Strike one to David Cameron. The pictures of Brown skulking into the back entrance of Downing Street avoiding the cameras, while a vigorous David Cameron spoke to an open air audience by County Hall were striking in their contrast. Cameron was optimistic, inspiring and positive. When Brown came out of Downing Street and spoke to the cameras he was almost sepulchral. No optimism, full of negativity and he almost seemed to be going through the motions.
And the BBC well and truly buggered things up with their sound feed. Brown's voice could hardly be heard above the noise of the helicopter. And as soon as Brown finished, their cameras turned to Sky News's Joey Jones! And that was after Huw Edwards told the audience that Brown's motorcade was travelling down the Mall, when in fact it was travelling down Birdcage Walk. Amateur hour from the Beeb.
It wasn't the helicopter. It was the sound feed being taken from the speaker rather than the direct feed. They switched it (half way through) but it was nothing to do with the helicopter.
ReplyDeleteIt would have also been nice if just once they had corrected Whelan spinning the usual line about Ashcroft not paying any taxes at all. He must have said it half a dozen times and ne'er a whimper from the news stooge!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the BBC's A team have all asked for the day off to go campaigning ? ( In a more official capacity than they normally do ).
ReplyDeleteAnyone know how the BBC is to be restrained from its usual left wing bias over the election ?
Cameron did well with the jogging this morning - always a good move to look the young healthy one. Brown is over-saddled with the PM trappings which always work against the incumbent. The many talking heads this morning on both channels seem to favour Vince and a hung parliament as the most likely outcome. When you think the Tories need to take over 100 seats to get a majority of 1 (!) you realise why.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you about Just Wonderful? The BBC interviewer did exactly that - he pressed Whelan on the point that Ashcroft pays UK taxes. I think you must have had your ears closed as well as your mind during that part of the interview. I'm sure it's on the iplayer.
ReplyDeleteMan in a Shed: The Beeb promises to be impartial... Mark Thompson says so on his blog today http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/
ReplyDeleteHow sad is it that they have to promise to be unbiased?
Its permanent amateur time at the Beeb I`m afraid Iain.....
ReplyDeleteps glad to see he had Mad Hattie at his side that should lose him a few million votes to start with!!!!!
Man In A Shed said "[Does] anyone know how the BBC is to be restrained from its usual left-wing bias over the election?"
ReplyDeleteRestrained? This is the BBC we're talking about. Their bias will just become even more shameless and apparent than normal over the next few weeks.
It was only announced a few hours ago and I already feel like I want to emigrate. At this rate, I'm gonna have to be sectioned at the end of all this.
Well its started at last- and already I'm bored with it.
ReplyDeleteThe news channels are full of it - and does anyone really believe things will change that much?
It will all hinge on 150 or so marginals, so there is not much point in voting in my corner of Sussex.
Roll on my May hols.
He looked like one might expect someone to look AFTER a long, hard campaign. Not how they'd look BEFORE it had started.
ReplyDeleteThe BBC coverage was far, far ahead of Sky this morning - it really wasn't worth being on Sky's dreary coverage for more than a few seconds at a time before zapping the controller.
ReplyDeleteOddly, CNN have good coverage, including quite a few interviews this morning with some interesting people not usually called on at these times.
Now hang on a moment. John Sopel, when the odious Whelan tried to insert Ashcroft into an answer, did quickly jump in and correctly him as well as make a quickfire point about the union funding of the Labour party. Managed to wind him up too, which was interesting and should be noted by other interviewers. However, there has been so far a huge amount of time devoted by the BBC to commentators from the left and balanced broadcasting has been notable by its absence. Hopefully this will swing round later in the day.
ReplyDeleteWhat did strike me was the populist tone that was staged by the Conservatives, with Cameron effectively soap boxing the launch surrounding by cheering staffers, Clegg having a more intimate pep-talk, again surrounded by apparatchiks, while Brown takes a Presedential line, with his 'team' (perhaps not wise to call them his supporters when you consider how many of them want him out!) lined up in the pavement outside No10 while he addresses the nation. As he is the PM then his hands are little more tied, but beyond the terrible sound feed and even worse sound bites, there was the awful feeling of tumbleweed blowing along Downing Street.
One thing that does annoy was just shown on the BBC. Brown arrives at St. Pancras to get a train to his first stop on the election tour and as he travels down an escalator the sound of wild cheering and applause is in the background. Thankfully, the combination of a rushing cameraman and stressed director shows us a clump of 5 party loyalists trying to whip up few people walking round the station into clapping the PM. And not one of them is going along with it.
