhelming impression that Gordon is being set up by his advisors to be the hate figure and scapegoat for what is left of the Labour party post May '10."
Me too. But then, he fully deserves it...
I'm not sure that's as damaging as you think, Iain. Brown's speech yesterday wasn't as much of a change as his Labour critics would have liked, or as much of a change as he needs, but there does seem to be a change - some new ideas like the National Care Service (the challenge for him is making that a real, Beveridge-like plan rather than a bodged-together relabelling of existing money) and getting on the front foot on things other than the economy, like early intervention and chaotic families - which represented a possibly painful acceptance that Tony Blair was on to a strong political idea in his last year or two. It does look as though he's had a kick up the arse, perhaps finally accepting some of the advice he's heard.
I think a more energetic and aggressive style in interviews reflects that change, and may do him no harm, actually. Ideally he wants Harriet Harman to punch someone, too.
Brown wants to control the questions and like Boulton later said, Brown just wanted to bulldoze his way through regardless of the question.
Next the press will have to sbmitt heir question through a censor to see if the questions asked will be the 'right' ones.
As for the money for care in the community coming from the councils Brown is lying. We have just had an elderly care home, donated in the 1950's by a local rich family, and run by the council ever since, just had £1 million spent on it to update it and now its shit becasue the council cannot find the cash to run it.
Brown picks his figures out of the air and deceives us on the facts.
Gordon's bad tempered rants are everywhere... I watched an interview with Sian Williams on BBC breakfast. He was downright disrespectful, talking her down, when she asked some difficult questions about how he was going to fund social care & teenage mums hostels.
Gordon lies through his teeth and thinks we are too stupid to see it. Can't wait until he's out of power and I don't have to look at his miserable face any longer.
Logged in this morning to see if BBC Breakfast interview was getting any attention.
Not sure if this SKY interview was before or after the BBC one.
Normally with Brown being interviewed, I am shouting at the screen for the interviewer to correct the lies.. and she did. She chased him fairly hard with the truth.
He didn't look happy at the end, and started to walk through her talking to the camera.
She said something like, 'You can go or stay'.
So maybe he was already pretty mad.
Brown keeps pedalling the line about markets getting it wrong.
But he was warned by both his main regulators before hand.
The actual events couldn't e well handled because of the regulation system he set up !
He must be allowed to get away with re-writing history like this.
The look of sheer malice on Brown's face at the end when Boulton thanked him for the interview was personal, not political. Brown cannot have realised that he was still on camera and it was deeply revealing of his true character.
That final still is terrific.
Can't imagine there's a fully functioning Nokia left in Brighton.
Filters? The last gasp of the failed communicator - blame the medium.
More disillusion in the Labour ranks watching GB self destruct like that.
The Labour hieracy should be ashamed that they are putting up with this. Sadly it is what they deserve.
They should be dumping Gordo, electing a senior minister - perhaps Straw - as PM and to fight and lose the election, then get their longer term Leader post 2010. At least that will save some Labour seats leaving a more credible Opposition post election.
Twice he illustrated the fundemental problem with NuLab.
He said: "I dealt with...yesterday". What he should have said was: I spoke about these things yesterday.
Everyone in this Party believes that you talk about something, perhaps pass a law about it, and the problem is solved.
Delusional.
Wasn't it Boulton who ambushed Brown at the last Labour conference (or was it some other knees-up?) by questioning whether Brown's sums add up, at which point a sweaty, shifty looking Brown mumbled and fumbled for a scrap of paper in his pocket to remind himself of the figures?
I have just listened to the interview, and to be fair it wasn't as bad as your leader gave me to expect. There was nothing that Adam Boulton couldn't handle and I think he is probably quite pleased to have provoked that reaction. Don't let it persuade you to over react, otherwise you will be labelled a "propogandist"
Gordon Brown is an ill-tempered, obnoxious,bully.No wonder he is disliked by the public as this becomes obvious with only short glimpses of the man.
The man is cracking up. He's just spewing hackneyed phrases even when they make no sense. "We are going to do X and that means not ruling out Y" is the little template in his head that he likes a lot. Only now his mind is going and for X and Y both he said "necessary changes".
He needs more than pills. He needs a very long holiday somewhere quiet.
He's going to have to be dragged out of No 10.
Iain,
As you well know, Brown is hopeless under pressure, always has been, and is a bully. He was even testy with Jim Naughtie on "Today".
