MARR ON VERY BIASED FORM

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What a contrast in greetings!

Andrew Marr began his interview with Alistair Darling with words that would have fallen sweetly on the chancellor's ears: "Last week's better than expected figures on the public deficit does make Wednesday's budget more intriguing that it might otherwise have been." I've noted before Marr's warm words in his introductions to Alistair Darling. At least this time there was no personal praise, as on previous occasions! (That came later in today's interview). "Well. I'm joined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer now. Welcome!" "Good morning," replied Mr Darling. "Good morning," replied Marr. How civilised!
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The first question was then bowled, underarm: "Let's start by asking about the bank issue, the bank tax. Your government has said pretty clearly that you want to move by international agreement. The Conservatives have said they will move on a bank levy even if there isn't international agreement. Don't they have a point that it's time to take a lead on this?"
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Compare that to the treatment handed out beforehand to his Conservative shadow Philip Hammond.
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There were no warm introductory words here, only mischief-making: "The Conservative said if they win the general election they would introduce a unilateral tax on banks regardless of whether or not it gets international agreement. That will be news, or would have been news, to the Chief Secretary of (sic) the Treasury Philip Hammond because...shadow chief secretary I should say...because this is what he said not so long ago, a few weeks ago, on Newsnight." A clip followed of Mr Hammond (being harried by Jeremy Paxman) saying that international agreement would be necessary before such a tax was brought in here. Fair enough, you might say, but surely only if a similar embarrassing clip had been played before Alistair Darling's interview - there must be a large stock of such clips where the chancellor said one thing then and another thing now! No, the trap was set just for the Tory.
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When the clip ended, Marr turned to Mr Hammond and said "Philip Hammond joins me now." He didn't get any 'welcome!' Mr Hammond nonetheless politely said "Good morning", but he got nothing in return - except the first question, which was bowled fast: "So a huge change of tack. Why?"
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Also compare how Marr behaved during the first answers given by each interviewee. Mr Hammond's was interrupted after just twenty seconds. Mr Darling's first answer, which culminated - as the question clearly invited it to do - in an attack on the Tories, lasted exactly 1 minute 22 seconds, uninterrupted!! Several more very long, interrupted answers were to come and Marr's first interruption came with an apology for interrupting! Marr's holding back during this part of the interview - where the economy was discussed at length - was something to behold. Only when the trivia of politics was discussed (for just one minute) did two trivial interruptions come flying in close succession.
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Comparing the timings each got, Alistair Darling got twice as long as Philip Hammond (13 minutes on the dot to just under 6 1/2 minutes for Mr Hammond). Yet he was far less closely questioned, receiving 15 questions in that time as compared to 12 questions for Mr Hammond. Mr Hammond was questioned in detail, Mr Darling more generally.
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Pure unadulterated bias!