*
I have a fitfully sharp memory and news of the conviction of Met chief Commander Ali Dizaei for misconduct and perverting the course of justice (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8504308.stm) reminded me of something I read a couple of years ago in The Daily Mail:
Race war at the Met: We reveal what's REALLY going on at Scotland Yard
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1030074/Race-war-Met-We-reveal-whats-REALLY-going-Scotland-Yard.html
*
The whole article is well worth reading, and you might need to read it in full to cast the following extracts in context. These, however, are the sections pertinent to the BBC:
*
What better location, then, for the most recent annual conference of the National Black Police Association (NBPA)?
A delegate recalls one session in which several speakers advocated an official policy of positive discrimination to advance black officers.
The compere - BBC reporter Barnie Choudhury - said that if proof were needed of modern racial discrimination, they had only to consider one 'black' officer who was sitting in the audience.
'He told us that this particular delegate had passed all the required exams, yet his force still refused to promote him to the rank of commander,' said the delegate.
Who was this unfortunate victim?
In the body of the hall, Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei could afford himself a private smile. And not only because he was the anonymous officer to whom the sympathetic BBC man was obviously referring.
Within 24 hours, the sharply dressed, Iranian-born Dizaei would be unveiled as the new president of the NBPA. No other policeman was put forward as an alternative candidate.
Ugandanborn Ghaffur will be alleging a litany of racial discriminations. Certainly, it was Dizaei who was given a prominent slot on BBC's Newsnight and yesterday's Radio 4 Today programme, where he was allowed - almost unchallenged - to discuss racial grievances within the Met.
Then this week, with the latest allegations of prejudice, an even deadlier blow was struck. A source at BBC Six O'Clock News told us that the reporter who came to them with the exclusive story of Ghaffur's legal action was none other than Barnie Choudhury, Dizaei's cheerleader at the NBPA conference.
Rum goings on, don't you think? Here's a transcript of a Barnie Choudhury Newsnight report from 2003 ("an exclusive interview" no less) on an earlier court case involving the corrupt police commander:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/3112472.st
Barnie still works for the BBC.
*
***************************
*
UPDATE 9/2: The story was passed over in just a few seconds by last night's Newsnight.
*
Monday, 8 February 2010
THE STRANGE CASE OF EVAN JEKYLL AND EVAN HYDE
*
The issue of parliamentary privelege was discussed with Sir George Young for the Conservatives and Harriet Harman for Labour on this morning's Today programme.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8503000/8503608.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8503000/8503686.stm
*
Harriet Harman faced Sarah Montague, was interrupted twice and scored an Interruption Coefficient of 0.6. Sir George Young faced Evan Davis, was interrupted seven times and scored an Interruption Coefficient of 1.3. The I.C.s suggest that Sir George's interview was at least twice as tough as Hattie's, and this is certainly how it felt listening to both interviews.
*
Evan, as when interviewing Chris Grayling on 3/2/10, was not the quiet, thoughtful Evan Davis we know from his interviews with Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling, but an aggressive, mocking, opinionated character. The man is turning into James 'Jekyll-when-talking-to-Labour,-Hyde-when-talking-to-the-Tories' Naughtie.
*
The bulk of Evan's interview with Sir George did not focus on parliamentary privilege at all, but instead hammered away at the BBC-Guardian-Labour Axis's favourite obsession, Lord Ashcroft. 38.5% of the interview discussed the former, topical issue, whereas 61.5% of the interview fixated on Lord Ashcroft.
*
The sheer scale of BBC bias is now growing week by week. There must be an election in the offing.
*
The issue of parliamentary privelege was discussed with Sir George Young for the Conservatives and Harriet Harman for Labour on this morning's Today programme.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8503000/8503608.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8503000/8503686.stm
*
Harriet Harman faced Sarah Montague, was interrupted twice and scored an Interruption Coefficient of 0.6. Sir George Young faced Evan Davis, was interrupted seven times and scored an Interruption Coefficient of 1.3. The I.C.s suggest that Sir George's interview was at least twice as tough as Hattie's, and this is certainly how it felt listening to both interviews.
*
Evan, as when interviewing Chris Grayling on 3/2/10, was not the quiet, thoughtful Evan Davis we know from his interviews with Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling, but an aggressive, mocking, opinionated character. The man is turning into James 'Jekyll-when-talking-to-Labour,-Hyde-when-talking-to-the-Tories' Naughtie.
*
The bulk of Evan's interview with Sir George did not focus on parliamentary privilege at all, but instead hammered away at the BBC-Guardian-Labour Axis's favourite obsession, Lord Ashcroft. 38.5% of the interview discussed the former, topical issue, whereas 61.5% of the interview fixated on Lord Ashcroft.
*
The sheer scale of BBC bias is now growing week by week. There must be an election in the offing.
*
QUINN-TESSENTIALLY BIASED
*
Radio 4's Westminster Hour continues to spit in the face of impartiality.
*
This being Monday morning it's time for that (ever-growing) list again! This week's all-seeing journalist was Nick Watt of The Guardian, back again to discuss the political week with Carolyn Quinn (pictured).
*
Last week I wrote:
Fat chance!
*
Here's the list, complete with its latest member:
*
7/2/10 Nick Watt of the Guardian
31/1/10 George Parker of the Financial Times
24/1/10 Kevin Maguire of the Mirror
17/1/10 Andrew Grice of the Independent
10/1/10 Nick Watt of the Guardian
3/1/10 Michael Savage of the Independent
27/12/09 no programme
20/12/09 no journalist
13/12/09 Andrew Miller of the Economist
6/12/09 George Parker of the Financial Times
29/11/09 Toby Helm of the Observer
22/11/09 no journalist
15/11/09 Nick Watt of the Guardian
*
As it has done for the whole of the last month, the programme began by discussing on the 'woes' of the Conservative Party: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_westminster_hour/8503270.stm
*
This being Monday morning it's time for that (ever-growing) list again! This week's all-seeing journalist was Nick Watt of The Guardian, back again to discuss the political week with Carolyn Quinn (pictured).
*
Last week I wrote:
"When can we expect a Conservative (or UKIP) supporting journalist from the Times, the Telegraph or the Mail to receive an invite to appear on this most unbalanced of BBC programmes? Surely next week?"
Fat chance!
*
Here's the list, complete with its latest member:
*
7/2/10 Nick Watt of the Guardian
31/1/10 George Parker of the Financial Times
24/1/10 Kevin Maguire of the Mirror
17/1/10 Andrew Grice of the Independent
10/1/10 Nick Watt of the Guardian
3/1/10 Michael Savage of the Independent
27/12/09 no programme
20/12/09 no journalist
13/12/09 Andrew Miller of the Economist
6/12/09 George Parker of the Financial Times
29/11/09 Toby Helm of the Observer
22/11/09 no journalist
15/11/09 Nick Watt of the Guardian
*
As it has done for the whole of the last month, the programme began by discussing on the 'woes' of the Conservative Party: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_westminster_hour/8503270.stm
*
So for weeks now Westminster Hour has opened its political coverage with overviews from almost exclusively Left-leaning, Labour-supporting journalists. Not a single Conservative supporting journalist has been invited - no Peter Oborne, no Ben Brogan, no Matthew Parris.
*
And it isn't as if Carolyn Quinn tries to play devil's advocate. Her questions are hardly calculated to help the Conservative Party - far from it! Her first question to Nick Watt was about whether the Tories had 'wobbled' this week and if so why? Her second was about whether their austerity message had been 'undermined'. Her third question talked of a 'rowing back' by the Tories and asked if the public services could now 'relax a little bit' because they won't immediately face 'swingeing cuts under the Conservatives'.
*
Sunday, 7 February 2010
A TALE OF TWO CONSTITUENCIES
*
Jo Coburn, making her debut as presenter of The World This Weekend, went to two constituencies to assess the mood of voters over MPs expenses, one Labour-held, one Conservative-held. Sounds fair, doesn't it?
*
First up was Stevenage, home to Barbara Follett. Here Jo talked to a sprinkling of voters of varying views, and to Labour-supporting pollster Peter Kellner (of Baroness Ashton 'fame'), but she didn't speak to any of Labour's political opponents here. She tried to talk to Babs (who is stepping down) and to her would-be Labour successor Sharon Taylor, but without success.
*
Then she moved on to St. Albans, home to Anne Main. Here she met more voters of varying views, and managed to grab a brief word with a reluctant Mrs Main. Here - unlike in Stevenage - she also talked to one of Mrs Main's opponents, Sandy Walkington, the Lib Dem candidate, who had nothing good to say about her.
The segment ended with a short interview with Labour MP John Mann, who defended Labour from claims that it could be worst hit in the coming election by the public's residual rage.
*
As I listened I thought that the bit on the dodgy Conservative was going on for longer than the bit on the dodgy Labour MP. Checking back confirmed this, with the section on Mrs Follett lasting 2 minutes 33 seconds, while the bit on Mrs Main lasted 4 minutes 13 seconds.
*
On top of this, Jo Coburn went into some detail about Anne Main's expenses claims but not about Barbara Follett's.
*
What may initially have seem balanced turned out not to be that balanced after all.
*
Jo Coburn, making her debut as presenter of The World This Weekend, went to two constituencies to assess the mood of voters over MPs expenses, one Labour-held, one Conservative-held. Sounds fair, doesn't it?
*
First up was Stevenage, home to Barbara Follett. Here Jo talked to a sprinkling of voters of varying views, and to Labour-supporting pollster Peter Kellner (of Baroness Ashton 'fame'), but she didn't speak to any of Labour's political opponents here. She tried to talk to Babs (who is stepping down) and to her would-be Labour successor Sharon Taylor, but without success.
*
Then she moved on to St. Albans, home to Anne Main. Here she met more voters of varying views, and managed to grab a brief word with a reluctant Mrs Main. Here - unlike in Stevenage - she also talked to one of Mrs Main's opponents, Sandy Walkington, the Lib Dem candidate, who had nothing good to say about her.
The segment ended with a short interview with Labour MP John Mann, who defended Labour from claims that it could be worst hit in the coming election by the public's residual rage.
*
As I listened I thought that the bit on the dodgy Conservative was going on for longer than the bit on the dodgy Labour MP. Checking back confirmed this, with the section on Mrs Follett lasting 2 minutes 33 seconds, while the bit on Mrs Main lasted 4 minutes 13 seconds.
*
On top of this, Jo Coburn went into some detail about Anne Main's expenses claims but not about Barbara Follett's.
*
What may initially have seem balanced turned out not to be that balanced after all.
*
SETTING A CAP ON BEEB BIAS
*
Today's The Politics Show focused on immigration and staged a debate between Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems in the programme's chosen constituency of Stourbridge. Jon Sopel, of course, presided.
*
The audience were certainly more balanced than a Question Time audience but centre-right viewers will have noticed that the Conservative spokesman, mild-mannered Damian Green, spoke less and was questioned and interrupted by Jon Sopel more than his more aggressive left-of-centre counterparts.
*
Here are the statistics:
*
Damian Green (Conservative)
Number of questions - 7
Number of interruptions by Jon Sopel - 3
Time allowed to speak - 3 minutes 58 seconds
Interruption Coefficient - 0.8
*
Phil Woolas (Labour)
Number of questions - 4
Number of interruptions by Jon Sopel - 2
Time allowed to speak - 5 minutes 41 seconds
Interruption Coefficient - 0.4
*
Chris Huhne (Lib Dem)
Number of questions - 3
Number of interruptions by Jon Sopel - 2
Time allowed to speak - 4 minutes 24 seconds
Interruption coefficient - 0.5
Today's The Politics Show focused on immigration and staged a debate between Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems in the programme's chosen constituency of Stourbridge. Jon Sopel, of course, presided.
*
The audience were certainly more balanced than a Question Time audience but centre-right viewers will have noticed that the Conservative spokesman, mild-mannered Damian Green, spoke less and was questioned and interrupted by Jon Sopel more than his more aggressive left-of-centre counterparts.
*
Here are the statistics:
*
Damian Green (Conservative)
Number of questions - 7
Number of interruptions by Jon Sopel - 3
Time allowed to speak - 3 minutes 58 seconds
Interruption Coefficient - 0.8
*
Phil Woolas (Labour)
Number of questions - 4
Number of interruptions by Jon Sopel - 2
Time allowed to speak - 5 minutes 41 seconds
Interruption Coefficient - 0.4
*
Chris Huhne (Lib Dem)
Number of questions - 3
Number of interruptions by Jon Sopel - 2
Time allowed to speak - 4 minutes 24 seconds
Interruption coefficient - 0.5
NEVER MIND THE VOTERS...
*
If it's Sunday it must be The Record: Europe and more on lovely Shirin Wheeler's unfair interviewing. This week's example can't really compare to some of her most egregious performances, but it's still typical.
*
Her gathering of politicians this week consisted of a Labour MEP, a Dutch Green, a Fine Gael MEP and a British Conservative. Anyone watching would have surely noticed that the British Tory was being sidelined. Counting how long each guest got to shine shows the extent of the problem:
*
Gay Mitchell (Fine Gael) - 4 minutes 15 seconds
Michael Cashman (Labour) - 3 minutes 55 seconds
Judith Sargentini (Dutch Green) - 2 minutes 27 seconds
Nirj Deva (Conservative) - 1 minute 53 seconds
*
To compound this unfairness, Shirin twice stopped Mr Deva from interrupting (though he himself was interrupted every time he spoke!). His first failed attempt was met with "Let Michael finish and then..." and his second failed attempt was greeted by "Let Judith answer the question first." Then when all three other guests piled in on him, Shirin stopped them only to let one of them continue!
*
It's not easy being a right-of-centre politician on The Record: Europe.
*
*
Later on the programme Shirin talked to Bruno Waterfield of The Daily Telegraph (good man), Antonio Missiroli of the pro-European think tank The European Policy Centre and a man called Richard Corbett, styled as "advisor to the EU Council president" (ie. Rumpsy). Now, as all you keen Euroland-watchers will know, Mr Corbett was the NE Labour MEP (much admired by the Beeb's Mark Mardell) who lost his seat last year to the BNP, and who used to lead the Labour group in the European parliament. Now that's Euroland for you! You get booted out by the voters and yet within a matter of months you're flying high again, advising the never-elected President of the United States of Europe! Isn't the EU great?!
*
If it's Sunday it must be The Record: Europe and more on lovely Shirin Wheeler's unfair interviewing. This week's example can't really compare to some of her most egregious performances, but it's still typical.