He knows he's lost the argument and is going to be out on his ear whenever he calls the election, with the likely long-term reputation as the worst PM the country's had in the last 100 years.
This is in contrast with his apparent view that he has a divine right to PM. Basically, he can't cope with the derision and rejection.
Simples!
PS can you get hold of the bit at the end of the Sky interview that has been edited out?
Isn't Adam Boulton married to one of Brown's greatest supporters? I always get confused between Jackie Ashley and the other one who is/was Brown's "Gatekeeper". So was Brown actually attacking his own supporters?
He seems to be coming close to saying that he will not be taking part in any TV debate. "Going around the country talking to the people" sounds very much like where they have ticket only events for a hall full of Labour party faithful (if they can find any left!).
Perhaps he's just a great visionary who's upset that people don't share his godlike vision for the world. Ha! Ha! Just having a laugh. He's falling apart and even the scottish don't want him. LOSER!!
Just a little bit more pushing and Brown will fall over the edge and explode live on TV - remember those penny shoves at the amusement arcades?
You rolled the penny down to try and get the big sweeping thingy to push some of the other pennies over the edge and down into your hands.
Pretty soon Brown will be pushed over the edge.
I felt that Sian Williams on BBC at 7.45am really did a superb job in her interview with Brown.His managers/minders must be mad to allow someone so clearly on the edge to be put in to 3 national tv interviews within 30 minutes - does he not have any other cabinet members backing him up?
I suppose not!
Because Cyclops is losing it. Seems simple enough.
(As for the immediate motivation, maybe The Sun's withdrawl of support had a teency bit to do with it.)
That was quite an eerie stare at the end.
Rule number 1 of an interview: Don't tell the interviewer what his questions should be.
What's this ridiculous, self-defeating strategy of inventing a hostile media? Quite apart from the temper tantrum, Brown pretends Boulton won't let him answer, when Boulton could barely get him to stop repeating yesterday's speech.
Ed Miliband did the same to Jeremy Paxman last night, repeatedly saying 'Let me finish' when the camera wasn't on Paxman, till Paxman eventually exploded and asked him what he was on about.
Is it part of the whole 'insurgents' thing? It's childish and it just looks desperate.
An important point to make which I hope is picked up and run with;
Brown states he is going to tour the country to get his point across.
I bet my bottom dollar that he will NEVER get himself in a position where he is in a provincial town market square/shopping mall etc in front of the British voters (remember John Major and his soapbox?).
Brown WILL go round the country - to his cabinet member's consituencies and appear in school hall's surrounded by his bodyguards and lines of police and scores of Labour activists with whom he will exchange kisses.
He will NEVER allow himself to be in front of a "normal" crowd of voters because he knows he cannot handle them and he will most probably be slaughtered (metaphorically speaking) by a few well aimed and logical questions and follow-ups by the British voter.
He can't even agree to appear in a debate with Cameron/Clegg - and he is OUR leader? My goodness,he can't lead anything.
When Brown is faced with reporters these days, it is more are more like bear baiting than an interview - and the dogs having scented blood will not give up now.
I cannot see how he can last until Christmas never mind next May.
Quote- Well ,we are living in a different world now yes we have to adapt!
Boulton has aggressive hand movements, Brown backed away, but my view is that our Prime Minister, even though he is greatly adored by his wife, bears a similarity to a mangrove mud hopper!
All of us who will succumb to dementia and other horrible afflictions of old age , have already had our life savings and pensions raided, and our houses devalued that there will be nothing for us left but government help anyway-- Robbed us richly hasn't he.
I'm certain that Gordon Brown has been called worse.
How soon before someone dubs the soundtrack from the "Downfall" rant scene onto this clip and uploads it on Youtube?
That death stare at the end - worthy of Ming the Merciless. Poor flash Gordon.
The guy's just a characterless robot, telling the interviewer the questions he should be asking and just churning out the meaningless tractor stats.
Dreadful.
So that's Marr, Williams and Boulton off the interview list. Looks like Gordon will now only do the cuddly GMTV love in stuff then.
At least Boulton was spared the Nokia.
I don't see it Iain - thought GB's answers and demenaour were perfectly reasonable. I'm not a supporter but that doesn't mean that (unlike some other posters here) I am incapable of taking an objective view and in this case, I thought he handled Boulton rather well.
He didn't insult him at all.
Adam is determined to get the leaders' debate and pushes for it at all opportunities.
