Two very contrasting views on LibDem Blogs of Ming Campbell's performance onNewsnight last night. Rob Fenwick, one of the best LibDem bloggers asks IS MING THE LIDBEMS' IDS?
HERE and Alex Wilcock is a little more generous
HERE. Jonathan Calder has a go at Martha Kearney
HERE while
Paul Walter thought Ming's performance was the best thing on TV since Who Shot JR. He needs to keep taking the tablets. Personally I thought it was like watching a slow motion car crash.
Can someone explain Paul Walter's 'Iain Dale option' to me?
ReplyDeleteOdd timing - I'd just finished reading both Rob abd Alex's blogs.
ReplyDeleteAs I just posted on my own:
"Rob asks is Ming is the LibDem’s IDS. Not quite, I’d have said he was our Young Mr Grace."
I can do better than the Mr Grace one in fact Andrew.
ReplyDeleteThe real problem for me is that he has 6 or 8 phrases he deploys in each interview “…banished from the LibDem Lexicon…Overcome Challenges…”
He’s starting to resemble one of those plush toys with a button in their belly that you find in Woolies.
Is there any where on the BBC that allows a re-watch?
ReplyDeleteI genuinely like Ming - after 8 years of style over substance (yo! blair) - he comes across as a thinker. A "sign post" politician not a "windmill"
S***, I've quoted Benn and admitted to liking Ming, I'm really going have to stay of the turps.
I went into my little hit counter this morning to see if I had my normal three hits so far today but the whole thing had gone ballistic. I thought perhaps I had been linked by the Guardian. But even better than that, His Royal Blogness Iain Dale had linked me! Thank you so much Iain for bringing such joy into the humble heart of a small time blogger! If I knew your address I would send you round some fresh strawberries and cream, because I know you like them.
ReplyDelete"Explain the 'Iain Dale option'"
Well, look at the top right hand side of the ID'sD site. I thought it was obvious (sorry), but if I had continued I would have written in full:
"I am wonderful, my wife loves me and all my friends think I am a brilliant communicator, so yah booh sucks to you and let me read to you what the Telegraph said about me only two months ago, and I quote: "Campbell is on fire" and what about the East Fife Echo last week: "Ming leads the world (in wearing fine suits)" and Bill Hoskins on Border Television's "A round with Billy Boy" said about me only last year:"This Campbell guy is worth watching". So put that in your pipe and smoke it!"
"tone....".."Is there any where on the BBC that allows a re-watch?"
ReplyDeleteGo to
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/default.stm
and you will see a link to the video on the top right hand corner.
A more provocative and plausible theory has been espoused by someone I know - is Ming our Howard?
ReplyDeleteHe has certainly put in place some far-reaching structural reforms and placed a firm hand on the tiller. Unlike Howard, he has 3 years to the next election so can go beyond the core vote in forming policy.
The next big hurdle is Conference ...
Ming Campbell is a typical barrister - pompous and out for himself. He could not face passing into retirement without having the job he coveted and decided he merited - so he briefed against Kennedy and shafted him..........and like the QC he is fanned his own vanity at the expense of the real issues
ReplyDeleteRead the Rob Fenwick piece. Very revealing - thanks. Also read the comments! - also very revealing, but like eating a bran sandwich.
ReplyDeleteAudience Verdict:
ReplyDeletehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/5204606.stm
Those who were actually part of the audience give there views on Ming Campbell. Has it really damaged? The poll has not been covered in any of the newspapers nor on the News. It was given some prominance on the BBC politics site for a little while. Apart from the viewers who saw Newsnight, most people will probably see the Lib Dems in the same light as did before.