*
Her gathering of politicians this week consisted of a Labour MEP, a Dutch Green, a Fine Gael MEP and a British Conservative. Anyone watching would have surely noticed that the British Tory was being sidelined. Counting how long each guest got to shine shows the extent of the problem:
*
Gay Mitchell (Fine Gael) - 4 minutes 15 seconds
Michael Cashman (Labour) - 3 minutes 55 seconds
Judith Sargentini (Dutch Green) - 2 minutes 27 seconds
Nirj Deva (Conservative) - 1 minute 53 seconds
*
To compound this unfairness, Shirin twice stopped Mr Deva from interrupting (though he himself was interrupted every time he spoke!). His first failed attempt was met with "Let Michael finish and then..." and his second failed attempt was greeted by "Let Judith answer the question first." Then when all three other guests piled in on him, Shirin stopped them only to let one of them continue!
*
It's not easy being a right-of-centre politician on The Record: Europe.
*
*
Later on the programme Shirin talked to Bruno Waterfield of The Daily Telegraph (good man), Antonio Missiroli of the pro-European think tank The European Policy Centre and a man called Richard Corbett, styled as "advisor to the EU Council president" (ie. Rumpsy). Now, as all you keen Euroland-watchers will know, Mr Corbett was the NE Labour MEP (much admired by the Beeb's Mark Mardell) who lost his seat last year to the BNP, and who used to lead the Labour group in the European parliament. Now that's Euroland for you! You get booted out by the voters and yet within a matter of months you're flying high again, advising the never-elected President of the United States of Europe! Isn't the EU great?!
*
FRAUDCASTING HOUSE
*
As well as the BBC's Nigel Wrench remembering the release of Nelly Mandela and Steve Punt doing a 'funny' turn on the subject of 'talking Britain down' (in the wake of Lord Mandelson's diatribe against George Osborne), this morning's Broadcasting House also discussed the issue of purity and politics in the wake of the DPP's announcement of the prosecution for fraud of three Labour MPs and a Tory peer. That's not quite how presenter Paddy O'Connell put it though: "Three MPs and one Tory peer must decide if they'll use parliamentary privelege as part of their defence against allegations, which they deny." Can you spot the missing word in Paddy's sentence? (Clue: it rhymes with neighbour).
*
The issue was discussed with the crossbench philosopher-baroness (and liberal) Onora O'Neill and with Labour-supporting Sir Gerry Robinson. Both wanted us to 'move on' from the Great Expenses Scandal, as Paddy noted. That seemed fine by him, but when Baroness O'Neill said we should also 'move on' over the issue of bankers Paddy seemed a little taken aback, and (clearly thinking on the spot) could only ask in response whether they (the bankers) should listen more. He's clearly not prepared to 'move on' on that subject any time soon, by the sounds of it. BH in recent months has been full of anti-banker humour.
*
As well as the BBC's Nigel Wrench remembering the release of Nelly Mandela and Steve Punt doing a 'funny' turn on the subject of 'talking Britain down' (in the wake of Lord Mandelson's diatribe against George Osborne), this morning's Broadcasting House also discussed the issue of purity and politics in the wake of the DPP's announcement of the prosecution for fraud of three Labour MPs and a Tory peer. That's not quite how presenter Paddy O'Connell put it though: "Three MPs and one Tory peer must decide if they'll use parliamentary privelege as part of their defence against allegations, which they deny." Can you spot the missing word in Paddy's sentence? (Clue: it rhymes with neighbour).
*
The issue was discussed with the crossbench philosopher-baroness (and liberal) Onora O'Neill and with Labour-supporting Sir Gerry Robinson. Both wanted us to 'move on' from the Great Expenses Scandal, as Paddy noted. That seemed fine by him, but when Baroness O'Neill said we should also 'move on' over the issue of bankers Paddy seemed a little taken aback, and (clearly thinking on the spot) could only ask in response whether they (the bankers) should listen more. He's clearly not prepared to 'move on' on that subject any time soon, by the sounds of it. BH in recent months has been full of anti-banker humour.
*
LORD PAUL ANYONE?
*
The bias of Andrew Marr was not revealed by any interruption coefficients this morning (which showed a surprisingly high 1.3 against Alan Johnson and a remarkably low 0.2 against William Hague - though the latter took place over a long-distance feed with a couple-of-second delay, which is doubtless why Marr wasn't interrupting him!) No, the bias was revealed in the nature of the questioning. Here's how the questions broke down by topic:
*
Alan Johnson
Theme - Number of questions asked
Immigration - 8
Prosecuted Labour MPs & the 1689 Bill of Rights - 2
Chilcot Inquiry - 4
Narrowing polls - 1
*
William Hague
Theme - Number of questions asked
Chilcot Inquiry - 2
Narrowing polls - 1
Climate Change - 1
Iran - 1
Lord Ashcroft's tax status - 4
Prosecuted Labour MPs & the 1689 Bill of Rights - 1
*
Note that, 4 questions - 4!!! - about Lord Ashcroft's tax status.
*
Again and again, first Andrew Marr then Jon Sopel will ask their Sunday Conservative guests about Lord Ashcroft. Of Labour's Lord Paul (who?) not a question. Only Lord Ashcroft. Marr last tackled David Cameron about it on 10th January and interrupted William Hague 5 times over the issue back on 8th November.
*
The bias of Andrew Marr was not revealed by any interruption coefficients this morning (which showed a surprisingly high 1.3 against Alan Johnson and a remarkably low 0.2 against William Hague - though the latter took place over a long-distance feed with a couple-of-second delay, which is doubtless why Marr wasn't interrupting him!) No, the bias was revealed in the nature of the questioning. Here's how the questions broke down by topic:
*
Alan Johnson
Theme - Number of questions asked
Immigration - 8
Prosecuted Labour MPs & the 1689 Bill of Rights - 2
Chilcot Inquiry - 4
Narrowing polls - 1
*
William Hague
Theme - Number of questions asked
Chilcot Inquiry - 2
Narrowing polls - 1
Climate Change - 1
Iran - 1
Lord Ashcroft's tax status - 4
Prosecuted Labour MPs & the 1689 Bill of Rights - 1
*
Note that, 4 questions - 4!!! - about Lord Ashcroft's tax status.
*
Again and again, first Andrew Marr then Jon Sopel will ask their Sunday Conservative guests about Lord Ashcroft. Of Labour's Lord Paul (who?) not a question. Only Lord Ashcroft. Marr last tackled David Cameron about it on 10th January and interrupted William Hague 5 times over the issue back on 8th November.
*
ALAS POOR ALASTAIR CAMPBELL
*
Have I become far too cynical or did I just witness one of the most blatant and unconvincing bits of acting and spin ever broadcast? Alastair Campbell 'getting upset' at Andrew Marr's questions about the Chilcot Inquiry - and about Marr's introductory quip comparing the legendary dodgy dossier with Campbell's latest work of fiction - was something to behold. I note that this dramatic turn of events allowed him not to answer the question, and suspect that's why he 'got upset'. Now, I may be doing Campbell a disservice. That quip of Marr's would have annoyed me too had I been on the receiving end of it. But I've seen The Thick Of It & this could have been a scene from any of its episodes. (Anyhow, if anyone deserves to be on the receiving end of a few disservices it's surely the man who led the sucking-out of all honour from our political system under New Labour and has handed out more than a few disservices himself over the years.)
*
When Campbell talked of Marr's own views on the Iraq War, which no-one who listened to Start the Week's endless coverage of the Iraq War and its consequences at the time - and for a long time after - (I got so fed up with hearing about it and associated Muslim-related subjects, week in and week out, that I gave up on the programme completely) could be in any doubt about, Marr made this extraordinary comment: "I don't have an opinion of this." Like hell he doesn't. If he thinks he's kept his strong disapproval of the war hidden, he's a very deluded man indeed.
*
Have I become far too cynical or did I just witness one of the most blatant and unconvincing bits of acting and spin ever broadcast? Alastair Campbell 'getting upset' at Andrew Marr's questions about the Chilcot Inquiry - and about Marr's introductory quip comparing the legendary dodgy dossier with Campbell's latest work of fiction - was something to behold. I note that this dramatic turn of events allowed him not to answer the question, and suspect that's why he 'got upset'. Now, I may be doing Campbell a disservice. That quip of Marr's would have annoyed me too had I been on the receiving end of it. But I've seen The Thick Of It & this could have been a scene from any of its episodes. (Anyhow, if anyone deserves to be on the receiving end of a few disservices it's surely the man who led the sucking-out of all honour from our political system under New Labour and has handed out more than a few disservices himself over the years.)
*
When Campbell talked of Marr's own views on the Iraq War, which no-one who listened to Start the Week's endless coverage of the Iraq War and its consequences at the time - and for a long time after - (I got so fed up with hearing about it and associated Muslim-related subjects, week in and week out, that I gave up on the programme completely) could be in any doubt about, Marr made this extraordinary comment: "I don't have an opinion of this." Like hell he doesn't. If he thinks he's kept his strong disapproval of the war hidden, he's a very deluded man indeed.
*
PAINTING IN GREEN AND RED
The BBC's left-liberal filter is generally found firmly in place on such programmes as From Our Own Correspondent and Crossing Continents, but also on the BBC News website. Here's an example. The BBC's James Painter reports from Costa Rica in a website article called Costa Rica - green and happy? Why Costa Rica scores well on the happiness index.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8498456.stm
*
Mr Painter is enthusiastic about Costa Rica, which sounds a little like paradise on earth. Part of its appeal to him is its commitment to the Climate Change agenda (to which he himself is highly committed: "It was also the first developing country to state its aim of being carbon neutral (by 2021)." There's more though: "And then there's Costa Rica's reputation for being one of the happiest and greenest countries in the world. It regularly appears top - or near the top - of international surveys. It is usually the only developing country to do so." The international survey referred to in the article is the Happy Planet Index compiled by the left-wing, green New Economics Foundation (NEF) think tank and is calculated by combining "three key variables - what people say about their life satisfaction, their longevity and their ecological footprint." (You can read their unlikely list of happy and unhappy countries at http://www.happyplanetindex.org/).
*
We hear from Ricardo Ulate, a climate change advisor to the country's social democrat government; that government's ambassador to the UK Pilar Saborio; Bishop Melvin Jimenez, a multinational-bashing eco-priest; and Juan Francisco Montealegre, who owns a construction company. All plug the green agenda at great length. Only at the end of the article are other factors considered: "Analysts say that Costa Ricans' apparent happiness could be down to a whole series of factors in addition to greenness: strong social networks of friends, families and neighbours; ubiquitous social and education programmes; and tolerance of social divisions and different opinions."
*
James Painter's other BBC News website articles also strongly push this red-green agenda, with a similar homogeneity of opinions offered, from melting glaciers and sustainability in Bolivia http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8172981.stm to the damage climate change could inflict on Chile's wine-growing regions http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8058080.stm, as well as plenty of outright environmental advocacy, as in this piece on REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8399882.stm
*
Journalisted provides a handy index of Painter's latest articles:
http://www.journalisted.com/james-painter?allarticles=yes
*
THIS WEEK'S DIMBLEDATA
*
A little late but here come the stats for Thursday's Question Time:
*
*
4th February 2010
*
*
Who got most time to speak?
1. Melanie Phillips - 10 minutes 57 seconds
2. Lord Falconer - 10 minutes 29 seconds
3. Clare Short - 9 minutes 47 seconds
4. George Galloway - 9 minutes 39 seconds
5. Theresa May - 6 minutes 49 seconds
*
*
Who received the most interruptions from David Dimbleby?
*
1. Lord Falconer - 8
2. Theresa May - 7
3. Clare Short - 6
4. Melanie Phillips - 4
5. George Galloway - 2
*
**
Who scored the highest interruption coefficient?
*
1. Theresa May - 1.1
2. Lord Falconer - 0.8
3. Clare Short - 0.6
4. Melanie Phillips - 0.4
5. George Galloway - 0.2
*
*
Who was asked the most supplementary questions by David Dimbleby?
*
1. Lord Falconer - 12
2. Theresa May - 8
3. Clare Short - 5
4. Melanie Phillips - 3
5. George Galloway - 1
*
A little late but here come the stats for Thursday's Question Time:
*
*
4th February 2010
*
*
Who got most time to speak?
1. Melanie Phillips - 10 minutes 57 seconds
2. Lord Falconer - 10 minutes 29 seconds
3. Clare Short - 9 minutes 47 seconds
4. George Galloway - 9 minutes 39 seconds
5. Theresa May - 6 minutes 49 seconds
*
*
Who received the most interruptions from David Dimbleby?
*
1. Lord Falconer - 8
2. Theresa May - 7
3. Clare Short - 6
4. Melanie Phillips - 4
5. George Galloway - 2
*
**
Who scored the highest interruption coefficient?
*
1. Theresa May - 1.1
2. Lord Falconer - 0.8
3. Clare Short - 0.6
4. Melanie Phillips - 0.4
5. George Galloway - 0.2
*
*
Who was asked the most supplementary questions by David Dimbleby?
*
1. Lord Falconer - 12
2. Theresa May - 8
3. Clare Short - 5
4. Melanie Phillips - 3
5. George Galloway - 1
*
Saturday, 6 February 2010
SPOILING THE PARTY
*
This morning's Today programme discussed America's Tea Party movement with "Christine Todd Whitman, former Republican Governor of New Jersey and co-chair of the moderate Republican group the Republican Leadership Council". That was a little surprising.
*
Not remotely surprising however was The World Tonight's treatment of the same subject on Thursday night's edition of the programme.
*
This consisted of a discussion between Robin Lustig and Professor Stephen Wayne of Georgetown University. Prof. Wayne was extremely sniffy about the Tea Partygoers, downplaying the numbers who attend their meetings as well as questioning how representative they are of the public mood. Financed by "wealthy backers", they show, he said, that "we are still in the era of Ronald Reagan" (and he didn't mean that in a good way). Then came the inevitable: "There may be an element in this that's racial in character" with people who are "angry that there is a black man who they view in a very suspicious way" and about whom they have "some fantastic ideas".
*
You can always rely on The World Tonight to dig out some liberal American academic to back the Democrats and reinforce the programme's left-wing world view.
*
*
*
This same edition of the programme ended with a report from Southern Italy on the problems facing illegal immigrants in the wake of violent clashes with local people. BBC reporter Emma Wallis made no secret about whose side she was on, talking to a Catholic missionary who works with the illegal immigrants, three of the illegals and a sympathetic centre-left regional councillor, with only the local police chief standing out (very briefly) from the crowd. Emma referred to the 'hardline' Italian interior minister and how the 'centre right government', in the wake of the riots, is now 'paying lip service' to the 'centre left' policies of the regional council (of whom she so clearly approves).
*
This morning's Today programme discussed America's Tea Party movement with "Christine Todd Whitman, former Republican Governor of New Jersey and co-chair of the moderate Republican group the Republican Leadership Council". That was a little surprising.
