Friday, September 26, 2008

Last Night's Question Time

I have been putting the finishing touches to the Top 100 Right Wingers List which starts in the Telegraph on Sunday, and while doing so have been watching last night's Question Time. I reckon it was one of the best episodes I have seen for some time. I thought every member of the panel was on form, even if Derek Simpson was a bit monosyllabic. He does have a wonderfully dry sense of humour, though.

Theresa May and Hazel Blears were very firey. If they had been at secondary school they would have been pulling each other's hair out in the playground. Theresa put in her strongest performance on Question Time ever, I thought, and Hazel Blears did herself no harm by being very blunt and feisty. Fraser Nelson took great delight in teasing her about standing for leader, and David Dimbleby even referred to her a Ginger Chipmunk. I wonder where he got that from... No, I mustn't lay claim to inventing the chipmunk phrase. I have learned my lesson on that one.

UPDATE: Watch the Ginger Chipmunk moment HERE.

25 comments:

Newmania said...

Did you not notice my earlier comment Iain ... ?

"Iain did you also invent the phrase 'My Little chipmunk ?' I saw Hazel Blears ( on good form) positively blushing when Fraser Nelson brought it up on QT ?
( Fraser Nelson is on fire at the moment by the way his attacks on Brown over debt and deceit and superb)"

I thought it was your doing . No ?

The Grant Maker said...

Now I understand why you like Blears so much! Funny, appealing, not pompous, dealt extremely calmly with leadership speculation.

Never underestimate a chipmunk!

Anonymous said...

I have been putting the finishing touches to the Top 100 Right Wingers List

Really. Will Dave be No1. Sorry thats this times next year isnt it. The slow move to the nutty right is gather pace - I have a funny feeling it will merge its ugly head over the next week in Birmingham

The Grant Maker said...

? "Merge" its ugly head?

Whaaaaat?! If you're going to rant, at least rant intelligibly. I think Iain might have been right about the 'puppies' of way - and pretty dense they are too by the looks of things.

Verily, the left really do not have a sufficient repository of talent to run a coffee stall, let alone the country.

Kevin Williams said...

Why do the BBC continue to invite Derek Simpson? he's an old union dinosaur who should be put out to pasture at Jurassic park. Last night he sounded like he'd taken too much of his medication and contributed nothing.

Anonymous said...

Newmania said...

Fraser Nelson is on fire at the moment by the way his attacks on Brown over debt and deceit and superb


Oh Please. Nelson is an neo con with neo con bells on. If the Tories want to associate with a man who believes that the Poor are all idle, then good luck to you. You mistake good writing and opinion, with bile spilling nut case

Next week at Conference Nelson will be w**king himself off to speeches by Redwood and the other nutters on the right.

Anonymous said...

Hazel Blears is typical with everything that's wrong with this sick, Communist Labour so-called "government".

Crypto-Trotskyite, hates Britain, loves power for its own sake, determined to cede all our own powers to Europe and the Germans, tax and spend.

Fortunately she will be out of a job soon when the Conservatives win the next election and give the British people their country back.

Anonymous said...

Vince was excellent and got a lot of applause - shame you for missing him off your list! Typical media bias ;-)

Anonymous said...

The most noticeable thing last night was the total rebuttal of ID cards by the audience and it was good that a firm statement was made that the conservatives would scrap them.

More positive statements next week perhaps

Newmania said...

Derek Simpson owns the Labour Party thats why.

Anonymous said...

Didn't see it, did Blears manage to avoid doing a Comical Ali impression for a change?

The Grant Maker said...

Of course I meant the puppies of WAR. 'Nuff said :-)

INCOMING!!!

Anonymous said...

I dunno Iain, You clearly put a lot of work into this site but every time I log on and see news of yet another list I cry a little. Some of us rely on you because your are close to what's really happening and are not bound, by the likes of the BBC eunuchs, to tone anything down in case you never get an interview again. More comment, more insight, spend your time on that if you have time to spend.

Anonymous said...

Obviously you couldn't resist a dig at the thick, working-class union man, eh Iain?

Iain Dale said...

Ross, I didnt call him that at all. He's certainly not thick, and I doubt on a six figure salary you can class him as working class.

Anonymous above, thanks for the advice. Well meant I am sure, but I write what I want, depending what is interesting me at the time. I dont comment on anything, and if I do the odd list that you don't like, then scroll down!

Anonymous said...

Archduke over on Biased BBC complains that the BBC ensured that there was a biased panel in Question Time last night, with 4 left-wing against 1 right-wing.

He reckons that Theresa May is a left winger.

Pathetic.

Maverick Muezzin said...

Have to agree about Theresa May. To be honest I wasn't expecting much from her, but I was thoroughly impressed. Also agree the panel as a whole was fun to watch. Whilst Blears was slightly scarily rabid when on the attack, she was unconvincing when on the defensive.

Anonymous said...

There was even mention of a certain chipmunk T shirt that is available for the discerning punter.

You may send my commissions to the usual address.

MorrisOx said...

Never mind last night's QT.

I note, Iain, that you make no reference to another notable television event of the past 24 hours, namely Sarah Palin's encounter with Katie Couric on primetime US.

I have no great desire to do a brave women down, or indeed see John McCain dragged down with here, but I don't see how anyone can watch such a political car-crash and not wonder how she got the veep ticket.

There is warming up to one ofthe most intense experience's on earth and there is being caught like a rabbit in the headlights. Thi was the latter.

Anonymous said...

My point, Iain, was that your critique of his supposedly "monosyllabic" performance was reminiscent of the kind of snobbish Tory mud-slinging of the type we've not seen since the personal attacks on John Prescott.

And as you know, social background (i.e. class) has nothing whatsoever to do with income.

Anonymous said...

MorrisOx said...Sarah Palin's encounter with Katie Couric on primetime US.
Wow! just watched this. If she really is a heartbeat away from the presidency then we are all in deep trouble.

Anonymous said...

an interesting disagreement between Theresa and Hazel about the Redwood plan - TM tried to distance the tories from it - but failed to acknowledge that Osborne launched the report. Redwood was reported at the time that the leadership supported the report - you cannot re-write history - people can google to find out the truth.

Anonymous said...

simpson was excellent

Anonymous said...

how can Hazel Blears be a communist trot
someone does not know their politics or never went to university or Eton

Anonymous said...

Simpson is gen sec of a union with 2m members

no he has nothing to say


lets abolish unions

deregulate the market

and bring back slavery

idiot