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General Election 2019


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49 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

Of course there are but Swinney or any other SNP spokesperson isn't going to have all that information inside his head going into every interview. 

In any case it is current SNP policy not to attack the media. That has been the case for a long time, going back as far as Salmond's first stint in charge. Salmond is old enough and wise enough to remember what happened to the Labour party in the 80s when they tried to go down that route. Ironically it was Alex who broke his own rules when he had a go at Nick Robinson. It was quite out of character for Alex to do that. I think he was just testing the water with that one.

Personally I think it's now time for that policy to change. I think more and more people are prepared to hear about media bias, especially when it's the State Broadcaster that is doing it. But that is a huge policy change and would need a strong team to manage it well. I'm not sure the middle of an election campaign is the right time to start it.

 

Amen to that.

The folk we need to push us over the line won't even think about media bias.  How many will know that the SNP recently wrote a stern letter to the BBC about being referred to as the Scottish Nationalist Party?  Just a slip of the tongue I'm sure, and I'm betting that their stern letter achieves the sum total of fck all.  However, going through them like a dose of salts in front of a live mic...

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1 hour ago, Orraloon said:

Of course there are but Swinney or any other SNP spokesperson isn't going to have all that information inside his head going into every interview. 

In any case it is current SNP policy not to attack the media. That has been the case for a long time, going back as far as Salmond's first stint in charge. Salmond is old enough and wise enough to remember what happened to the Labour party in the 80s when they tried to go down that route. Ironically it was Alex who broke his own rules when he had a go at Nick Robinson. It was quite out of character for Alex to do that. I think he was just testing the water with that one.

Personally I think it's now time for that policy to change. I think more and more people are prepared to hear about media bias, especially when it's the State Broadcaster that is doing it. But that is a huge policy change and would need a strong team to manage it well. I'm not sure the middle of an election campaign is the right time to start it.

 

The problem with politicians taking on journalists directly like that is that it looks like your either deflecting or being evasive and it gives the impression that you're trying to dictate what questions they can ask and that's not a good look.   Look at the shit Barry Gardiner got this week for pulling a journo up at their NHS press conference - and I think he had a very valid point. 

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So the BBC is caving in to interview Johnson on Marr without commitment to him being grilled by Neil. 

Their excuse is the London Bridge incident. So a platform for the Churchill impersonator to look statesmanlike. 

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34 minutes ago, aaid said:

The problem with politicians taking on journalists directly like that is that it looks like your either deflecting or being evasive and it gives the impression that you're trying to dictate what questions they can ask and that's not a good look.   Look at the shit Barry Gardiner got this week for pulling a journo up at their NHS press conference - and I think he had a very valid point. 

Not to mention that in Scotland the editorial team or interviewer is far more guided by Labour and Tory propaganda than they are in England 

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1 minute ago, exile said:

So the BBC is caving in to interview Johnson on Marr without commitment to him being grilled by Neil. 

Their excuse is the London Bridge incident. So a platform for the Churchill impersonator to look statesmanlike. 

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Fookin unbelievable. Its hardly surprising people lurch towards conspiracy theories. 
‘We continue to urge Boris Johnson to take part in the prime time Andrew Neil interview’ . Yeah, I bet he is shaking in his shoes. 


 

 

 

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1 hour ago, TDYER63 said:

Fookin unbelievable. Its hardly surprising people lurch towards conspiracy theories. 
‘We continue to urge Boris Johnson to take part in the prime time Andrew Neil interview’ . Yeah, I bet he is shaking in his shoes. 


 

 

 

I wouldn't stress. After all I guarantee Andrew Neil would not have grilled BJ too much. Andrew Neil has Tory roots and was member of young conservative clubs when younger and wrote for newspapers with a clear Tory bias.

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4 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

I wouldn't stress. After all I guarantee Andrew Neil would not have grilled BJ too much. Andrew Neil has Tory roots and was member of young conservative clubs when younger and wrote for newspapers with a clear Tory bias.

Oh I know that Craig, but its not really the point. We have a PM who will potentially  be in charge of steering us out the EU and he doesn't even have the courage to face difficult questions on his party’s governance from a guy who arguably could go pretty easy on him. 
He is winning this election by the back door, it beggars belief that people cannot see through him.  