Adam should call for a Deputy leaders' debate and that would be most compulsive viewing.
Harriet (or Mandy) with Ken Clarke (or Rupert Murdoch for the Tories) and no one in particular from the Libs. Yes, a perfect call.
Brown must be the most unloved person in Britain. He is in total denial about his and his party's lack of ability to govern this country.
Let's hope the Tories have a strong conference next week and show that they can get Britain out of this mess.
Mandelson is right. There is a filter preventing normal people from appreciating the true genius of Gordon. It's called 'Reality'.
He didn't say that Boulton was a political propagandist - he said he 'sounded' like one.
It was robust interview from both men and rather a good one.
I doubt Adam feels insulted at all - he's too grown up. You are too sensitive Iain!
cheers
Charlie Beckett
He didn't like the comment that he hadn't put forward an underlying philosophy...
Blimey, he really does think he's a sparkling intellectual!
When Gordon say he wants to take his message across the Country and direct to the people, he means his people.
His message wil be delivered to carefully stage-managed assemblies full of party faithful, any T.V crews daft enough to follow him on this orchestrated fiasco will also witness the witless cheer leaders who whoop him into the venue.
He has the nerve to call Adam Boulton a propagandist!! This man and his party could have given lessons to Goebels.
This man is an idiot!
I think Sky news should try to be impartial. They should report the news not try and make the news. The leaders debate issue is not a political football to be kicked around by a commercial TV station.
Hah, some relaunch.
"international consensus"
International consensus of failure, Gordon. Resign.
I am surprised at the commenters saying "Don't tell the interviewer what his questions should be." Haven't they watched Lord Mandelson doing it? (And getting away with it, all too often.)
He comes across much better in person on a one-to-one basis than when he was making his speech. He is not a natural orator. I feel that he is shouting at me when I listened to his speech yesterday. I had to switch off the TV as I felt it was all just too much! Bombarded with information, too much detail!
Not an insult, statement of the obvious
I saw the interview. He was commenting on The Sun in general. Sky news rotated an advert with the quote "What would I do if I was in Government? I'd resign"
It is propaganda. The comment was not aimed at Boulton and was fair, imho.
Nobody has yet picked up on the fact that Brown appears to have no understanding of philosophy. He wasn't discussing 'philosophical' differences at all.
If Boulton wasn't so keen on pushing past the PM's responses with his constant interjections and hand signals, we might have had a more enlightening interview.
It's really maddening that when politicians are invited for interview, whether on radio or TV they are rarely given sufficient time to reply.
It's the journalist who is invariably rude or insulting, not the politician who is attempting to answer the questions posed, or, as some may be forgiven for thinking, the rapid fire assaults.
Anon @11:23 And Pascoe-Watson, editor of the Sun, is married to top Sky presenter Kay Burley.
Gordon Brown terrifies me - not just because he is the worst man for the job but because he acts so childlishly and nastily - check out the dirty look he gives Boulton at the end - it curdled my milk.
After his soft interview on GMTV aka " Gordon's Mouthpiece TV" he had a rude awakening with BBC & Sky interviews.
About time his mangling of the truth was challenged re cuts etc esp when he says the Tories have not spelt out where they will cut. Think he needs them to give him a few more policies
Also noted mini Millipede with Paxo and Brroon were roadtesting their new interview technique - " hhhhhhold on let me finish"
"National Care Service" - what will it cost? We have a 200 billion deficit this year alone. Even in the good yeas when we had growth Brown ran up deficits totalling 200 million.
So perhaps thats why Andy Burnham said they will take 400 million from the Health Service budget. And health care ... ?
This sums up labour right now - desperate policy initiatives which totally ignore the parlous state of our finances.
All we are getting is spend spend spend - a good old fashioned pre election 'boom', with no account taken of any ability to pay. The govt have been desperately spending for 12 months to hide us from the tsunami of debt we will have to repay.
In so far as they say we need to repay it they pretend it will be easy.
Brown has already gone back on the word 'cut' which he vaguely uttered at the TUC.
But the fact that Brown increased debt in the good times proves him wrong.
Growth alone will not pay for the national Care Service or any other of browns bribes.
What an unpleasant individual. He's clearly rattled, and that glare, the acidic remarks! Would any voter feel a desire to keep him in power after seeing that?
"Ive got a Job tee dooooo"
http://img3.abload.de/img/broonsjobfinallye5q.jpg
Stick your "Regions" Jock! go back to your OWN REGION!!!.
