MYSTIC CRAIG

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After last week's helpfully shallow interview with Gordon Brown (for more on which please see http://beebbiascraig.blogspot.com/2010/04/marr-ginal-seats.html) this week Andrew Marr turned to Nick Clegg.
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Being a Labour man through and through, Marr gave Mr Clegg a tougher ride than Mr Brown. The interruption coefficient was 1.4 (31 interruptions in under 23 minutes), compared to 1.0 for Brown. Still the trivial subjects (comparatively-speaking) consumed almost exactly half of the interview - and one key issue was again glaringly conspicuous by its absence.
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Here's how the interview broke down by topic:
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Hung parliaments, Clegg personally - 11m 7s (49.7%)
Immigration - 7m 32s (33.7%)
Trident - 3m 42s (16.6%)
Cuts, deficit - 0m os (0%)
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I'm going to make a few predictions (in the light of my complaint about last week's programme, see http://beebbiascraig.blogspot.com/2010/04/25-minutes-and-yet-not-one-question.html). The first is that next week's interview with David Cameron will see the total percentage for all the serious policy subjects shoot up to well above 50% (I'll guess, just for fun, at 75%), as Marr drills away at issue after issue. Secondly, I expect there will be more issues covered than were covered with Nick Clegg today and Gordon Brown last week, as Marr swoops, attacks then quickly flies off again onto something different, denying Mr Cameron a chance to expand on his explanations. Thirdly, and most importantly, I predict that Marr will ask Mr Cameron about spending cuts and the deficit and that he'll spend most time on that very subject, banging away at exactly how much and where from and how many jobs will be lost, etc. (If he does, the substance of my complaint will have been borne out).
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As soon as I saw 'the Great Chieftain of the Pudding Face' Alex Salmond on my screen I should have blogged a prediction that Marr would ask him about cuts. He did indeed (2 questions). Marr isn't an SNP man.
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My main prediction, however, is that David Cameron will be interrupted more than either Nick Clegg or Gordon Brown. I am going off past experience here:
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When all three leaders were interviewed during last year's party conferences, these were the interruption coefficients (as ever, the higher the I.C. the greater the more interruptions there were in proportion to the length of the interview):
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Brown - 1.0
Clegg - 1.3
Cameron - 2.1
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When Marr began this year with three set pieces interviews, the ICs were:
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Brown - 0.8
Clegg - 1.2
Cameron - 1.4
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So far during this election, it's been:
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Brown - 1.0
Clegg - 1.4
Cameron - ???
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My prediction for David Cameron next week? 1.8!!
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Come on Andrew, prove me wrong on all counts!!!!