*
Not remotely surprising however was The World Tonight's treatment of the same subject on Thursday night's edition of the programme.
*
This consisted of a discussion between Robin Lustig and Professor Stephen Wayne of Georgetown University. Prof. Wayne was extremely sniffy about the Tea Partygoers, downplaying the numbers who attend their meetings as well as questioning how representative they are of the public mood. Financed by "wealthy backers", they show, he said, that "we are still in the era of Ronald Reagan" (and he didn't mean that in a good way). Then came the inevitable: "There may be an element in this that's racial in character" with people who are "angry that there is a black man who they view in a very suspicious way" and about whom they have "some fantastic ideas".
*
You can always rely on The World Tonight to dig out some liberal American academic to back the Democrats and reinforce the programme's left-wing world view.
*
*
*
This same edition of the programme ended with a report from Southern Italy on the problems facing illegal immigrants in the wake of violent clashes with local people. BBC reporter Emma Wallis made no secret about whose side she was on, talking to a Catholic missionary who works with the illegal immigrants, three of the illegals and a sympathetic centre-left regional councillor, with only the local police chief standing out (very briefly) from the crowd. Emma referred to the 'hardline' Italian interior minister and how the 'centre right government', in the wake of the riots, is now 'paying lip service' to the 'centre left' policies of the regional council (of whom she so clearly approves).
*
OF TORY MILLIONAIRES AND MAGNATES
*
The Politics Show's series of pre-election reports from the marginal Stourbridge constituency of Labour's Lynda Waltho have made frequent reference to the fact that Ms Waltho's Conservative opponent Margot James is a "millionaire businesswoman". Friday's Daily Politics featured an Adam Fleming report from Cannock Chase, constituency of the retiring Labour MP Tony Wright. The Conservative candidate there, one Andrew Bridgen, was called a "potato magnate", perhaps to enable young Adam to make a bad pun, but just as likely to allow him to highlight the Tory's high social position/wealth. No descriptions of any kind were applied to the Labour or Lib Dem candidates. Gordon Brown's attempts to play the 'class' card seem to be finding an echo at the BBC.
*
The Politics Show's series of pre-election reports from the marginal Stourbridge constituency of Labour's Lynda Waltho have made frequent reference to the fact that Ms Waltho's Conservative opponent Margot James is a "millionaire businesswoman". Friday's Daily Politics featured an Adam Fleming report from Cannock Chase, constituency of the retiring Labour MP Tony Wright. The Conservative candidate there, one Andrew Bridgen, was called a "potato magnate", perhaps to enable young Adam to make a bad pun, but just as likely to allow him to highlight the Tory's high social position/wealth. No descriptions of any kind were applied to the Labour or Lib Dem candidates. Gordon Brown's attempts to play the 'class' card seem to be finding an echo at the BBC.
*
ROBIN SHOOTS AN ARROW IN DEFENCE OF GORDON
*
There was a revealing intervention from left-liberal BBC presenter Robin Lustig on Thursday's The World Tonight. The issue was MPs' expenses and Robin had gathered together Ben Brogan of The Daily Telegraph (a rare invitation to anyone from that newspaper on this most left-liberal of Radio 4 programmes) and one of the BBC's favourite constitutional experts (familiar from sundry election programmes), Professor Vernon Bogdanor.
*
Lustig had asked Ben a question that puffed up Gordon Brown's constitutional reform proposals. Ben reminded World Tonight listeners of Gordo's history of unprincipled behaviour over the expenses issue, which brought Robin Lustig crashing in with "Put his past record on one side, do you think there's something in it?"
*
Why should Brown's (at best cowardly, at worst self-interested) behaviour be put aside? He allowed his ministers and favourites to scupper Freedom of Information legislation that could have smoked out and resolved this crisis some time before the Great Expenses Scandal erupted, thanks to Guido Fawkes and Ben Brogan's paper.
*
The BBC is far too keen to put Brown's past record on one side.
*
There was a revealing intervention from left-liberal BBC presenter Robin Lustig on Thursday's The World Tonight. The issue was MPs' expenses and Robin had gathered together Ben Brogan of The Daily Telegraph (a rare invitation to anyone from that newspaper on this most left-liberal of Radio 4 programmes) and one of the BBC's favourite constitutional experts (familiar from sundry election programmes), Professor Vernon Bogdanor.
*
Lustig had asked Ben a question that puffed up Gordon Brown's constitutional reform proposals. Ben reminded World Tonight listeners of Gordo's history of unprincipled behaviour over the expenses issue, which brought Robin Lustig crashing in with "Put his past record on one side, do you think there's something in it?"
*
Why should Brown's (at best cowardly, at worst self-interested) behaviour be put aside? He allowed his ministers and favourites to scupper Freedom of Information legislation that could have smoked out and resolved this crisis some time before the Great Expenses Scandal erupted, thanks to Guido Fawkes and Ben Brogan's paper.
*
The BBC is far too keen to put Brown's past record on one side.
*
SAY IT AIN'T SO, JO
*
I have to say that, as a centre-right-minded guy, I was personally disappointed by all the Tories caught out by the Expenses Scandal, as I expected better from them than, say, their Labour counterparts, just as some of the dodges committed by (now-ex-)UKIP MEPs personally disappointed me too, as I expected far better from them from I did from, say, their Labour colleagues. Given the standards, and the ideology, and the background of both Conservative and UKIP politicians, who wouldn't expect them to have behaved more honorably with taxpayers' money than their counterparts in the reckless, sleazy Labour Party?
*
All this is merely a preamble to a quote from Jo Coburn on yesterday's The Daily Politics. This is a question she put to Nick Watt of The Guardian: "Which party is going to suffer the most? I mean one might say, just because they've got the most MPs, it would be Labour and also is there also a case that Labour grassroots will feel, actually, we expect more of our MPs perhaps, because of the standards, and the ideology and the background of the Labour Party?"
*
Would it ever have occured to left-wing Jo that she could have substituted (as I did) the words Conservative Party for the Labour Party, and their respective grassroots, and put the same question to Fraser Nelson of The Spectator? I very much doubt it.
*
This BBC-wide assumption that Labour just must be morally superior to the Tories is one I don't share at all. Far from it.
**
CRICK JUST CAN'T HELP HIMSELF
*
The prosecution of 3 Labour MPs and a Conservative peer was reported on by Michael Crick on last night's Newsnight.
*
Crick is incapable of not trying to spin a story against the Conservatives (as all my long series of sometimes very long posts about him have, I believe, conclusively shown. Please click on the
label Crick for much, much, much more).
*
Though most of his report could hardly fail to concentrate on the charging of the Labour MPs, nor acknowledge that this would look especially bad for Labour, Michael Crick just couldn't help himself. After listing the three Labour MPs - Messers Morley, Chaytor and Devine - he turned to the Tory, Lord Hanningfield and, after outlining the allegations against him just as he had outlined the allegations against them, spun this additional sentence: "He's the most senior politician of the four, serving until today as leader of the Tories' flagship Essex Council and as a Tory frontbench spokesman in the Lords". (He just loves that word 'Tory', and can't repeat it often enough - especially when he talking scandal!)
*
Technically, of course, he's correct but - as I'm sure he's very well aware - putting it like that makes it sound as if the Tory case is the most serious. Elliott Morley is far more high-profile and was a Labour minister from 1997 to 2006.
*
Crick has committed far worse infringements of the laws of impartiality than this particular minor example, but even master criminals drop litter from time to time.
*
The prosecution of 3 Labour MPs and a Conservative peer was reported on by Michael Crick on last night's Newsnight.
*
Crick is incapable of not trying to spin a story against the Conservatives (as all my long series of sometimes very long posts about him have, I believe, conclusively shown. Please click on the
label Crick for much, much, much more).*
Though most of his report could hardly fail to concentrate on the charging of the Labour MPs, nor acknowledge that this would look especially bad for Labour, Michael Crick just couldn't help himself. After listing the three Labour MPs - Messers Morley, Chaytor and Devine - he turned to the Tory, Lord Hanningfield and, after outlining the allegations against him just as he had outlined the allegations against them, spun this additional sentence: "He's the most senior politician of the four, serving until today as leader of the Tories' flagship Essex Council and as a Tory frontbench spokesman in the Lords". (He just loves that word 'Tory', and can't repeat it often enough - especially when he talking scandal!)
*
Technically, of course, he's correct but - as I'm sure he's very well aware - putting it like that makes it sound as if the Tory case is the most serious. Elliott Morley is far more high-profile and was a Labour minister from 1997 to 2006.
*
Crick has committed far worse infringements of the laws of impartiality than this particular minor example, but even master criminals drop litter from time to time.
*
WHICH LEFTIE SHALL WE INVITE ON THIS WEEK GAVIN?
*
Left-wing Polly Toynbee of The Guardian was the Brit on today's Dateline panel. Last week it was New Labour-loving David Aaronovitch of The Times. The week before it was left-winger Yasmin Alibhai Brown of The Independent. Previously, it was far-left Isabel Hilton of The Guardian. The week before that it was snooty leftie Sir Michael White of The Guardian. Only when we get back to 2nd January do we find a right-winger, Peter Oborne of The Daily Mail. And on it goes...the last edition of 2009 featured Polly Toynbee again, preceded by David Aaronovitch again. On 12/12 we find a second right-winger, Janet Daley of The Sunday
Telegraph. And then Isabel Hilton, preceded by Yasmin Alibhai Brown again...and on and on...
*
So of the last 11 editions of Dateline to feature a Brit (and all but one Washington-based special have), 9 have been left-wingers and only 2 right-wingers.
*
As Dateline regularly discusses British politics, this matters.
*
That's clear Beeb bias in action.
*
Left-wing Polly Toynbee of The Guardian was the Brit on today's Dateline panel. Last week it was New Labour-loving David Aaronovitch of The Times. The week before it was left-winger Yasmin Alibhai Brown of The Independent. Previously, it was far-left Isabel Hilton of The Guardian. The week before that it was snooty leftie Sir Michael White of The Guardian. Only when we get back to 2nd January do we find a right-winger, Peter Oborne of The Daily Mail. And on it goes...the last edition of 2009 featured Polly Toynbee again, preceded by David Aaronovitch again. On 12/12 we find a second right-winger, Janet Daley of The Sunday
Telegraph. And then Isabel Hilton, preceded by Yasmin Alibhai Brown again...and on and on...*
So of the last 11 editions of Dateline to feature a Brit (and all but one Washington-based special have), 9 have been left-wingers and only 2 right-wingers.
*
As Dateline regularly discusses British politics, this matters.
*
That's clear Beeb bias in action.
*
WHICH TORY CONSTITUENCY SHOULD WE GO TO NEXT?
*
You'll doubtless remember all those BBC
reporters flooding mostly to Conservative-held constituencies at first great explosion of the Expenses Scandal last year. It's nice to see that Today is keeping up that fine tradition, sending one of its reporters to Thanet North, held by Tory Roger Gale.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8501000/8501775.stm
Flora Watkins was the reporter - she who asked David Buik, "So with George Osborne saying that an incoming Tory government would like to do what President Obama is proposing, how does that make you feel?" (which provoked Bonkersgate). In fairness to her, her report was pretty balanced in the range of opinion it allowed.**
You'll doubtless remember all those BBC
reporters flooding mostly to Conservative-held constituencies at first great explosion of the Expenses Scandal last year. It's nice to see that Today is keeping up that fine tradition, sending one of its reporters to Thanet North, held by Tory Roger Gale.http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8501000/8501775.stm
Flora Watkins was the reporter - she who asked David Buik, "So with George Osborne saying that an incoming Tory government would like to do what President Obama is proposing, how does that make you feel?" (which provoked Bonkersgate). In fairness to her, her report was pretty balanced in the range of opinion it allowed.**
PLANET'S WORST FRIEND
*
The Today website introduces today's closing discussion in this way:
"Some scientists are questioning the environmental cost of owning a pet, saying that pet lovers have a higher carbon footprint than people without pets. There are an estimated 20m domestic cats and dogs in the UK. Dr John Barrett, research associate at the Stockholm Environment Institute, York University, and Tony Juniper, an environmental campaigner, consider the environmental impact of man's best friend." http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8501000/8501780.stm
The Today website introduces today's closing discussion in this way:
"Some scientists are questioning the environmental cost of owning a pet, saying that pet lovers have a higher carbon footprint than people without pets. There are an estimated 20m domestic cats and dogs in the UK. Dr John Barrett, research associate at the Stockholm Environment Institute, York University, and Tony Juniper, an environmental campaigner, consider the environmental impact of man's best friend." http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8501000/8501780.stm
*
The professor from the green policy institute argues that fewer carnivorous pets (like the enemies of the planet pictured above) would significantly help reduce our 'carbon footprint', whereas Mr Juniper from the Green Party, who owns cats and dogs, disagrees (like a good nimby) and would rather deny us other pleasures instead and tax us more too - and who has a problem with the practice of keeping caged birds as pets.
*
If only Andrew Neil rather than Sarah Montague had been in charge of this interview! Sarah never thought to challenge the underlying assumptions shared by both of her guests, and treated the topic as if it wasn't slightly absurd.
*
If only Andrew Neil rather than Sarah Montague had been in charge of this interview! Sarah never thought to challenge the underlying assumptions shared by both of her guests, and treated the topic as if it wasn't slightly absurd.
**
Friday, 5 February 2010
LES IN LOCO PARENTIS
*
I'll be back tomorrow (having to catch up like crazy!). A little overtime followed by a party will take me out of action today. So I'll leave the late, great Les Dawson in charge for the day.
* 
Thursday, 4 February 2010
FREI, BABY, FREI
*
Matt Frei's diary could become compulsive reading, though for all the wrong reasons. I just thought I'd click at random on another article, Evangelical and environmental? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8405108.stm
*
The theme is 'Climate Change':
*
"According to a BBC News/Harris Poll, the number of Americans who worry that carbon emissions are slowly heating our planet like a lobster pot has actually declined in the last eight years by 25%.
Despite Hurricane Katrina, which rang alarm bells about the connection between climate change and menacing weather, Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and a photo album of environmental horrors from melting ice caps to rising sea levels to receding glaciers (ha!), fewer Americans are convinced today that the planet is in peril because of human behaviour.
Global warming has cooled off alarmingly on the list of priorities."
*
After dismissing 'Climategate' as a "brouhaha", Matty goes on to give us this peach of a paragraph - pure Matt Frei: "The evangelical movement is split between those conservative Christians who suspect that climate change is an evil secular plot, concocted by the devil, Al Gore and "the global government crowd" - in the words of Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher - and those who passionately believe that good Christians need to be good custodians of the planet." Can you guess which side Frei doesn't approve of?