I've just watched that whole tedious clip, and it seems to me that Boulton is consistently rude to Brown, constantly saying "yep, ok, right" while Brown tries to answer a question, as if he's desperate to shut him up.
Gordon Brown's face at the very end of that interview spoke a THOUSAND words.
If looks could kill...
Boulton was unprepared for the interview and refused to keep his gob shut for more than five seconds at a stretch. Gordy gave the impression that I found Boulton less annoying than I did. for future reference, he's not going to resign and the debate decision will be made at the time. There is no need to ask questions which have already been answered a dozen times.
Even Adam, who has been a staunch Labour supporter for a long time, was taken aback by Brown's ludicrous jibe.
Perhaps Adam will now realise that the only way Labour will be saved from near extinction is if Brown goes. I suppose he is one phone asking Tony what he should do about Brown.
Note the Harperson is amongst those who have attacked the Sun - they know nothing about equality, she says.
Blimey, I wonder if this will turn up on Harry Hill's show. "There's only one way to sort this out: FIGHT!" That'd be fun.
Seriously though, there can't be any doubts now that this man is totally unfit to be the leader of his own party, let alone the prime minister of Great Britain.
His basic nastiness on its own should disqualify him from leadership. Being a rude, dismissive, patronising bully is not the same as being a strong leader. Quite the opposite, actually.
And there are so many other reasons why he should go, too. Sensible Labourists must now be in a state of total despair.
Personal vendettas don't win elections.
Blair and the NuLab aristocracy must accept the blame for inflicting this ghastly, deranged, deluded lunatic on the British people. How can you describe someone as being "psychologically flawed" (100% correct as we now know) and then hand him the PM crown without even so much as a token election contest?
Blair, Campbell and Mandelson knew what a disaster Brown would be yet they cynically foisted him on the UK.
His face at the end is hilarious! Could we not make it into a poster of some sort??
As anyone will know from looking over any of my other comments on the blog, I despise Gordon Brown with a deep seated passion. But who does Adam Boulton think he is? He's like a Paxman on steroids but with all the skill & charm removed!
He is not listening at all to the answers he's simply waiting to interrupt with his next point. It was no more skilful than one of these irate callers on a radio phone-in.
I would have forgiven Brown for simply walking off.
Oh dear. Poor Gordon! Two of Labour's media lackeys have turned on him in a week.
Boulton is normally quite a Labour lackey. However he recently updated his book (which was a love in for Blair), check this out:-
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1214726/Sanctimonious-self-serving-high-handed-Adam-Boultons-alternative-view-Blairs.html
lets ignore the issues and focus on the man. this blog is fast becoming the `Hello!'of politics - obsessed with personalities and no real substance.
I thought it was a better interview than I've seen for a while, at least you got the impression he was starting to speak his mind. Boulton is slime. Obviously Murdoch isn't worried about a backlash of a media monopolies bill which would probably unite the labour party...
Lets be honest, Andrew Boulton was a very poor interviewer, adopting the usual technique of asking a question and then constantly interrupting. Would anyone come across well in such an interview?
In the circumstances I thought Brown did OK. I am not so sure I could stomach listening to many more pointless Boulton interviews though.
Big words for Gordo, and so totally appropiate for himself and the rest of his gang of adherents to the art of Josef Goebbels.
Beware the spiteful bully!
Brown can do an awful amount of damage to the UK just to spite those he now sees as his enemies, we are all his enemies in his eyes.
We dont see the genius in him, we dont appreciate the giant intellect, we dont deserve such a visionary leader, we are to blame for his downfall, we have failed him.
This is how Brown sees us and we know how Brown treats his enemies, so watch out UK!
I see in him the worst of human traits, I see the frailty and weakness and cowardice in him and I suspect many feel the same thing when we see him in action.
As my gran would say, there is something not right about him.
Brown's face at the end of that interview was priceless!
Nokia shareholder everywhere must be rejoicing!
Boy can you now see the problem with Brown. He just wont listen and behaves like a third world dictator.The problems he talks about have been caused by 12 years of Labour. what an unpleasant man he is.
Brown is narked because yet again all is not going to his plan.
He cannot understand that just because he thinks something and says something it does not all follow just so.
Shock horror after all these years labour trolls have discovered an anathema towards Boulton.
