Tonight we go on air for the first time and I'll be presenting with my Leftie friend Rena Valeh. I don't know about Rena, but I'm feeling uncharateristically nervous.Our guests will be The Spectator's political editor Fraser Nelson and LibDem MP Lynne Featherstone.
At midday I'll be attending Eric Forth's memorial service so we hope to have a brief film report from St Margaret's. Do leave your own recollections of Eric in the Comments. Eric would be most amused that his memorial service is on a famous anniversary. Any idea which one?
Lynne Featherstone is possibly the best known LibDem blogger. We have a brief film report of Francis Maude opening the bloggers stand at Bourenmouth. We'll be asking Lynne about the dangers of blogging for elected politicians and asking Fraser Nelson why he' so far avoided having a blog? Shame on him!
I haven't finally decided what the subject of our half hour debate at 9.30pm will be. Following North Korea's nuclear test yesterday, I'm tempted by the question WHAT SHOULD THE WEST DO ABOUT ROGUE STATES? Unless of course you know better...
Remember you can text us live in the studio on 83222 - type the word COMMENT before your message. Texts cost 50p. Or email the show at voxpolitix@18doughtystreet.com.
On Thursday we'll be joined by Ann Widdecombe and Yasmin Alibhai Brown. Put your tin helmets on....
Among our guests in the next fortnight are Newsnight editor Peter Barron, Shami Chakrabarti, Mark Oaten, David Davis, David Trimble and a whole lot of new faces you may have never seen before!
The 18DoughtyStreet Website launches later today and my programme Vox Politix will have its very own blog. Early each morning I'll be posting something similar to this post to tell you what's on the programme that day and to ask for your input and ideas.
So don't forget to tune in at 8pm for Tim Montgomerie's Doughty News programme and then Vox Politix at 9pm. And keep your fingers crossed for us...
UPDATE: To watch 18DoughtyStreet from 8pm click on www.18doughtystreet.com and then click on the live stream. The stream is in Windows Media Player. Some Mac users may need a Plug in, which is downloadable from the Stream window. All programmes are archived and can be watched from the archive page on the website (which will be live a little later).
46 comments:
Break a leg.
I hope this isn't a silly comment but how does one get to view the show?
best of luck ,I will be tuning in.
.....but Shami Chakrabati???????? the woman has nothing sensible to say.I'm all for free speech but to me it's akin to giving Cherry Blair free publicity
I will be at the Eric Forth memorial too, so you will be blogspotted there by at least one person. Eric blushed charmingly when disconcerted, which he occasionally was despite public image. On my last day in the House in April 2005 Eric sprang to my defence against scurrilous barracking of my speech on Crossrail, from my own side obviously, and I will never forget it. People don't remember either that he did a lot of work behind the scenes for democracy in the Maldives, a place he had I think visited on holiday and that he rightly thought deserved a better government than the one it has.
'
Sehr geEhrter Iain
Well done - alles gute !!!
How do we tune in via Google ??
Unlike most of your youthful Supporters, you of course presumably take a close interest in the European Senior Citizens Union, despite your relative youth (the Eagle squawked enviously)
As you know, today is the 11th Anniversary of this valuable & worthy Union, which has done so much to improve the lot of Old Folk
The Union celebrated its 10th Anniversary on 10th October 2005 in Congreso de los Diputados Madrid
Sehr interessant, es macht man denken, das ist es. doch
[Err, it makes ya fink
yeah, this is it, in' it, hic]
Your obedient servant
G E
On 10th October 1980, Mrs Thatcher made her "the lady's not for turning" speech
'Rogue states' is a misleading term, a bad case of semantic bloat. The question is: what does the West do about nuclear-armed states that do not share its version of rationality. This is important because a rash of terms like 'rogue states' is why political debate in now so detached from reality.
At the risk of sounding utterly stupid, can I ask how I can watch 18 Doughty Street? Is it broadcast online, or on a digital channel? If the former, what's the URL?
I remember sitting in front of the telly waiting for Channel Four's first broadcast (duh-duh-de-duh *coloured shapes form number 4*) and then, a few years later, being rather less excited by the launch of Channel Five.
Iain, Where do I find a programme schedule online? Cheers, Guy
Break a leg, as they say. Best of luck for opening night and hopefully it's the start of something we've been waiting for - intelligent talk programmes outside the BBC monopoly!
Break a leg ..... take your pick from Mark Oaten or Peter Barron.
>On Thursday we'll be joined by Ann Widdecombe and Yasmin Alibhai Brown. Put your tin helmets on....
Shurely 'tin foil hats'? - Ed.