*
Matt Frei's diary could become compulsive reading, though for all the wrong reasons. I just thought I'd click at random on another article, Evangelical and environmental? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8405108.stm
*
The theme is 'Climate Change':
*
"According to a BBC News/Harris Poll, the number of Americans who worry that carbon emissions are slowly heating our planet like a lobster pot has actually declined in the last eight years by 25%.
Despite Hurricane Katrina, which rang alarm bells about the connection between climate change and menacing weather, Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and a photo album of environmental horrors from melting ice caps to rising sea levels to receding glaciers (ha!), fewer Americans are convinced today that the planet is in peril because of human behaviour.
Global warming has cooled off alarmingly on the list of priorities."
*
After dismissing 'Climategate' as a "brouhaha", Matty goes on to give us this peach of a paragraph - pure Matt Frei: "The evangelical movement is split between those conservative Christians who suspect that climate change is an evil secular plot, concocted by the devil, Al Gore and "the global government crowd" - in the words of Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher - and those who passionately believe that good Christians need to be good custodians of the planet." Can you guess which side Frei doesn't approve of?
*
BROWN LIES
*
Sky News is reporting the story about how Gordon Brown lied to parliament yesterday about Conservative manifesto commitments on defence spending:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/PMQs-Covered-Live-On-Twitter-Gordon-Brown-Begins-Prime-Ministers-Questions/Article/201002115541331?lpos=Politics_Second_Home_Page_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15541331_PMQs_Covered_Live_On_Twitter%3A_Gordon_Brown_Begins_Prime_Ministers_Questions
*
Proof that Brown did lie yesterday, as Dizzy points out, can be found on page 25 of the Conservative Manifesto:
http://www.conservatives.com/pdf/manifesto-uk-2005.pdf
And from the BBC in 2004:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3707660.stm
*
Needless to say, the BBC News website today is staying completely silent. Will this morning's Today programme maintain radio silence on the story too, or will it indignantly question any passing Labour minister about it?
*
Sky News is reporting the story about how Gordon Brown lied to parliament yesterday about Conservative manifesto commitments on defence spending:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/PMQs-Covered-Live-On-Twitter-Gordon-Brown-Begins-Prime-Ministers-Questions/Article/201002115541331?lpos=Politics_Second_Home_Page_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15541331_PMQs_Covered_Live_On_Twitter%3A_Gordon_Brown_Begins_Prime_Ministers_Questions
*
Proof that Brown did lie yesterday, as Dizzy points out, can be found on page 25 of the Conservative Manifesto:
http://www.conservatives.com/pdf/manifesto-uk-2005.pdf
And from the BBC in 2004:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3707660.stm
*
Needless to say, the BBC News website today is staying completely silent. Will this morning's Today programme maintain radio silence on the story too, or will it indignantly question any passing Labour minister about it?
*
THE ROAD ALWAYS TAKEN
*
Unlike Newsnight, which gave us the unusual luxury of two Conservative politicians last night (Dan Hannan and Michael Portillo), The World Tonight trod its usual left-liberal path.
*
The government's defence green paper was discussed with Andrew Dorman of King's College London, and "committed European" Philippe Morillon, who served as a French Liberal MEP. A report from Chavez's Venezuela was followed by an interview on the same topic with former Costa Rican vice president (and interim president) Kevin Casas Zamora, a social democrat. Finally, President Obama's decision not to attend the latest US-EU summit in Spain was discussed with Spanish writer Miguel Morado, who the programme always turns to (exclusively) to discuss Spanish politics, and Dr Daniel Hamilton of John Hopkins University, who made noises supportive of Obama and who, it transpires, worked in Bill Clinton's State Department.
*
Robin Lustig presided, liberally.
*
Unlike Newsnight, which gave us the unusual luxury of two Conservative politicians last night (Dan Hannan and Michael Portillo), The World Tonight trod its usual left-liberal path.
*
The government's defence green paper was discussed with Andrew Dorman of King's College London, and "committed European" Philippe Morillon, who served as a French Liberal MEP. A report from Chavez's Venezuela was followed by an interview on the same topic with former Costa Rican vice president (and interim president) Kevin Casas Zamora, a social democrat. Finally, President Obama's decision not to attend the latest US-EU summit in Spain was discussed with Spanish writer Miguel Morado, who the programme always turns to (exclusively) to discuss Spanish politics, and Dr Daniel Hamilton of John Hopkins University, who made noises supportive of Obama and who, it transpires, worked in Bill Clinton's State Department.
*
Robin Lustig presided, liberally.
*
OLD HABITS DIE HARD
*
MPs expenses will be back in the public eye again as Sir Thomas Legg publishes his final report. As a result, the BBC will doubtless have recourse to its old habit of stressing Conservative expense claims above Labour ones.
**
I thought I'd test out this hypothesis by seeing what's on the BBC News website this morning. It's the main story there:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8496729.stm
*
Only one MP is singled out for attention by the article and, yes, he's a Tory:
Here we go again!
MPs expenses will be back in the public eye again as Sir Thomas Legg publishes his final report. As a result, the BBC will doubtless have recourse to its old habit of stressing Conservative expense claims above Labour ones.
**
I thought I'd test out this hypothesis by seeing what's on the BBC News website this morning. It's the main story there:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8496729.stm
*
Only one MP is singled out for attention by the article and, yes, he's a Tory:
Among them is Conservative Bernard Jenkin, who had been asked to repay £63,250 - the highest amount known - after renting his second home from his sister-in-law. This practice was banned in 2006. He has said his repayment has been reduced to £36,250.
Here we go again!
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
FREI'S OBAMA DELIGHT
*
Matt Frei can always be relied upon to provide a biased point of view on his diary. Just have a look at this gem:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8494796.stm
*
So Newt Gingrich's Contract with America was "a dodgy deal", the Tea Party movement consists of "Braveheart warriors", Bill Clinton was a "magician" and "Tony Blair his best understudy" in the admirable tactic of "triangulation" and Barack Obama's presidency "is turning out to be a masterclass in triangulation". "Triangulation" (and "The Third Way") "appeals to his elegant intellect". "The current president is a man whose quiet self-confidence is the result of having always triumphed as the outsider...Obama was always the talented misfit." (Sounds like a character in a liberal Hollywood movie, doesn't he?). Frei talks of how Obama "seduced this country":
"We saw a reminder of Obama the candidate in his State of the Union speech last week. As the usually raucous ranks were reduced to a hush, hanging on words delivered with the cadence of a preacher, there must have been a few Republicans who wondered if they should delay their run for the White House by another four years." Must there? "A chastened President Obama should carry on triangulating, making deals, rejecting ideology and govern from the centre, but couch his complex method into a simpler message." #
*
Matt Frei can always be relied upon to provide a biased point of view on his diary. Just have a look at this gem:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8494796.stm
*
So Newt Gingrich's Contract with America was "a dodgy deal", the Tea Party movement consists of "Braveheart warriors", Bill Clinton was a "magician" and "Tony Blair his best understudy" in the admirable tactic of "triangulation" and Barack Obama's presidency "is turning out to be a masterclass in triangulation". "Triangulation" (and "The Third Way") "appeals to his elegant intellect". "The current president is a man whose quiet self-confidence is the result of having always triumphed as the outsider...Obama was always the talented misfit." (Sounds like a character in a liberal Hollywood movie, doesn't he?). Frei talks of how Obama "seduced this country":
"We saw a reminder of Obama the candidate in his State of the Union speech last week. As the usually raucous ranks were reduced to a hush, hanging on words delivered with the cadence of a preacher, there must have been a few Republicans who wondered if they should delay their run for the White House by another four years." Must there? "A chastened President Obama should carry on triangulating, making deals, rejecting ideology and govern from the centre, but couch his complex method into a simpler message." #
*
EVAN SEES RED MIST
*
My early high hopes for Evan Davis have been fading month by month. His interview this morning with Chris Grayling, over the Conservatives' alleged misuse of crime statistics, was not one of this thoughtful, relaxed interviews - far from it. Evan's tone here has been very accurately described by Not a sheep as "indignant". There were 6 stroppy interruptions, resulting in an I.C. of 1.0. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8494000/8494982.stm
*
If Evan is on tomorrow's 'Today' and gets to interview a Labour politician, I hope he tackles him and waxes equally righteous on the issue of Gordon Brown's outright lies at Prime Minister's Questions:
http://dizzythinks.net/2010/02/brown-accused-of-lying-to-parliament-by.html. I suspect he won't.
*
My early high hopes for Evan Davis have been fading month by month. His interview this morning with Chris Grayling, over the Conservatives' alleged misuse of crime statistics, was not one of this thoughtful, relaxed interviews - far from it. Evan's tone here has been very accurately described by Not a sheep as "indignant". There were 6 stroppy interruptions, resulting in an I.C. of 1.0. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8494000/8494982.stm
*
If Evan is on tomorrow's 'Today' and gets to interview a Labour politician, I hope he tackles him and waxes equally righteous on the issue of Gordon Brown's outright lies at Prime Minister's Questions:
http://dizzythinks.net/2010/02/brown-accused-of-lying-to-parliament-by.html. I suspect he won't.
*
QUESTIONS QUESTIONS
*
Has anyone else noticed that the Tories seem to be being even more closely questioned that ever these days, and much more so than their Labour counterparts? Is this going to become a significant trend in the lead-up to the general election?
*
Following on from Kirsty Wark (not pictured) on last night's Newsnight, I note that Martha Kearney asked Conservative Jeremy Hunt 5 questions on today's The World at One but Peter Hain just 3 questions (and Sarah Teather of the Lib Dems only one). Similarly even blog favourite Andrew Neil asked the self-same Jeremy Hunt 34 questions on today's The Daily Politics, but only asked 'Lucky' Liam Byrne just 7 questions. Even this blog's other favourite Eddie Mair presided over a discussion between the parties on Monday's PM that saw Philip Hammond score an I.C. of 1.2 compared to 0.6 for the self-same Liam Byrne and 0 (of course) for Vince Cable.
*
Has anyone else noticed that the Tories seem to be being even more closely questioned that ever these days, and much more so than their Labour counterparts? Is this going to become a significant trend in the lead-up to the general election?
*
Following on from Kirsty Wark (not pictured) on last night's Newsnight, I note that Martha Kearney asked Conservative Jeremy Hunt 5 questions on today's The World at One but Peter Hain just 3 questions (and Sarah Teather of the Lib Dems only one). Similarly even blog favourite Andrew Neil asked the self-same Jeremy Hunt 34 questions on today's The Daily Politics, but only asked 'Lucky' Liam Byrne just 7 questions. Even this blog's other favourite Eddie Mair presided over a discussion between the parties on Monday's PM that saw Philip Hammond score an I.C. of 1.2 compared to 0.6 for the self-same Liam Byrne and 0 (of course) for Vince Cable.
*
WATTS GOING ON?
*
Also on Newsnight, I see that Susan Watts's report on the IPCC's latest blunders featured among its talking heads one Mike Hulme, labelled only as 'Professor of Environmental Sciences'. I wondered where he was professor at, as Newsnight generally mentions an academic's place of work. It certainly did with the other academics in the piece, namely 'Professor Gwyn Prins, LSE' and 'Bob Ward, LSE'. Could it be that Newsnight merely forgot to mention this useful bit of information about one of its key witnesses for the defence? What raises suspicions, however, is that that is transpires that Prof. Hulme works at the scandal-hit University of East Anglia (of 'Climategate' notoriety). Maybe Newsnight didn't forget at all. Maybe they chose to 'forget', so as not to tarnish the non-sceptical professor by association. Aha!!
*
Also on Newsnight, I see that Susan Watts's report on the IPCC's latest blunders featured among its talking heads one Mike Hulme, labelled only as 'Professor of Environmental Sciences'. I wondered where he was professor at, as Newsnight generally mentions an academic's place of work. It certainly did with the other academics in the piece, namely 'Professor Gwyn Prins, LSE' and 'Bob Ward, LSE'. Could it be that Newsnight merely forgot to mention this useful bit of information about one of its key witnesses for the defence? What raises suspicions, however, is that that is transpires that Prof. Hulme works at the scandal-hit University of East Anglia (of 'Climategate' notoriety). Maybe Newsnight didn't forget at all. Maybe they chose to 'forget', so as not to tarnish the non-sceptical professor by association. Aha!!
*
KIRSTY TREATS THE TORY WORST
*
During last night's boisterous Newsnight discussion on electoral reform (AV) Kirsty Wark asked Eric Pickles 8 questions, Chris Huhne 6 and Peter Hain only 3. Fancy a BBC interviewer giving the Labour politician the easiest ride!
*
She interrupted Eric Pickles 5 times, Chris Huhne 3 times and Peter Hain only once. Fancy a BBC interviewer giving the Labour politician the easiest ride!
*
The resultant I.C.s were 2.0 for Eric Pickles, 1.3 for Chris Huhne and 0.7 for Peter Hain. Fancy a BBC interviewer giving the Labour politician the easiest ride!
*
During last night's boisterous Newsnight discussion on electoral reform (AV) Kirsty Wark asked Eric Pickles 8 questions, Chris Huhne 6 and Peter Hain only 3. Fancy a BBC interviewer giving the Labour politician the easiest ride!
*
She interrupted Eric Pickles 5 times, Chris Huhne 3 times and Peter Hain only once. Fancy a BBC interviewer giving the Labour politician the easiest ride!
*
The resultant I.C.s were 2.0 for Eric Pickles, 1.3 for Chris Huhne and 0.7 for Peter Hain. Fancy a BBC interviewer giving the Labour politician the easiest ride!
*
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
THEY'RE NOT WEARING BLUE THIS AFTERNOON
*
The World at One today began by looking at Gordon Brown's election wheeze over electoral reform, and discussed it was Antony Green, an election expert from Australia's ABC, Pam Giddy of the electoral reform organistation Power 2010 (a former Newsnight producer and denizen of a whole host of other left-liberal organisations), a Labour MP Tom Harris (one of the best of the breed), a Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne then another Labour MP John Denham. No Conservatives of course. Nor were there any when the conversation turned to Tory economic plans, only Jan Randolph, head of Sovereign Risk Analysis at IHS Global Insight. After a brief taste of Clare Short's evidence at the Chilcot Inquiry came a discussion on Pope Benedict's concerns about Harriet Harman's Equality Bill. This was discussed by a Labour MEP Stephen Hughes and John Deighan, parliamentary advisor to the Scottish bishops.