ReplyDeleteWherever the PM goes expect this travelling fan club to be behind the cameras, whooping and applauding Brown. It's going to be not just a bitter election but a pretty false one as well.
Despairing Liberal: In this case the Beeb may have... the Sky mic holder didn't. Not once.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWas this Brown's Kinnock moment, I wonder?
ReplyDelete"Meet my team!"
"Err, no thanks."
@DL. Keep dreaming. Self-styled economics guru Vince Cable formerly Labour councillor of Glasgow Council, te saviour. Ask Andrew Neil!
ReplyDelete@Evensong. BBC realises that its license fee dosh pile will be diminished when Tories come in with distribution to other channels and funding highspeed broadband. As for Guardian, the so called liberal paper ( I can't stand that pillock Michael White), it satnds to lose the advert money if Tories use the cyberspace for adverts.
"DespairingLiberal said...
ReplyDeleteOddly, CNN have good coverage, including quite a few interviews this morning with some interesting people not usually called on at these times."
Vince Cable? Nick Clegg?
I've noticed the BBC have redubbed the sound for the 1.00 news; when live it made Brown sound as if he was in the middle distance.
ReplyDeleteI especially enjoyed the BBC's 'Breaking News' banner right in front of Wee Dougie's face.
Now Brown has taken the train for Kent; presumably his car is following him down there ao bring him back. Just wish they wouldn't bother.
So Brown gets into a huge car with motorcycle outriders, the streets of central London are closed off, he travels in convoy to St Pancras, helicopters overhead, arrives at the station cameras flashing... You would never guess he going to get off the train in Kent and then be whisked back to Downing Street again in time for tea. What a fraud.
ReplyDeleteWith his 'granite' face and leaden, fumbling delivery, Brown increasingly reminds me of Brezhnev shortly before he passed away.
ReplyDeleteI agree that David Cameron's speech was better than Gordon Browns. He covered a lot of issues and it was easy to listen to and follow.
ReplyDeleteGordon Brown began by mentioning his working class background, which could be an indication that this election will be about class. He then went on about the relationship between politicians and the public.
As for Nick Clegg, his performance on the Politics Show a few weeks gave the impression that the Lib Dems would dodge questions if they felt the public wouldn't like their answers.
DespairingLiberal
ReplyDeleteI'm stuck in southern France so had to rely on CNN as well.
There was one point which made me question their grasp of the UK political system:
"The Queen has been summoned back to London for an audience with the Prime Minister"...
I'm not usually bothered about things like this, but details can be important!
How very ironic that Brown goes to St Pancras Station reputed to be the weakest link in immigration control unable to control the flood coming through France from outside the EU!
ReplyDelete'Treacle said...
ReplyDeleteSo Brown gets into a huge car with motorcycle outriders, the streets of central London are closed off, he travels in convoy to St Pancras, helicopters overhead, arrives at the station cameras flashing..'
when clement attlee was on the stump he was driven in his own car by his wife
'o tempora o mores'
I didn't like the look of those unattractive misshapen young people who provided the background for Cameron. I know he's prejudiced against the over-40s but I didn't realise he had a problem with attractive people as well.
ReplyDeleteCameron is resplendent! The Conservative Party clearly well prepared and primed for this morning's highly predictable announcement. Doing a quick skim of political websites in Northern Ireland - DUP has a leader article "N. Ireland has the greatest opportunity in a generation", UUP website is a week behind! Alliance and SDLP also very slow off the mark. Sinn Fein is still 'stuck' on Easter 1916. I know the UUP are working hard on the ground, and I believe a joint statement (Empey / Cameron) has gone out, but somehow it’s just ‘not as slick’ across the Irish Sea. That said, I think they could all upstage Gordon Brown!
ReplyDeleteHo ho what fun! The Tories have already wheeled out Lamont! Keep 'em coming ... Lawson...Mellor...Howard... Rifkind...Gum-Gum...Lilley...Waldegrave...Dorrell...Forsyth
ReplyDeleteMore please - much more!!!
Blogger Charles @ 2:52 PM.
ReplyDeleteFunny... but I think the French had it about right.
The Queen was summoned back to london to carry out her constitutional duties!
She flew in and then was straight back to Windsor!!!!
The Labour ministers standing behind Brown in Downing St. looked so tired and miserable. Rather like the exhausted King Harold's troops after the Battle of Stamford Bridge being told that they now have to march down south to Hastings to fight the Normans.
ReplyDeleteCharles - did Her Maj have a choice then?! Sometimes the foreigner's viewpoint is the right one.
ReplyDelete