STEPH AND THE SAGE

This morning's 'Andrew Marr Show' featured posh single-mum Stephanie Flanders - the Beeb's economics editor - as guest host. This was at least an aesthetic improvement on Marr!

Dr Vince Cable, a man you might be forgiven for thinking also works at the BBC as their economics correspondent (given the frequency of his appearances on the Beeb and the easy ride he tends to be given) was one of Steph's guests.

She introduced him thus: "Well, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, Vince Cable, has earned himself a reputation for being something of a sage in this economic crisis."

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This use of the word 'earned' tells us that Steph thinks the reputation (held by unspecified people) is deserved. She is not alone at the BBC, where Dr Cable's reputation has always been especially high.

That said, Ned's lovely daughter went on to give Confucius a tougher time than is usual at the BBC, at least according to the interruption coefficients. She interrupted the great sage 7 times in a 7-minutes-20-seconds-long interview (I.C. of 1.0).

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Her questions (in tone and content) weren't that tough though, but they hit a few targets missed by most of her colleagues and her final question was spot-on: "There was a press release I got from your office last week actually that said we need to have an honest debate about how we can cut the budget deficit without squeezing key public services, but a lot of people" (including Beeb Bias Craig) "would say that was a dishonest statement in itself, that you can't cut the deficit, that you can't balance the books, without cutting key public services. Do you think, maybe, that youv'e had a bit of an easy ride on this, that you haven't had to be honest about this?"

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Lovely Stephanie's colleagues at the BBC are among the ones who've given Dr Cable 'an easy ride'. Respect to the lady for acknowledging the fact!!!