*
PM returned to the subject of electoral reform and discussed it with Ken Ritchie of the Electoral Reform Society. Red Ken has had many fingers in many left-liberal pies over the years and had stood for parliament three times for the Labour Party. He thinks that Gordon's wheeze is a "welcome" move and "a step in the right direction", but of course wants Brown to go much, much further. The programme also discussed Tory economic plans but again without any Conservatives. This time Eddie discussed the issue with anti-Tory BBC political correspondent Norman Smith, who kept on saying that George Osborne had made a "huge gamble" (a phrase he used twice), and that his pledge to maintain Britain's AAA credit rating "seems to (him) to be potentially hugely problematic" (a phrase he also used twice, unlike the word 'Conservative' which only once crossed his lips. Norm, like Crick, prefers the word 'Tory' and made much use of it here).
*
The World at One today began by looking at Gordon Brown's election wheeze over electoral reform, and discussed it was Antony Green, an election expert from Australia's ABC, Pam Giddy of the electoral reform organistation Power 2010 (a former Newsnight producer and denizen of a whole host of other left-liberal organisations), a Labour MP Tom Harris (one of the best of the breed), a Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne then another Labour MP John Denham. No Conservatives of course. Nor were there any when the conversation turned to Tory economic plans, only Jan Randolph, head of Sovereign Risk Analysis at IHS Global Insight. After a brief taste of Clare Short's evidence at the Chilcot Inquiry came a discussion on Pope Benedict's concerns about Harriet Harman's Equality Bill. This was discussed by a Labour MEP Stephen Hughes and John Deighan, parliamentary advisor to the Scottish bishops.
*
PM returned to the subject of electoral reform and discussed it with Ken Ritchie of the Electoral Reform Society. Red Ken has had many fingers in many left-liberal pies over the years and had stood for parliament three times for the Labour Party. He thinks that Gordon's wheeze is a "welcome" move and "a step in the right direction", but of course wants Brown to go much, much further. The programme also discussed Tory economic plans but again without any Conservatives. This time Eddie discussed the issue with anti-Tory BBC political correspondent Norman Smith, who kept on saying that George Osborne had made a "huge gamble" (a phrase he used twice), and that his pledge to maintain Britain's AAA credit rating "seems to (him) to be potentially hugely problematic" (a phrase he also used twice, unlike the word 'Conservative' which only once crossed his lips. Norm, like Crick, prefers the word 'Tory' and made much use of it here).
*
MICHAEL CRICK MAKES ME SICK
*
Oh Michael Crick really is a biased piece of work!
*
Last night's Newsnight begins and Kirsty Wark says "As talks continue in Northern Ireland our political editor reveals the Conservatives' efforts to do their own deal in the province are becoming unstuck." Cue Crick: "Have David Cameron's plans to transform the politics of Northern Ireland been scuppered by a secret meeting held here in the headquarters of the Orange Order?"
*
You rarely see Crick on Newsnight these days, but whenever he's got an investigative report to bring, why is it again and again and again about the Conservatives (or 'Torrrries', as he calls them)? Why is it always critical in tone? Why does it always highlight problems for them, or secret talks, or splits? Why is Labour, the governing party, so rarely (if ever) on the receiving end of such treatment from Michael Crick? (In the last couple of months all he's ever mentioned in this regard is electoral reform, as he did again last night - for more on which please see Not a sheep http://notasheepmaybeagoat.blogspot.com/2010/02/labour-facing-defeat-so-move-goalposts.html). Why is he allowed to get away with it time after time?
**
It's a sick joke that this man is political editor of Newsnight. He's a Labour Party partisan, nothing more.
*
Oh Michael Crick really is a biased piece of work!
*
Last night's Newsnight begins and Kirsty Wark says "As talks continue in Northern Ireland our political editor reveals the Conservatives' efforts to do their own deal in the province are becoming unstuck." Cue Crick: "Have David Cameron's plans to transform the politics of Northern Ireland been scuppered by a secret meeting held here in the headquarters of the Orange Order?"
*
You rarely see Crick on Newsnight these days, but whenever he's got an investigative report to bring, why is it again and again and again about the Conservatives (or 'Torrrries', as he calls them)? Why is it always critical in tone? Why does it always highlight problems for them, or secret talks, or splits? Why is Labour, the governing party, so rarely (if ever) on the receiving end of such treatment from Michael Crick? (In the last couple of months all he's ever mentioned in this regard is electoral reform, as he did again last night - for more on which please see Not a sheep http://notasheepmaybeagoat.blogspot.com/2010/02/labour-facing-defeat-so-move-goalposts.html). Why is he allowed to get away with it time after time?
**
It's a sick joke that this man is political editor of Newsnight. He's a Labour Party partisan, nothing more.
*
Monday, 1 February 2010
VIGNETTES FROM TODAY'S 'TODAY'
*
This morning's Today featured a classic heated debate among liberal-left types over national pay rates. It pitted Professor Alison Wolf of the liberal think-tank Centre Forum (also a presenter of Radio 4's Analysis and a writer for Prospect and The Guardian) against left-winger Sarah Veale of the T.U.C. They went at each other hammer and tongs!
*
The only right-winger on the entire programme was Michael Gove, though his thoughts on inequality sounded distinctly left-wing to my mind. He was interviewed with Professor Richard G. Wilkinson of the left-wing Equality Trust, whose views Mr Gove avowedly admires. Justin Webb used Professor Wilkinson to get at Michael Gove, though in fairness Justin did ask some pertinent questions to the professor about the successful, enterprising spirit of 'unequal' America (which he declined to answer, using that classic academic ploy, the 'it's not my specialist area' manoeuvre). For an American take on this encounter, please have a read of David Preiser's commentary at 15:51:40 (the one with Haydn's face after it!) on the Biased BBC website: http://biased-bbc.blogspot.com/2010/01/open-thread_30.html#comments.
**
Elsewhere they was Nick Clegg and Andy Burnham (neither of whom had to share their interviews with a third party), yet another report on Israeli 'wickedness' in Gaza and a bit on tower blocks with the head of the Royal Institute of British Architects and Lynsey Hanley of The Guardian.
*
This morning's Today featured a classic heated debate among liberal-left types over national pay rates. It pitted Professor Alison Wolf of the liberal think-tank Centre Forum (also a presenter of Radio 4's Analysis and a writer for Prospect and The Guardian) against left-winger Sarah Veale of the T.U.C. They went at each other hammer and tongs!
*
The only right-winger on the entire programme was Michael Gove, though his thoughts on inequality sounded distinctly left-wing to my mind. He was interviewed with Professor Richard G. Wilkinson of the left-wing Equality Trust, whose views Mr Gove avowedly admires. Justin Webb used Professor Wilkinson to get at Michael Gove, though in fairness Justin did ask some pertinent questions to the professor about the successful, enterprising spirit of 'unequal' America (which he declined to answer, using that classic academic ploy, the 'it's not my specialist area' manoeuvre). For an American take on this encounter, please have a read of David Preiser's commentary at 15:51:40 (the one with Haydn's face after it!) on the Biased BBC website: http://biased-bbc.blogspot.com/2010/01/open-thread_30.html#comments.
**
Elsewhere they was Nick Clegg and Andy Burnham (neither of whom had to share their interviews with a third party), yet another report on Israeli 'wickedness' in Gaza and a bit on tower blocks with the head of the Royal Institute of British Architects and Lynsey Hanley of The Guardian.
*
UNJUSTIN
*
Justin Webb betrayed himself again this morning in his interview with Nick Clegg, when he affected a credulous tone with the Lib Dem leader and said "A billion from streamlining quangos? That sounds...people accuse the Conservatives of being over-ambitious, don't they, in their claims for what could come from efficiency savings!..." So a dig at the Conservatives from Justin (with no Conservatives present to defend themselves against it), an unspecific use of the word "people" and no acknowledgement from him that Labour can also be accused of "being over-ambitious in their claims for efficiency saving!"
*
Justin Webb betrayed himself again this morning in his interview with Nick Clegg, when he affected a credulous tone with the Lib Dem leader and said "A billion from streamlining quangos? That sounds...people accuse the Conservatives of being over-ambitious, don't they, in their claims for what could come from efficiency savings!..." So a dig at the Conservatives from Justin (with no Conservatives present to defend themselves against it), an unspecific use of the word "people" and no acknowledgement from him that Labour can also be accused of "being over-ambitious in their claims for efficiency saving!"
*
JANUARY'S AIRTIME PERCENTAGES - GUESS WHO STILL RULES THE WAVES?
*
Totalling up the lengths of all last month's interviews with UK politicians I've been able to work out an exact percentage for the amount of airtime each party has been granted for political interviews by the BBC in January.
The dominance of the BBC's airwaves by the Labour Party remains. If you sometimes feel, say, that there are a lot of Tory-free zones, or wonder when you last heard from UKIP, these figures suggest why!
*
While accepting that the governing party is likely to be questioned more than opposition parties - and rightly so! - the sheer scale of Labour's dominance is hardly healthy for democracy. If Labour's absolute majority of interview time was balanced by significantly tougher questioning, this would be fine - but it isn't; indeed, the questioning of Labour is significantly less tough than that of the Tories, the SNP and UKIP. So what's the BBC's excuse then?
*
Labour - 54.81% (12h 13m 18s)
Conservatives - 22.81% (5h 5m 13s)
Lib Dems - 12.65% (2h 49m 19s)
SNP - 2.25% (30m 10s)
Sinn Fein - 1.68% (22m 49s)
UKIP - 1.44% (19m 28s)
DUP - 1.22% (16m 34s)
Independents - 0.90% (12m 1s)
Greens - 0.60% (8m 4s)
SDLP - 0.48% (6m 46s)
Alliance - 0.46% (6m 18s)
TUV - 0.46% (6m 18s)
Respect - 0.24% (3m 16s)
*
Totalling up the lengths of all last month's interviews with UK politicians I've been able to work out an exact percentage for the amount of airtime each party has been granted for political interviews by the BBC in January.
The dominance of the BBC's airwaves by the Labour Party remains. If you sometimes feel, say, that there are a lot of Tory-free zones, or wonder when you last heard from UKIP, these figures suggest why!
*
While accepting that the governing party is likely to be questioned more than opposition parties - and rightly so! - the sheer scale of Labour's dominance is hardly healthy for democracy. If Labour's absolute majority of interview time was balanced by significantly tougher questioning, this would be fine - but it isn't; indeed, the questioning of Labour is significantly less tough than that of the Tories, the SNP and UKIP. So what's the BBC's excuse then?
*
Labour - 54.81% (12h 13m 18s)
Conservatives - 22.81% (5h 5m 13s)
Lib Dems - 12.65% (2h 49m 19s)
SNP - 2.25% (30m 10s)
Sinn Fein - 1.68% (22m 49s)
UKIP - 1.44% (19m 28s)
DUP - 1.22% (16m 34s)
Independents - 0.90% (12m 1s)
Greens - 0.60% (8m 4s)
SDLP - 0.48% (6m 46s)
Alliance - 0.46% (6m 18s)
TUV - 0.46% (6m 18s)
Respect - 0.24% (3m 16s)
*
JANUARY'S I.C.s - SUPER-AVERAGE I.C.s
*
My favourite measure of bias across the Beeb is the super-average interruption coefficient - which is calculated very simply by adding up all the individual I.C.s for each party & then dividing them by the number of interviewed granted to each party that month. As with all statistics, the larger the sample, the better the result - and the more significant any differences (hence the increase of the I.C. to 2 decimal places).
*
Here is how things worked out in January 2010. Guess who's top again?!
UKIP (5 interviews) - 1.56
DUP (4 interviews) - 1.26
SNP (6 interviews) - 0.95
Conservatives (75 interviews) - 0.91
Sinn Fein (6 interviews) - 0.82
Labour (134 interviews) - 0.61
Greens (2 interviews) - 0.60
Liberal Democrats (44 interviews) - 0.51
Independents (3 interviews) - 0.40
SDLP (2 interviews) - 0.30
TUV (2 interviews) - 0.25
Alliance (1 interview) - 0.00
Respect (1 interview) - 0.00
That very high average for UKIP, based on 6 interviews, leaps out straight off. It's very close to December's figure too (1.55), showing that there's a consistency to the BBC's hostility towards the party. The Democratic Unionist Party, propelled into the headlines by events, comes off second worse. The SNP continue to be ill-treated by the BBC and only slightly behind them come the Conservatives - again, significantly more likely to be interrupted by BBC interviewers than their Labour and Lib Dem counterparts, as shown here month after month after month. Left-wing bias at the BBC? Clearly.
*
My favourite measure of bias across the Beeb is the super-average interruption coefficient - which is calculated very simply by adding up all the individual I.C.s for each party & then dividing them by the number of interviewed granted to each party that month. As with all statistics, the larger the sample, the better the result - and the more significant any differences (hence the increase of the I.C. to 2 decimal places).
*
Here is how things worked out in January 2010. Guess who's top again?!
UKIP (5 interviews) - 1.56
DUP (4 interviews) - 1.26
SNP (6 interviews) - 0.95
Conservatives (75 interviews) - 0.91
Sinn Fein (6 interviews) - 0.82
Labour (134 interviews) - 0.61
Greens (2 interviews) - 0.60
Liberal Democrats (44 interviews) - 0.51
Independents (3 interviews) - 0.40
SDLP (2 interviews) - 0.30
TUV (2 interviews) - 0.25
Alliance (1 interview) - 0.00
Respect (1 interview) - 0.00
That very high average for UKIP, based on 6 interviews, leaps out straight off. It's very close to December's figure too (1.55), showing that there's a consistency to the BBC's hostility towards the party. The Democratic Unionist Party, propelled into the headlines by events, comes off second worse. The SNP continue to be ill-treated by the BBC and only slightly behind them come the Conservatives - again, significantly more likely to be interrupted by BBC interviewers than their Labour and Lib Dem counterparts, as shown here month after month after month. Left-wing bias at the BBC? Clearly.
*
JANUARY'S I.C.s - INTRODUCTION AND FULL LIST
*
A new month means another list of interruption coefficients.
*
286 interviews have occured throughout January. As always, this covers every edition of:
*
Today
The Daily Politics
The World At One
PM
The World Tonight
Newsnight
The Andrew Marr Show
Broadcasting House
The Politics Show
The World This Weekend
The Politics Show: Scotland
Dragon's Eye
The Record: Europe
Westminster Hour
*
Just as a reminder - Interruption Coefficients (I.C.s) are calculated by dividing the number of interruptions by the length of the interview. The higher the I.C. the tougher the interview (as a rule). I.C.s of 0 have contained no interruptions! Interruptions are only classed as interruptions if they stop or significantly alter the speaker's flow. Muttered 'wells' and the like are classed as 'abortive interruptions' and are not counted. Those that share an I.C., say of 0.8, are sub-ranked according to a hidden (inferior) measure called the Questions Coefficient, which is calculated by dividing thee number of questions by the length of the interview. The more questions there are, the likelier the interviewer is holding the reins in an interview. That means that everything is ranked just where it should be!
