Gordon -we made mistakes

Compared to David Cameron's interview yesterday,Gordon Brown did far better in front of John Humphreys.(I can hear the claims of BBC bias as I write this.)

He had certainly done his homework,refuting the interviewers claims that we were the highest taxed country and that he wasn't bringing new ideas and policies to the public.

He did though admit mistakes,over the 10p tax debacle saying that it didn't take account of the lower paid and the 60-64 pensioners.

Nick Robinson was spot on the ball later,saying that listening had made him think his had tuned into an edition of In the Pschiatrists chair.

Not a bad performance though

Cameron gets a good kicking courtesy of Today

John Humphreys pt up his reputatio for giving politians a hard time on Today this morning as he interviewed David Cameron.

Humphreys as determined to get on the agenda that the Tory leader was simply playing Punch and Judy politics and has no policies of his own that opposing wahat the government did.

He was reminded of an article that he wrote for Guardian unlimited before he became leader where he said that

I long for a chancellor who stands up and introduces a Budget which abolishes all of Brown's endless reliefs and credits - and uses the money to cut tax rates at the same time. "My Budget has no title", the peroration would go, "it's your money, spend it as you choose." Am I alone?

Rather contrary to his current position.

Humphries did get one admission out of him though.He admits that his promise of not playing Punch and Judy politics when he became leader had fallen by the way.PMQ's was made for confrontational politics.Furthermore he was angry about the u turn of last week.

Should someone who loses it become Prime Minister asked Humphreys?

Worth a listen

Des Browne mauled on Today

If you want to hear an example of a politician being publically mauled then listen to defence secretary Des Browne being interviewed by John Humphreys on Today this morning.
It started badly with Browne accusing Humphreys of not having read the ruling and saying his introduction was full of inaccuracies.

Humphreys then attempted to go thru his introduction point by point with Browne digging his heals in over every point.

Humphreys insisting on reciting what the judge said and accused Browne of splitting hairs.

The breaking point came as the Today presenter accused the Defence secretary of going to court to stop the legal process investigating the failings of equipment in Iraq.Browne would not except that issue and Humphreys kept asking why he is appealing against the judgement.

By the end of the interview Browne was flaying seemingly losing the plot and repeating the same line over and over again.Then to finish him off,Humphreys brought up the issue of Bae.

Marvellous listening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now we have pro Cameron bias at the beeb

During the last Conservative government,the Today programme was always being accused of anti Tory bias.

Well the tables have turned.Labour MP Dawn Butler has written to the BBC complaining that David Cameron gets a n easy ride when being interviewed.

Three line whip publishes a copy of the letter in which she claims

Government folk think that Today keep asking Mr Cameron on to talk about subjects of his choice, and fail to ask him about "topical events". They claim that DC's last five appearances have followed that cosy format, unlike Gordon Brown and his team, who are regularly beasted on air

The Beeb has refuted the claims calling them rubbish and the Tory see further evidence of Gordon Brown's paranoia