Don't worry! You'll be shit. No-one expects much, so just go out there and enjoy yourselves!
http://bucket-of-shit-from-china.blogspot.com/
Good luck ! On North Korea I would ask why the UK isn't more concerned since we are closer to the Dear Leader than the continental USA ( have a look at a globe ).
I wouldn’t worry Iain. No one will be listening.
;)
No, seriously, Break a leg.
All the best for tonight. Do remember to enjoy yourself amongst the nerves!
Best of luck Iain. Really looking forward to it.
Chak, Widdy and Alibaba are tired faces over-exposed on the beeb. Surely this should be an opportunity for some new faces with fresh ideas?
gd luck for tonight - unfortunately can't watch before 11 as sports commitments will keep me out at training until then - will you have a "watch again" facility online?
As for Anniversaries..... 26 years ago was Maggie's famous conference speech in Brighton - "To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning!" Would this be the one you are referring to?
Or would Eric be more impressed that it is 31 years since Liz Taylor and Richard Burton remairried?!
You can watch 18DoughtyStreet via the website at www.18doughtystreet.com from 8pm. All programmes will be archived and can be downloaded around an hour after transmission.
We aren't on Sky Digital. Yet.
That alibaba woman is a charmless, witless, uninformed idiot. What a waste of time having her on a show.
"gordon-bennett said...
That alibaba woman is a charmless, witless, uninformed idiot. What a waste of time having her on a show."
Hear hear!!!
The whole point of 18DoughtyStreet is that we invite people like Yasmin on so we can challenge their views, which on the mainstream media, often go unchallened. She is now appearing on Wednesday, not Thursday so I am in the process of finding a good right winger to appear against her. Any suggestions!!!
I also then need a guest for Thursday to be on with Dame Ann. Again, feel free to make suggestions.
I will certainly want to see this .I know less than nothing about it but I would have thought it would be easy to get such a Programme on Sky somewhere . They have programmes that are for a highly specialist audience ..and some of them aren`t even pornography. Your site is comparatively mainstream in this sense.
Is the point the feedback? This is possible as well.I have confessed ignorance but I wonder why one would want to make a Blog into a television programme and not go the whole hog ?
How stupid do I look 1 to 10 ?
Anyway best of luck in the last month I have setteled into this new community and feel supportive in an almost familial way. I may need a new family actually as my wife is threatening divorce unless I get my nose out of the computer soon
The very best of luck and ignore the comment in my post. It should be a winner, this show, with you two behind it.
Well best of luck Iain with the venture.
I remember Eric Forth for being one of the few MPs to wear waistcoats. Any time I attended a meeting with Eric Forth he would never fail to address me about my waistcoast when I was wearing one (I generally did). I found him to be an erudite and charismatic speaker who rose above the rest of the dross in the Tory Party. He was one of their best rhetoricians whether or not you agreed with him. The Commons has a gapping hole where once was Eric. R.I.P.
Iain,
One question? Video podcasting - Via iTunes? Are you going to kick the newsnight VP into a tipped hat?
Mr. Barron would be unpleased.
OK...another silly tech question...I've only got dial-up; will I have a chance of watching, or do you need broadband ?
Lynne's blog isn't quite like one I imagine Kim Jung Il would produce - but there do seem to be a lack of criticial comments. As has been remarked here before, Lynne's image is extremely carefully managed (after all she is wealthy enough to employ people to do that for her) and it would be extraordinary if she allowed anything critical to appear.
But, despite it all, her fundamental dimness shines through - as this entry illustrates.
Lynne begins by telling us she is against City Academies:
I am against the break up of the school fraternity into trusts, foundations and academies
Because - get this -
for very good reason of believing that the only way to bring real success to all children is for the local community school to be excellent
(Is there one single person in Britain or on the planet who does not believe that?)
However, although she is against City Academies -
Mr Paul Sutton (the Head) is quite something, and he zooms around the corridors of the school in his wheelchair, having been paralysed only two years ago in a rugby accident. His speedy return and his extraordinary determination to deliver exciting, aspirational and practical futures is quite something to behold. Results are improving from the bad years of the previous school which transmuted into the Greig Academy.
And
The atmosphere was serious and studious and the teaching was really interesting. In one classroom the teacher was asking the kids a question.
And
It will take time - but the school is improving and I have no doubt that the children who go to Greig Academy are being educated - and I mean educated in the best sense of the word.
What Lynne doesn't say is that, if she had her way there would be no such school as Grieg Academy, just the same old school, paying the same old staff the same old wages and probably churning out the same old exam results.
Iain,
Good luck for this great day for democracy!
Why not invite Farage and the former Welsh chairman of UKIP for a 'chat'? Show the world just what that party is all about!
GOOD LUCK.
Iain,
Why not the leader of the BNP to do battle with Yasmin? and Portillo with the Blessed Anne.