*
As usual I will begin with the full list (with apologies as ever for the lack of punctuation!!):
*
*
Date, Interviewer, Interviewee, Party, I.C.
*
21/01 Andrew Neil Philip Hammond Conservative 3.3
*
13/01 Jeremy Paxman Mike O'Brien Labour 3.2
25/01 Jeremy Paxman Philip Hammond Conservative 3.2
*
12/01 Andrew Neil Arlene Foster DUP 3.1
04/01 Jeremy Paxman Philip Hammond Conservative 3.1
*
20/01 Jeremy Paxman Edward Timpson Conservative 3
*
21/01 Gavin Esler Lord Pearson UKIP 2.8
*
12/01 Andrew Neil Alex Maskey Sinn Fein 2.5
05/01 Jo Coburn Grant Shapps Conservative 2.5
*
31/01 Shirin Wheeler Lord Dartmouth UKIP 2.4
*
07/01 Andrew Neil Tony McNulty Labour 2.3
20/01 John Humphrys David Willetts Conservative 2.3
*
04/01 Jeremy Paxman Liam Byrne Labour 2.1
21/01 Andrew Neil Ed Davey Lib Dem 2.1
25/01 Andrew Neil Sarah McCarthy-Fry Labour 2.1
*
12/01 Jeremy Paxman Lord Falconer Labour 2
*
25/01 Andrew Neil Theresa May Conservative 1.8
*
22/01 Jo Coburn Jeremy Brier Conservative 1.7
31/01 Gary Robertson John Swinney SNP 1.7
06/01 Jeremy Paxman Peter Mandelson Labour 1.7
04/01 Eddie Mair Andrew Lansley Conservative 1.7
06/01 Justin Webb Justine Greening Conservative 1.7
*
06/01 Andrew Neil Chris Bryant Labour 1.6
17/01 Jon Sopel Ed Balls Labour 1.6
26/01 Ed Stourton Tim Lewis Conservative 1.6
22/01 Jo Coburn Rachel Reeves Labour 1.6
25/01 Sarah Montague Sammy Wilson DUP 1.6
*
18/01 Andrew Neil Mark Lancaster Conservative 1.5
07/01 James Naughtie Eric Joyce Labour 1.5
26/01 Jeremy Paxman Alistair Darling Labour 1.5
05/01 Jo Coburn Danny Alexander Lib Dem 1.5
13/01 Andrew Neil Peter Hain Labour 1.5
31/01 Sophie Raworth Harriet Harman Labour 1.5
05/01 Justin Webb Nick Clegg Lib Dem 1.5
20/01 John Humphrys David Laws Lib Dem 1.5
06/01 Justin Webb John Hutton Labour 1.5
*
27/01 Jo Coburn Michael Heseltine Conservative 1.4
27/01 Ed Stourton Philip Hammond Conservative 1.4
15/01 Jo Coburn Baroness Neville-Jones Conservative 1.4
11/01 Andrew Neil Danny Alexander Lib Dem 1.4
09/01 Andrew Marr David Cameron Conservative 1.4
17/01 Andrew Marr Nick Clegg Lib Dem 1.4
*
26/01 Felicity Evans Philip Hammond Conservative 1.3
08/01 Jo Coburn Joanne Cash Conservative 1.3
20/01 Jeremy Paxman Meg Munn Labour 1.3
20/01 Andrew Neil John Denham Labour 1.3
22/01 Justin Webb George Osborne Conservative 1.3
25/01 Jeremy Paxman Vince Cable Lib Dem 1.3
12/01 Jo Coburn Alex Salmond SNP 1.3
14/01 Emily Maitlis George Osborne Conservative 1.3
24/01 Glenn Campbell Anne McLaughlin SNP 1.3
05/01 James Naughtie Nick Herbert Conservative 1.3
10/01 Carolyn Quinn Ed Vaizey Conservative 1.3
20/01 John Humphrys Ed Balls Labour 1.3
22/01 James Naughtie Rob Hayward Conservative 1.3
27/01 Ed Stourton Denis MacShane Labour 1.3
20/01 Jeremy Paxman Philip Hammond Conservative 1.3
*
27/01 Andrew Neil Eric Pickles Conservative 1.2
10/01 Carolyn Quinn Emily Thornberry Labour 1.2
06/01 Andrew Neil Lord Strathclyde Conservative 1.2
31/01 Jon Sopel David Cameron Conservative 1.2
11/01 Justin Webb Boris Johnson Conservative 1.2
21/01 Ed Stourton David Liddington Conservative 1.2
18/01 Evan Davis Michael Gove Conservative 1.2
25/01 Jeremy Paxman Lord Myners Labour 1.2
*
17/01 Jon Sopel Nigel Farage UKIP 1.1
25/01 Andrew Neil Chris Huhne Lib Dem 1.1
28/01 Andrew Neil John Hutton Labour 1.1
20/01 Andrew Neil Lord Tebbit Conservative 1.1
07/01 Evan Davis David Cameron Conservative 1.1
06/01 Jo Coburn Chris Bryant Labour 1.1
08/01 Shaun Ley Ed Miliband Labour 1.1
26/01 Ed Stourton Alistair Darling Labour 1.1
*
28/01 Andrew Neil Liam Fox Lib Dem 1
27/01 Jo Coburn Phil Woolas Labour 1
24/01 Jon Sopel Chris Grayling Conservative 1
28/01 Shelagh Fogarty John Hutton Labour 1
18/01 Andrew Neil Joan Walley Labour 1
24/01 Andrew Marr David Miliband Labour 1
26/01 Andrew Neil Liam Byrne Labour 1
31/01 Sophie Raworth George Osborne Labour 1
15/01 Brian Hanrahan Andrew Mitchell Conservative 1
19/01 Evan Davis Alan Johnson Labour 1
22/01 Gavin Esler Ed Balls Labour 1
20/01 Jo Coburn John Denham Labour 1
*
06/01 Eddie Mair Ed Miliband Labour 0.9
06/01 Jeremy Paxman Geoff Hoon Labour 0.9
05/01 Jo Coburn Stephen Timms Labour 0.9
26/01 Andrew Neil Vince Cable Lib Dem 0.9
13/01 Jo Coburn Peter Hain Labour 0.9
19/01 Andrew Neil Chris Grayling Conservative 0.9
24/01 Jon Sopel Harriet Harman Labour 0.9
13/01 Martha Kearney John Healey Labour 0.9
27/01 Andrew Neil Phil Woolas Labour 0.9
01/01 Felicity Evans Mike Foster Labour 0.9
19/01 James Naughtie John Reid Labour 0.9
22/01 Ed Stourton Ed Balls Labour 0.9
24/01 Norman Smith Lord Pearson UKIP 0.9
11/01 Jeremy Paxman Roy Hattersley Labour 0.9
04/01 Jeremy Paxman Khalid Mahmood Labour 0.9
*
06/01 Robin Lustig Geraldine Smith Labour 0.8
06/01 Robin Lustig Ben Bradshaw Labour 0.8
14/01 Eddie Mair John Mann Labour 0.8
20/01 Jo Coburn Lord Tebbit Conservative 0.8
22/01 Ed Stourton Lord Myners Labour 0.8
10/01 Shaun Ley David Trimble Conservative & Unionist 0.8
24/01 Glenn Campbell Fiona Hyslop SNP 0.8
03/01 Andrew Marr Gordon Brown Labour 0.8
15/01 John Humphrys Baroness Neville-Jones Conservative 0.8
*
08/01 Jo Coburn Karen Jennings Labour 0.7
08/01 Jo Coburn Ken Livingstone Labour 0.7
11/01 Jeremy Paxman John Prescott Labour 0.7
28/01 Eddie Mair Douglas Alexander Labour 0.7
14/01 Andrew Neil Don Foster Lib Dem 0.7
25/01 John Humphrys Lord Fowler Conservative 0.7
24/01 Andrew Marr Rory Stewart Conservative 0.7
18/01 Jeremy Paxman Tim Loughton Conservative 0.7
27/01 Eddie Mair Clare Short Ind Labour 0.7
08/01 Shaun Ley Mitchell McLaughlin Sinn Fein 0.7
12/01 Jo Coburn Margaret Beckett Labour 0.7
03/01 Carolyn Quinn Panjit Dhanda Labour 0.7
06/01 Martha Kearney David Laws Lib Dem 0.7
*
31/01 Adrian Masters Cheryl Gillan Conservative 0.6
08/01 Eddie Mair Alisdair McDonnell SDLP 0.6
13/01 Andrew Neil Nigel Farage UKIP 0.6
19/01 James Naughtie Chris Grayling Conservative 0.6
06/01 Martha Kearney Chris Bryant Labour 0.6
11/01 Eddie Mair Mitchell McLaughlin Sinn Fein 0.6
25/01 Sarah Montague Gerry Kelly Sinn Fein 0.6
07/01 James Naughtie Shaun Woodward Labour 0.6
09/01 James Naughtie Michael Portillo Conservative 0.6
27/01 Justin Webb Harriet Harman Labour 0.6
25/01 Felicity Evans Vince Cable Lib Dem 0.6
27/01 Sarah Montague Theresa May Conservative 0.6
27/01 Andrew Neil Michael Heseltine Conservative 0.6
17/01 Glenn Campbell Shona Robison SNP 0.6
28/01 Gavin Esler Denis MacShane Labour 0.6
29/01 Brian Hanrahan Sir Ming Campbell Lib Dem 0.6
31/01 Carolyn Quinn Caroline Lucas Green 0.6
*
19/01 Andrew Neil Ken Livingstone Labour 0.5
31/01 Sophie Raworth Clare Short Ind Labour 0.5
15/01 James Naughtie Vince Cable Lib Dem 0.5
21/01 John Humphrys Kim Howells Labour 0.5
01/01 Eddie Mair Mark Oaten Lib Dem 0.5
27/01 Ed Stourton John Denham Labour 0.5
06/01 Martha Kearney Patricia Hewitt Labour 0.5
31/01 Jon Sopel Peter Mandelson Labour 0.5
04/01 Martha Kearney Rachael Reeves Labour 0.5
21/01 Sarah Montague Tom Watson Labour 0.5
26/01 John Humphrys Michael Cashman Labour 0.5
11/01 Martha Kearney David Miliband Labour 0.5
08/01 Robin Lustig Jim Allister TUV 0.5
27/01 Justin Webb David Laws Lib Dem 0.5
13/01 Evan Davis Andrew Lansley Conservative 0.5
*
24/01 Felicity Evans Carwyn Jones Labour 0.4
25/01 Eddie Mair Lord Myners Labour 0.4
11/01 Jeremy Paxman Shaun Woodward Labour 0.4
04/01 Martha Kearney Rory Stewart Conservative 0.4
12/01 Eddie Mair Patrick Mercer Conservative 0.4
13/01 Jeremy Paxman Vince Cable Lib Dem 0.4
17/01 Glenn Campbell Jeremy Purvis Lib Dem 0.4
28/01 Robin Lustig Chris Bryant Labour 0.4
13/01 Jo Coburn Charles Kennedy Lib Dem 0.4
23/01 Ritula Shah Patrick Mercer Conservative 0.4
18/01 Evan Davis Lord Myners Labour 0.4
04/01 Justin Webb Brian Paddick Lib Dem 0.4
05/01 Ritula Shah Dick Taverne Lib Dem 0.4
06/01 Martha Kearney Eric Pickles Conservative 0.4
07/11 Robin Lustig Lord Hunt Labour 0.4
09/01 Sarah Montague Glenys Kinnock Labour 0.4
17/01 Shirin Wheeler Glenis Willmott Labour 0.4
19/01 Ritula Shah Sir Ming Campbell Lib Dem 0.4
28/01 James Naughtie Gordon Brown Labour 0.4
29/01 Gavin Esler Sir Ming Campbell Lib Dem 0.4
05/01 James Naughtie Hilary Benn Labour 0.4
22/01 James Naughtie Lord Philip Gould Labour 0.4
10/01 Carolyn Quinn Jeremy Browne Lib Dem 0.4
31/01 Shirin Wheeler Richard Howitt Labour 0.4
*
29/01 Brian Hanrahan Liam Fox Conservative 0.3
24/01 Glenn Campbell Ann McKechin Labour 0.3
19/01 Martha Kearney Geoffrey Robinson Labour 0.3
26/01 Felicity Evans Lord Mandelson Labour 0.3
12/01 Evan Davis Bernard Jenkin Conservative 0.3
28/01 Gavin Esler David Miliband Labour 0.3
03/01 Andrew Marr Michael Portillo Conservative 0.3
08/01 Sarah Montague Bridget Prentice Labour 0.3
11/01 James Naughtie Anne Begg Labour 0.3
24/01 Shirin Wheeler Claude Moraes Labour 0.3
29/01 Gavin Esler Margaret Beckett Labour 0.3
04/01 Justin Webb Ben Wallace Conservative 0.3
11/01 Robin Lustig Alex Massey Sinn Fein 0.3
27/01 Eddie Mair Clive Soley Labour 0.3
03/01 Carolyn Quinn Ed Vaizey Conservative 0.3
26/01 Sarah Montague Lord Joffe Labour 0.3
13/01 Evan Davis Ming Campell Lib Dem 0.3
17/01 Shirin Wheeler Geoffrey Van Orden Conservative 0.3
21/01 Eddie Mair Denis MacShane Labour 0.3
30/01 James Naughtie Chris Huhne Lib Dem 0.3
02/01 Sarah Montague Des Browne Labour 0.3
29/01 Brian Hanrahan Lord Falconer Labour 0.3
*
11/01 Eddie Mair Gregory Campbell DUP 0.2
21/01 John Humphrys Lord Wallace Lib Dem 0.2
01/01 Shaun Ley Louise Ellman Labour 0.2
31/01 Carolyn Quinn Tom Harris Labour 0.2
31/01 Carolyn Quinn Lynne Featherstone Lib Dem 0.2
17/01 Norman Smith Tom Harris Labour 0.2
24/01 Norman Smith Charles Walker Conservative 0.2
29/01 Eddie Mair Margaret Beckett Labour 0.2
03/01 Carolyn Quinn Patrick Cormack Conservative 0.2
08/01 Sarah Montague Hilary Benn Labour 0.2
11/01 James Naughtie Alex Massey Sinn Fein 0.2
11/01 James Naughtie Nick Clegg Lib Dem 0.2
17/01 Norman Smith Mark Field Conservative 0.2
30/01 Evan Davis Alistair Darling Labour 0.2
11/01 James Naughtie Ed Balls Labour 0.2
*
09/01 Sarah Montague Shaun Woodward Labour 0.1
24/01 Norman Smith Jeremy Browne Lib Dem 0.1
*
22/01 Ed Stourton Vince Cable Lib Dem 0
31/01 Shirin Wheeler Mary Honeyball Labour 0
11/01 Robin Lustig Barry Sheerman Labour 0
04/01 Martha Kearney James Arbuthnot Conservative 0
09/01 Sarah Montague Dave Sparks Labour 0
25/01 Eddie Mair David Ford Alliance 0
07/01 Evan Davis David Sparks Labour 0
08/01 Sarah Montague Kevin Barron Labour 0
05/01 Martha Kearney Greg Clark Conservative 0
05/01 Martha Kearney Geoffrey Robinson Labour 0
07/01 Martha Kearney John Knight Labour 0
16/01 Felicity Evans Tony Benn Labour 0
17/01 Shirin Wheeler Jean Lambert Green 0
25/01 Sarah Montague Douglas Alexander Labour 0
07/01 Shelagh Fogarty Nadine Dorries Conservative 0
11/01 Martha Kearney Jeffrey Donaldson DUP 0
13/01 Martha Kearney Douglas Alexander Labour 0
20/01 Martha Kearney Simon Hughes Lib Dem 0
31/01 Shirin Wheeler Kay Swinburne Conservative 0
04/01 Martha Kearney Karen Gillard Lib Dem 0
12/01 Martha Kearney Lord Carlisle Lib Dem 0
13/01 Martha Kearney Caroline Spelman Conservative 0