The commenters who thought "Brown did OK" must on either Jupiter or crack. Brown came across as what he is: a brittle and arrogant personality with a vicious streak a mile wide, who cannot handle criticism or any questioning whatsoever of his warped view of his own greatness.
In fact, he comes across as one of Van Vogt's "Right Men" - personality types that can never accept that they are wrong, and can fly into a violent rage if their view of reality is questioned. From Colin Wilson's Criminal History of Mankind:
"He is a man driven by a manic need for self-esteem - to feel that he is a ‘somebody’. He is obsessed by the question of ‘losing face’ so he will never, under any circumstances, admit that he might be in the wrong. . . . the Right Man is an ‘idealist’. that is, he lives in his own mental world and does his best to ignore aspects of reality that conflict with it. Like the Communists’ rewriting of history, reality can always be adjusted later to fit his glorified picture of himself."
That's Gordon Brown to a T. Judging by his reaction to Adam Boulton, those famous "psychological flaws" could be bubbling to the surface. Should be an interesting run-up to the election...
Predictable to see a load of pro-brown anonymongs on here defending the indefensible.
Layer upon layer of over-interpretation and prejudice. Brown was simply looking firm and resolute.
Why is it, whenever I look at Gordon Brown at the moment, I can see a man making him put on a white coat?
I watched an interview the other night, before the Sun's declaration today, pitching George Pascoe Watson against Kevin Maguire... maybe Newsnight, I can't remember.
I don't myself read the Sun, apart from the occasional online linked article, but what did heavily strike me was the contempt Kevin Maguire expressed for Sun readers and his idiotic giggling at the notion that such readers could have any concept of political issues.
How many Labour votes did THAT send down the pan, I wondered!
I watched an interview the other night, before the Sun's declaration today, pitching George Pascoe Watson against Kevin Maguire... maybe Newsnight, I can't remember.
I don't myself read the Sun, apart from the occasional online linked article, but what did heavily strike me was the contempt Kevin Maguire expressed for Sun readers and his idiotic giggling at the notion that such readers could have any concept of political issues.
How many Labour votes did THAT send down the pan, I wondered!
" We are in a new World (Order)"!
All rather worrying!
Caught the bit on BBC when the man who stole our old age had the brass neck to lambast the other parties about pension policy. Completely unchallenged of course, well his wife loves him doesn't she?
He called Boulton a "political propagandist". Even if he thought it, he shouldn't have said it.
1. No. He didn't. He said that Boulton was starting to sound like a political propagandist.
2. I hope, given the final statement of this post, that you won't be bringing out the old, "I will always speak my mind" cliche when you campaign in Bracknell.
Anonymous said...
"lets ignore the issues and focus on the man. this blog is fast becoming the `Hello!'of politics - obsessed with personalities and no real substance."
@ September 30, 2009 2:11 PM
Isn't the man running the country?
What substance?
Hey I think Gordon Brown makes Mandelson look like JFK but I still took heart from that interview, he showed some grit at last. After all he's still Prime Minister for eight crucial months. Boulton is scum and he is a political propagandist and if Cameron becomes Prime Minister, difficult questions will be ducked and fudged in exactly the same way. That's what Prime Ministers do. That's what they've always done. Tories too.
Mandy would have said 'Not everything in Afghanistan will be perfect..'
But Brown said..
"NOTHING IN AFGHANISTAN WILL BE PERFECT.."
Ouch !!
7:02 " a thousand new vehicles gone into the defence department costing a billion pounds" - WFT one million per vehicle or Brown outright lie, take your pick
Napoleon XIV - They're coming to take me away, ha ha
Remember when you ran away and
I got on my knees and begged you
Not to leave because I'd go berserk?
Well,You left me anyhow and then the
Days got worse and worse and now you
See I've gone completely out of my mind.
And,
They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa.
They're coming to take me away, ho ho, he he, ha ha,
To the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time
And I'll be happy to see those nice young
Men in their clean white coats and
They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!
You thought it was a joke and so you
Laughed, you laughed!
When I had said that
Losing you would make me flip my lid, right?
You know you laughed, I heard you laugh,
You laughed, you laughed and laughed, and then you
Left, but now you know I'm utterly mad.
And,
They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa.
They're coming to take me away, ho ho, he he , ha ha,
To the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds
And basket weavers who sit and smile
And twiddle their thumbs and toesAnd they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!
Interesting that Ian didn't cover the final few seconds. Probably the best bit of all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOX_82Tjn5Q
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