Iain wrote:
"She is now appearing on Wednesday, not Thursday so I am in the process of finding a good right winger to appear against her. Any suggestions!!!"
Verity seems to be a sensible sort of 'gal'.
memories of eric forth - I had a kind of written brief enconter with him
Back in the day when I was a rather a leftie student I was a bit miffed at the change from grants to loans and decided to write to a tory MP. For some reason I picked on Eric Forth. Well when I say "some reason" I think it was for his ties
In fact I think I started my letter with a rather gentle mickey take of his manner of dress but recieved rather a nice 2 page handwritten letter back. He took the jibe with good grace and rather thoughtfully gave his view on education policy. Now I'm in a profession where I have to deal with politicians at a range of levels far too regularly for my mental health I had many less useful responses than that reply from Forth than should really be the case
He didn't change my view on that issue but I always had a soft spot for him for taking the time out to deal with a non-constituent from Salford on a matter unrelated to any formal duties he had at the time. Nice to know even hardlines thatcherites in the "nasty party" can be human
You've got something to celebrate on your first night, Inigo Wilson has held his job at Orange (according to Guido)! Perhaps you could invite that chap from MPAC on who you debated with on Channel 4 News?
Iain, get Johan Hari to go up against Widdy, if he'd dare!
Iain
That Robot Muriel thingy in the studio that appears on a small photograph on the 18 Doughty Street web pages.
- is the Robot being fired at with a laser or is it peeing on one of your guests?
If its peeing, could you make sure that "the lefty" sits under it rather than you?
Good luck Iain.
Whatever happens I'm sure it will be interesting.
rigger mortice, I wouldn't be so quick to slag off Shami Chakrabati - in the broad church of Conservatism her views on civil liberties are shared by the increasingly disenfranchised libertarians.
Oh and good luck Iain.
Jim the Chimp
I am also in a bad mood with the C`mair roon faction today. Its the childish rubbish one is required to pretend to belive in
With a succession of inconsequential and dim -witted initiatives acoming from central office I am finding it very hard to maintain interest in campaigning. This weekend its.,.” how we are going to run the NHS roughly the way Blair did but do it better” ; how thrilling . I cannot persuade intelligent people to stand in the street and make fools of themselves and I don’t want to. Why can we not say what we feel ,is right
Party discipline is needed of course, but in the Blair period being a Conservative, for me, came to stand not only for a particular point of view, but for the concept of honest political principle itself. Norman Tebbit , Margaret Thatcher and many less known characters like the late Eric Forth are the heroes . Tony Benn is another who happens to honestly talk heroic not to say epic rubbish.
I am unhappy to be a slogan repeater in an advertising campaign; it is not the reason I became involved .
We want to win of course and we recognise the way the world is but if you become your enemy, to beat you enemy; then they, not you, have won.
Take that !! A list sycophants I`ve ploughed my own furrow here but never mind noone will read it it ...
Good luck Iain, and enjoy it! Won't be able to watch this evening but will get the download tomorrow. I am looking forward to some intelligent current affairs coverage for a change!
In response to the comment near the top of this thread, Shami Chakrabati is fab and very sympathetic to the outlook of any sensible right of centre lover of liberty. Can only be opposed, I would imagine, by the authoritarian right who are all for surveillance and ID cards. For those she is much too attractive an advocate of the other side - speaking as a red blooded hetero male of course. In fact, please have her on every night...
Best of luck Iain. Hope you do better than the luckless Tim Montgomery and his guests. A more lifeless stilted conversation is hard to imagine. A Fox News for the UK? I wish. Too posh, too buttoned up (or when unbuttoned too well ironed). Love it or loathe it, Fox News does the job it does because it communicated directly to people in a language they understand. It is popular and populist. This is like eavesdropping in on a conversation between a bunch of over earnest Tory boy geeks. And - heaven help us - following up is "a debate on neoconservatism" eating up all of prime time. I fear this station wil die on its feet unless it has the balls to bin the pointy heads and posh-boys who set the station up and recruits a bunch of neo-Bushells, Ferraris and Littlejohns and lets them loose on the cameras. Then you might start to draw some serious viewers.
Turns up volume again - Christ Alan Mendoza and his guest are boring. Like the Open University but less exciting.
If you ever have La Toynbee on your programme please ask her about the blog called "Factchecking Pollyanna" which regularly points out how WRONG she is with many of the "facts" on which her "logic" is built.
http://factcheckingpollyanna.blogspot.com/
How about getting Nigel Farage on with Yasmin, that would make good tv...
"Verity seems to be a sensible sort of 'gal'."
I second wonderful for his age.
Vikki, WFHA,
Can 18DS provide broadcast facilities from Mexico for V?
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