22/01 James Naughtie Phil Woolas Labour 0
10/01 Shaun Ley Jim Allister TUV 0
17/01 Glenn Campbell Lord Hunt Labour 0
20/01 Martha Kearney Theresa May Conservative 0
21/01 Eddie Mair Ed Davey Lib Dem 0
30/01 Carolyn Quinn Chris Grayling Conservative 0
04/01 Ritula Shah Rory Stewart Conservative 0
06/01 Jo Coburn Lord Strathclyde Conservative 0
06/01 Martha Kearney John McFall Labour 0
07/11 Robin Lustig Gareth Thomas Labour 0
08/01 Shaun Ley David Ford Alliance 0
14/01 Martha Kearney Douglas Alexander Labour 0
16/01 Felicity Evans Carl Minns Lib Dem 0
21/01 Shelagh Fogarty Peter Kilfoyle Labour 0
27/01 Robin Lustig Sir Alan Beith Lib Dem 0
01/01 Carolyn Quinn Keith Vaz Labour 0
14/01 Sarah Montague John Denham Labour 0
14/01 John Humphrys Alan Beith Lib Dem 0
15/01 Felicity Evans Douglas Alexander Labour 0
17/01 Glenn Campbell Richard Simpson Labour 0
17/01 Glenn Campbell Derek Brownlee Conservative 0
18/01 Martha Kearney Cathy Ashton Labour 0
29/01 Eddie Mair Chris Mullin Labour 0
01/01 Norman Smith Tony Benn Labour 0
05/01 Martha Kearney Sally Keeble Labour 0
12/01 Jeremy Paxman Ming Campbell Lib Dem 0
14/01 John Humphrys Douglas Alexander Labour 0
20/01 Martha Kearney Jim Knight Labour 0
22/01 Ed Stourton Tim Lawton Conservative 0
24/01 Glenn Campbell Margo MacDonald Independent 0
27/01 Ed Stourton Jeremy Browne Lib Dem 0
31/01 Jonny Dymond Ed Miliband Labour 0
03/01 Paddy O'Connell Kim Howell Labour 0
04/01 Evan Davis Malcolm Rifkind Conservative 0
09/01 Ritula Shah Sir Patrick Cormack Conservative 0
12/01 Eddie Mair Sally Keeble Labour 0
12/01 Martha Kearney Keith Vaz Labour 0
25/01 Felicity Evans Alex Atwood SDLP 0
20/01 Sarah Montague Nicola Sturgeon SNP 0
28/01 Evan Davis David Blunkett Labour 0
13/01 Martha Kearney Danny Alexander Lib Dem 0
02/01 Justin Webb John Major Conservative 0
17/01 Jon Sopel Salma Yaqoob Respect 0
12/01 Martha Kearney Lord Falconer Labour 0
24/01 Shirin Wheeler Andrew Duff Lib Dem 0
28/01 Justin Webb Claude Moraes Labour 0
13/01 Andrew Neil Charles Kennedy Lib Dem 0
A new month means another list of interruption coefficients.
*
286 interviews have occured throughout January. As always, this covers every edition of:
*
Today
The Daily Politics
The World At One
PM
The World Tonight
Newsnight
The Andrew Marr Show
Broadcasting House
The Politics Show
The World This Weekend
The Politics Show: Scotland
Dragon's Eye
The Record: Europe
Westminster Hour
*
Just as a reminder - Interruption Coefficients (I.C.s) are calculated by dividing the number of interruptions by the length of the interview. The higher the I.C. the tougher the interview (as a rule). I.C.s of 0 have contained no interruptions! Interruptions are only classed as interruptions if they stop or significantly alter the speaker's flow. Muttered 'wells' and the like are classed as 'abortive interruptions' and are not counted. Those that share an I.C., say of 0.8, are sub-ranked according to a hidden (inferior) measure called the Questions Coefficient, which is calculated by dividing thee number of questions by the length of the interview. The more questions there are, the likelier the interviewer is holding the reins in an interview. That means that everything is ranked just where it should be!
*
As usual I will begin with the full list (with apologies as ever for the lack of punctuation!!):
*
*
Date, Interviewer, Interviewee, Party, I.C.
*
21/01 Andrew Neil Philip Hammond Conservative 3.3
*
13/01 Jeremy Paxman Mike O'Brien Labour 3.2
25/01 Jeremy Paxman Philip Hammond Conservative 3.2
*
12/01 Andrew Neil Arlene Foster DUP 3.1
04/01 Jeremy Paxman Philip Hammond Conservative 3.1
*
20/01 Jeremy Paxman Edward Timpson Conservative 3
*
21/01 Gavin Esler Lord Pearson UKIP 2.8
*
12/01 Andrew Neil Alex Maskey Sinn Fein 2.5
05/01 Jo Coburn Grant Shapps Conservative 2.5
*
31/01 Shirin Wheeler Lord Dartmouth UKIP 2.4
*
07/01 Andrew Neil Tony McNulty Labour 2.3
20/01 John Humphrys David Willetts Conservative 2.3
*
04/01 Jeremy Paxman Liam Byrne Labour 2.1
21/01 Andrew Neil Ed Davey Lib Dem 2.1
25/01 Andrew Neil Sarah McCarthy-Fry Labour 2.1
*
12/01 Jeremy Paxman Lord Falconer Labour 2
*
25/01 Andrew Neil Theresa May Conservative 1.8
*
22/01 Jo Coburn Jeremy Brier Conservative 1.7
31/01 Gary Robertson John Swinney SNP 1.7
06/01 Jeremy Paxman Peter Mandelson Labour 1.7
04/01 Eddie Mair Andrew Lansley Conservative 1.7
06/01 Justin Webb Justine Greening Conservative 1.7
*
06/01 Andrew Neil Chris Bryant Labour 1.6
17/01 Jon Sopel Ed Balls Labour 1.6
26/01 Ed Stourton Tim Lewis Conservative 1.6
22/01 Jo Coburn Rachel Reeves Labour 1.6
25/01 Sarah Montague Sammy Wilson DUP 1.6
*
18/01 Andrew Neil Mark Lancaster Conservative 1.5
07/01 James Naughtie Eric Joyce Labour 1.5
26/01 Jeremy Paxman Alistair Darling Labour 1.5
05/01 Jo Coburn Danny Alexander Lib Dem 1.5
13/01 Andrew Neil Peter Hain Labour 1.5
31/01 Sophie Raworth Harriet Harman Labour 1.5
05/01 Justin Webb Nick Clegg Lib Dem 1.5
20/01 John Humphrys David Laws Lib Dem 1.5
06/01 Justin Webb John Hutton Labour 1.5
*
27/01 Jo Coburn Michael Heseltine Conservative 1.4
27/01 Ed Stourton Philip Hammond Conservative 1.4
15/01 Jo Coburn Baroness Neville-Jones Conservative 1.4
11/01 Andrew Neil Danny Alexander Lib Dem 1.4
09/01 Andrew Marr David Cameron Conservative 1.4
17/01 Andrew Marr Nick Clegg Lib Dem 1.4
*
26/01 Felicity Evans Philip Hammond Conservative 1.3
08/01 Jo Coburn Joanne Cash Conservative 1.3
20/01 Jeremy Paxman Meg Munn Labour 1.3
20/01 Andrew Neil John Denham Labour 1.3
22/01 Justin Webb George Osborne Conservative 1.3
25/01 Jeremy Paxman Vince Cable Lib Dem 1.3
12/01 Jo Coburn Alex Salmond SNP 1.3
14/01 Emily Maitlis George Osborne Conservative 1.3
24/01 Glenn Campbell Anne McLaughlin SNP 1.3
05/01 James Naughtie Nick Herbert Conservative 1.3
10/01 Carolyn Quinn Ed Vaizey Conservative 1.3
20/01 John Humphrys Ed Balls Labour 1.3
22/01 James Naughtie Rob Hayward Conservative 1.3
27/01 Ed Stourton Denis MacShane Labour 1.3
20/01 Jeremy Paxman Philip Hammond Conservative 1.3
*
27/01 Andrew Neil Eric Pickles Conservative 1.2
10/01 Carolyn Quinn Emily Thornberry Labour 1.2
06/01 Andrew Neil Lord Strathclyde Conservative 1.2
31/01 Jon Sopel David Cameron Conservative 1.2
11/01 Justin Webb Boris Johnson Conservative 1.2
21/01 Ed Stourton David Liddington Conservative 1.2
18/01 Evan Davis Michael Gove Conservative 1.2
25/01 Jeremy Paxman Lord Myners Labour 1.2
*
17/01 Jon Sopel Nigel Farage UKIP 1.1
25/01 Andrew Neil Chris Huhne Lib Dem 1.1
28/01 Andrew Neil John Hutton Labour 1.1
20/01 Andrew Neil Lord Tebbit Conservative 1.1
07/01 Evan Davis David Cameron Conservative 1.1
06/01 Jo Coburn Chris Bryant Labour 1.1
08/01 Shaun Ley Ed Miliband Labour 1.1
26/01 Ed Stourton Alistair Darling Labour 1.1
*
28/01 Andrew Neil Liam Fox Lib Dem 1
27/01 Jo Coburn Phil Woolas Labour 1
24/01 Jon Sopel Chris Grayling Conservative 1
28/01 Shelagh Fogarty John Hutton Labour 1
18/01 Andrew Neil Joan Walley Labour 1
24/01 Andrew Marr David Miliband Labour 1
26/01 Andrew Neil Liam Byrne Labour 1
31/01 Sophie Raworth George Osborne Labour 1
15/01 Brian Hanrahan Andrew Mitchell Conservative 1
19/01 Evan Davis Alan Johnson Labour 1
22/01 Gavin Esler Ed Balls Labour 1
20/01 Jo Coburn John Denham Labour 1
*
06/01 Eddie Mair Ed Miliband Labour 0.9
06/01 Jeremy Paxman Geoff Hoon Labour 0.9
05/01 Jo Coburn Stephen Timms Labour 0.9
26/01 Andrew Neil Vince Cable Lib Dem 0.9
13/01 Jo Coburn Peter Hain Labour 0.9
19/01 Andrew Neil Chris Grayling Conservative 0.9
24/01 Jon Sopel Harriet Harman Labour 0.9
13/01 Martha Kearney John Healey Labour 0.9
27/01 Andrew Neil Phil Woolas Labour 0.9
01/01 Felicity Evans Mike Foster Labour 0.9
19/01 James Naughtie John Reid Labour 0.9
22/01 Ed Stourton Ed Balls Labour 0.9
24/01 Norman Smith Lord Pearson UKIP 0.9
11/01 Jeremy Paxman Roy Hattersley Labour 0.9
04/01 Jeremy Paxman Khalid Mahmood Labour 0.9
*
06/01 Robin Lustig Geraldine Smith Labour 0.8
06/01 Robin Lustig Ben Bradshaw Labour 0.8
14/01 Eddie Mair John Mann Labour 0.8
20/01 Jo Coburn Lord Tebbit Conservative 0.8
22/01 Ed Stourton Lord Myners Labour 0.8
10/01 Shaun Ley David Trimble Conservative & Unionist 0.8
24/01 Glenn Campbell Fiona Hyslop SNP 0.8
03/01 Andrew Marr Gordon Brown Labour 0.8
15/01 John Humphrys Baroness Neville-Jones Conservative 0.8
*
08/01 Jo Coburn Karen Jennings Labour 0.7
08/01 Jo Coburn Ken Livingstone Labour 0.7
11/01 Jeremy Paxman John Prescott Labour 0.7
28/01 Eddie Mair Douglas Alexander Labour 0.7
14/01 Andrew Neil Don Foster Lib Dem 0.7
25/01 John Humphrys Lord Fowler Conservative 0.7
24/01 Andrew Marr Rory Stewart Conservative 0.7
18/01 Jeremy Paxman Tim Loughton Conservative 0.7
27/01 Eddie Mair Clare Short Ind Labour 0.7
08/01 Shaun Ley Mitchell McLaughlin Sinn Fein 0.7
12/01 Jo Coburn Margaret Beckett Labour 0.7
03/01 Carolyn Quinn Panjit Dhanda Labour 0.7
06/01 Martha Kearney David Laws Lib Dem 0.7
*
31/01 Adrian Masters Cheryl Gillan Conservative 0.6
08/01 Eddie Mair Alisdair McDonnell SDLP 0.6
13/01 Andrew Neil Nigel Farage UKIP 0.6
19/01 James Naughtie Chris Grayling Conservative 0.6
06/01 Martha Kearney Chris Bryant Labour 0.6
11/01 Eddie Mair Mitchell McLaughlin Sinn Fein 0.6
25/01 Sarah Montague Gerry Kelly Sinn Fein 0.6
07/01 James Naughtie Shaun Woodward Labour 0.6
09/01 James Naughtie Michael Portillo Conservative 0.6
27/01 Justin Webb Harriet Harman Labour 0.6
25/01 Felicity Evans Vince Cable Lib Dem 0.6
27/01 Sarah Montague Theresa May Conservative 0.6
27/01 Andrew Neil Michael Heseltine Conservative 0.6
17/01 Glenn Campbell Shona Robison SNP 0.6
28/01 Gavin Esler Denis MacShane Labour 0.6
29/01 Brian Hanrahan Sir Ming Campbell Lib Dem 0.6
31/01 Carolyn Quinn Caroline Lucas Green 0.6
*
19/01 Andrew Neil Ken Livingstone Labour 0.5
31/01 Sophie Raworth Clare Short Ind Labour 0.5
15/01 James Naughtie Vince Cable Lib Dem 0.5
21/01 John Humphrys Kim Howells Labour 0.5
01/01 Eddie Mair Mark Oaten Lib Dem 0.5
27/01 Ed Stourton John Denham Labour 0.5
06/01 Martha Kearney Patricia Hewitt Labour 0.5
31/01 Jon Sopel Peter Mandelson Labour 0.5
04/01 Martha Kearney Rachael Reeves Labour 0.5
21/01 Sarah Montague Tom Watson Labour 0.5
26/01 John Humphrys Michael Cashman Labour 0.5
11/01 Martha Kearney David Miliband Labour 0.5
08/01 Robin Lustig Jim Allister TUV 0.5
27/01 Justin Webb David Laws Lib Dem 0.5
13/01 Evan Davis Andrew Lansley Conservative 0.5
*
24/01 Felicity Evans Carwyn Jones Labour 0.4
25/01 Eddie Mair Lord Myners Labour 0.4
11/01 Jeremy Paxman Shaun Woodward Labour 0.4
04/01 Martha Kearney Rory Stewart Conservative 0.4
12/01 Eddie Mair Patrick Mercer Conservative 0.4
13/01 Jeremy Paxman Vince Cable Lib Dem 0.4
17/01 Glenn Campbell Jeremy Purvis Lib Dem 0.4
28/01 Robin Lustig Chris Bryant Labour 0.4
13/01 Jo Coburn Charles Kennedy Lib Dem 0.4
23/01 Ritula Shah Patrick Mercer Conservative 0.4
18/01 Evan Davis Lord Myners Labour 0.4
04/01 Justin Webb Brian Paddick Lib Dem 0.4
05/01 Ritula Shah Dick Taverne Lib Dem 0.4
06/01 Martha Kearney Eric Pickles Conservative 0.4
07/11 Robin Lustig Lord Hunt Labour 0.4
09/01 Sarah Montague Glenys Kinnock Labour 0.4
17/01 Shirin Wheeler Glenis Willmott Labour 0.4
19/01 Ritula Shah Sir Ming Campbell Lib Dem 0.4
28/01 James Naughtie Gordon Brown Labour 0.4
29/01 Gavin Esler Sir Ming Campbell Lib Dem 0.4
05/01 James Naughtie Hilary Benn Labour 0.4
22/01 James Naughtie Lord Philip Gould Labour 0.4
10/01 Carolyn Quinn Jeremy Browne Lib Dem 0.4
31/01 Shirin Wheeler Richard Howitt Labour 0.4
*
29/01 Brian Hanrahan Liam Fox Conservative 0.3
24/01 Glenn Campbell Ann McKechin Labour 0.3
19/01 Martha Kearney Geoffrey Robinson Labour 0.3
26/01 Felicity Evans Lord Mandelson Labour 0.3
12/01 Evan Davis Bernard Jenkin Conservative 0.3
28/01 Gavin Esler David Miliband Labour 0.3
03/01 Andrew Marr Michael Portillo Conservative 0.3
08/01 Sarah Montague Bridget Prentice Labour 0.3
11/01 James Naughtie Anne Begg Labour 0.3
24/01 Shirin Wheeler Claude Moraes Labour 0.3
29/01 Gavin Esler Margaret Beckett Labour 0.3
04/01 Justin Webb Ben Wallace Conservative 0.3
11/01 Robin Lustig Alex Massey Sinn Fein 0.3
27/01 Eddie Mair Clive Soley Labour 0.3
03/01 Carolyn Quinn Ed Vaizey Conservative 0.3
26/01 Sarah Montague Lord Joffe Labour 0.3
13/01 Evan Davis Ming Campell Lib Dem 0.3
17/01 Shirin Wheeler Geoffrey Van Orden Conservative 0.3
21/01 Eddie Mair Denis MacShane Labour 0.3
30/01 James Naughtie Chris Huhne Lib Dem 0.3
02/01 Sarah Montague Des Browne Labour 0.3
29/01 Brian Hanrahan Lord Falconer Labour 0.3
*
11/01 Eddie Mair Gregory Campbell DUP 0.2
21/01 John Humphrys Lord Wallace Lib Dem 0.2
01/01 Shaun Ley Louise Ellman Labour 0.2
31/01 Carolyn Quinn Tom Harris Labour 0.2
31/01 Carolyn Quinn Lynne Featherstone Lib Dem 0.2
17/01 Norman Smith Tom Harris Labour 0.2
24/01 Norman Smith Charles Walker Conservative 0.2
29/01 Eddie Mair Margaret Beckett Labour 0.2
03/01 Carolyn Quinn Patrick Cormack Conservative 0.2
08/01 Sarah Montague Hilary Benn Labour 0.2
11/01 James Naughtie Alex Massey Sinn Fein 0.2
11/01 James Naughtie Nick Clegg Lib Dem 0.2
17/01 Norman Smith Mark Field Conservative 0.2
30/01 Evan Davis Alistair Darling Labour 0.2
11/01 James Naughtie Ed Balls Labour 0.2
*
09/01 Sarah Montague Shaun Woodward Labour 0.1
24/01 Norman Smith Jeremy Browne Lib Dem 0.1
*
22/01 Ed Stourton Vince Cable Lib Dem 0
31/01 Shirin Wheeler Mary Honeyball Labour 0
11/01 Robin Lustig Barry Sheerman Labour 0
04/01 Martha Kearney James Arbuthnot Conservative 0
09/01 Sarah Montague Dave Sparks Labour 0
25/01 Eddie Mair David Ford Alliance 0
07/01 Evan Davis David Sparks Labour 0
08/01 Sarah Montague Kevin Barron Labour 0
05/01 Martha Kearney Greg Clark Conservative 0
05/01 Martha Kearney Geoffrey Robinson Labour 0
07/01 Martha Kearney John Knight Labour 0
16/01 Felicity Evans Tony Benn Labour 0
17/01 Shirin Wheeler Jean Lambert Green 0
25/01 Sarah Montague Douglas Alexander Labour 0
07/01 Shelagh Fogarty Nadine Dorries Conservative 0
11/01 Martha Kearney Jeffrey Donaldson DUP 0
13/01 Martha Kearney Douglas Alexander Labour 0
20/01 Martha Kearney Simon Hughes Lib Dem 0
31/01 Shirin Wheeler Kay Swinburne Conservative 0
04/01 Martha Kearney Karen Gillard Lib Dem 0
12/01 Martha Kearney Lord Carlisle Lib Dem 0
13/01 Martha Kearney Caroline Spelman Conservative 0
22/01 James Naughtie Phil Woolas Labour 0
10/01 Shaun Ley Jim Allister TUV 0
17/01 Glenn Campbell Lord Hunt Labour 0
20/01 Martha Kearney Theresa May Conservative 0
21/01 Eddie Mair Ed Davey Lib Dem 0
30/01 Carolyn Quinn Chris Grayling Conservative 0
04/01 Ritula Shah Rory Stewart Conservative 0
06/01 Jo Coburn Lord Strathclyde Conservative 0
06/01 Martha Kearney John McFall Labour 0
07/11 Robin Lustig Gareth Thomas Labour 0
08/01 Shaun Ley David Ford Alliance 0
14/01 Martha Kearney Douglas Alexander Labour 0
16/01 Felicity Evans Carl Minns Lib Dem 0
21/01 Shelagh Fogarty Peter Kilfoyle Labour 0
27/01 Robin Lustig Sir Alan Beith Lib Dem 0
01/01 Carolyn Quinn Keith Vaz Labour 0
14/01 Sarah Montague John Denham Labour 0
14/01 John Humphrys Alan Beith Lib Dem 0
15/01 Felicity Evans Douglas Alexander Labour 0
17/01 Glenn Campbell Richard Simpson Labour 0
17/01 Glenn Campbell Derek Brownlee Conservative 0
18/01 Martha Kearney Cathy Ashton Labour 0
29/01 Eddie Mair Chris Mullin Labour 0
01/01 Norman Smith Tony Benn Labour 0
05/01 Martha Kearney Sally Keeble Labour 0
12/01 Jeremy Paxman Ming Campbell Lib Dem 0
14/01 John Humphrys Douglas Alexander Labour 0
20/01 Martha Kearney Jim Knight Labour 0
22/01 Ed Stourton Tim Lawton Conservative 0
24/01 Glenn Campbell Margo MacDonald Independent 0
27/01 Ed Stourton Jeremy Browne Lib Dem 0
31/01 Jonny Dymond Ed Miliband Labour 0
03/01 Paddy O'Connell Kim Howell Labour 0
04/01 Evan Davis Malcolm Rifkind Conservative 0
09/01 Ritula Shah Sir Patrick Cormack Conservative 0
12/01 Eddie Mair Sally Keeble Labour 0
12/01 Martha Kearney Keith Vaz Labour 0
25/01 Felicity Evans Alex Atwood SDLP 0
20/01 Sarah Montague Nicola Sturgeon SNP 0
28/01 Evan Davis David Blunkett Labour 0
13/01 Martha Kearney Danny Alexander Lib Dem 0
02/01 Justin Webb John Major Conservative 0
17/01 Jon Sopel Salma Yaqoob Respect 0
12/01 Martha Kearney Lord Falconer Labour 0
24/01 Shirin Wheeler Andrew Duff Lib Dem 0
28/01 Justin Webb Claude Moraes Labour 0
13/01 Andrew Neil Charles Kennedy Lib Dem 0
IT'S SOOO UNFAIR!
*
Last night's Westminster Hour was largely devoted to the Conservatives, although no Conservative politicians were present.
*
This week's all-seeing journalist was George Parker of the Financial Times. In no way can George or the F.T. be called ideologically left-wing but they have aligned themselves with the Labour Party for years now and Mr Parker was critical of David Cameron and the Conservatives here. Anyone tuning into Westminster Hour will have heard criticism of David Cameron and the Conservatives from the week's all-seeing journalist for weeks on end now!
*
When can we expect a Conservative (or UKIP) supporting journalist from the Times, the Telegraph or the Mail to receive an invite to appear on this most unbalanced of BBC programmes? Surely next week?
*
Here's that (growing) list again:
*
31/1/10 George Parker of the Financial Times
24/1/10 Kevin Maguire of the Mirror
17/1/10 Andrew Grice of the Independent
10/1/10 Nick Watt of the Guardian
3/1/10 Michael Savage of the Independent
27/12/09 no programme
20/12/09 no journalist
13/12/09 Andrew Miller of the Economist
6/12/09 George Parker of the Financial Times
29/11/09 Toby Helm of the Observer
22/11/09 no journalist
15/11/09 Nick Watt of the Guardian
*
The politics panel consisted of:
*
Tom Harris (Labour)
Lynne Featherstone (Liberal Democrats)
Caroline Lucas (Green)
*
This is the second time that the Conservatives have been dropped so far this year. Labour and the Lib Dems have each been dropped once and should, if fairness is a guiding criteria at Westminster Hour (!), each be dropped in turn over the next couple of weeks (and if not why not?). I will be listening to see that this happens.
*
Despite there being no Conservative spokesman to defend their corner, Carolyn Quinn asked her three left-of-centre guests what they thought of David Cameron's policy on tackling burglars. They all rubbished the policy and slagged off the Tories. Is that a fair thing for Carolyn Quinn to have done? No!
*
The main section of the programme closed with a review of recent Conservative Party history with Dr Tim Bale of Sussex University. Though he had a downbeat story to tell (made even more downbeat by Carolyn's slanting of it) at least he's not an opponent of the Conservative Party. That's something at least.
*
*
I will listen to the Sunday Supplement when I get home (early) from work because it's the second part of Dr David Runciman's 'Turkeys Voting for Christmas' (see http://beebbiascraig.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-obamas-critics-are-stupid-and.html). Very ominously its subject is Inheritance Tax, that hottest of British political hot potatoes. Will it be as biased and dishonest as last week's take on American politics?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_westminster_hour/default.stm
*
Last night's Westminster Hour was largely devoted to the Conservatives, although no Conservative politicians were present.
*
This week's all-seeing journalist was George Parker of the Financial Times. In no way can George or the F.T. be called ideologically left-wing but they have aligned themselves with the Labour Party for years now and Mr Parker was critical of David Cameron and the Conservatives here. Anyone tuning into Westminster Hour will have heard criticism of David Cameron and the Conservatives from the week's all-seeing journalist for weeks on end now!
*
When can we expect a Conservative (or UKIP) supporting journalist from the Times, the Telegraph or the Mail to receive an invite to appear on this most unbalanced of BBC programmes? Surely next week?
*
Here's that (growing) list again:
*
31/1/10 George Parker of the Financial Times
24/1/10 Kevin Maguire of the Mirror
17/1/10 Andrew Grice of the Independent
10/1/10 Nick Watt of the Guardian
3/1/10 Michael Savage of the Independent
27/12/09 no programme
20/12/09 no journalist
13/12/09 Andrew Miller of the Economist
6/12/09 George Parker of the Financial Times
29/11/09 Toby Helm of the Observer
22/11/09 no journalist
15/11/09 Nick Watt of the Guardian
*
The politics panel consisted of:
*
Tom Harris (Labour)
Lynne Featherstone (Liberal Democrats)
Caroline Lucas (Green)
*
This is the second time that the Conservatives have been dropped so far this year. Labour and the Lib Dems have each been dropped once and should, if fairness is a guiding criteria at Westminster Hour (!), each be dropped in turn over the next couple of weeks (and if not why not?). I will be listening to see that this happens.
*
Despite there being no Conservative spokesman to defend their corner, Carolyn Quinn asked her three left-of-centre guests what they thought of David Cameron's policy on tackling burglars. They all rubbished the policy and slagged off the Tories. Is that a fair thing for Carolyn Quinn to have done? No!
*
The main section of the programme closed with a review of recent Conservative Party history with Dr Tim Bale of Sussex University. Though he had a downbeat story to tell (made even more downbeat by Carolyn's slanting of it) at least he's not an opponent of the Conservative Party. That's something at least.
*
*
I will listen to the Sunday Supplement when I get home (early) from work because it's the second part of Dr David Runciman's 'Turkeys Voting for Christmas' (see http://beebbiascraig.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-obamas-critics-are-stupid-and.html). Very ominously its subject is Inheritance Tax, that hottest of British political hot potatoes. Will it be as biased and dishonest as last week's take on American politics?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_westminster_hour/default.stm
*
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