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11 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

I wouldn't stress. After all I guarantee Andrew Neil would not have grilled BJ too much. Andrew Neil has Tory roots and was member of young conservative clubs when younger and wrote for newspapers with a clear Tory bias.

At least if Neil didn't grill him too much, we'd all see it.  + The fact Johnson doesn't want to do it is all the more reason to insist on it!

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2 minutes ago, exile said:

At least if Neil didn't grill him too much, we'd all see it.  + The fact Johnson doesn't want to do it is all the more reason to insist on it!

We all see/know of the bias but it counts for nothing. It is like the 'Billy Mitchell' issue. The BBC would never admit to their bias even when it is as clear as day.

 

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2 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

We all see/know of the bias but it counts for nothing. It is like the 'Billy Mitchell' issue. The BBC would never admit to their bias even when it is as clear as day.

 

OK, *we* may have known of the bias, but I think this time it's different. No one cares too much about the BritishBC being pro-British in a corner of Britain. Free speech and all that. And it helps keep the Nats in their box. Then they came for Corbyn, but not so many sympathisers when smearing a few unpatriotic lefties that some on their own party detest. But when the whole opposition starts noticing pro-Tory bias on every front, iwhen the BBC even U-turns on their promise not to do MArr without Neil, everyone starts to notice it stinks. Not quite cricket. I think on this occasion, even people who normally support the BBC instinctively (as liberal, democratic, impartial) are waking up to their bias. 

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48 minutes ago, Caledonian Craig said:

We all see/know of the bias but it counts for nothing. It is like the 'Billy Mitchell' issue. The BBC would never admit to their bias even when it is as clear as day.

 

I should add, that in terms of action, people should not get too distracted by this. When it was half of Scotland complaining, no one took notice. Now when half of UK is up in arms, let the rUK pull their weight. 

I seem to remember Ruth Davidson saying, a bit smugly, that while indy supporters were protesting Pacific Quay, they were leafleting. We can be sure that Cummings/the Tories benefit from any distractions. 

 

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4 hours ago, Caledonian Craig said:

I wouldn't stress. After all I guarantee Andrew Neil would not have grilled BJ too much. Andrew Neil has Tory roots and was member of young conservative clubs when younger and wrote for newspapers with a clear Tory bias.

Andrew Neil's affiliations are well known and he makes no secret of them.  However when it comes to his day job, in particular interviewing politicians he treats them all equally.  

The thing that is most important to Andrew Neil is his own reputation. 

There's a reason why Boris Johnson is running away from him and if the interview ever happens you can guarantee Neil will go in hard if only to dispel any suggestion that they'd agreed to go easy on him to secure the interview. 

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35 minutes ago, aaid said:

Andrew Neil's affiliations are well known and he makes no secret of them.  However when it comes to his day job, in particular interviewing politicians he treats them all equally.  

The thing that is most important to Andrew Neil is his own reputation. 

There's a reason why Boris Johnson is running away from him and if the interview ever happens you can guarantee Neil will go in hard if only to dispel any suggestion that they'd agreed to go easy on him to secure the interview. 

i would agree with that, he would try to hammer him if the interview ever came off

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His performance on Andrew Marr was a fucking disgrace, how anyone can think of putting that imbecile into power is beyond me. 

He stuttered, mumbled and bungled his way though, he can't even string a sentence together for fuck sake, whilst refusing to answer a single question. 

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21 minutes ago, Farcity said:

His performance on Andrew Marr was a fucking disgrace, how anyone can think of putting that imbecile into power is beyond me. 

He stuttered, mumbled and bungled his way though, he can't even string a sentence together for fuck sake, whilst refusing to answer a single question. 

Absolutely. 

Unbelievable how many idiots are in the UK - that mind sound harsh - but they fucking are if they vote for him as PM.

All the working class people too who will vote for him and JRM. Well, the joke is on them useful idiots. Bit like the Hicks in rhe American south who don't have two dimes to rub together but vote Republican.

I'd never vote Labour in Scotland, but certainly would consider it depending on the candidate in England. 

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3 minutes ago, weekevie04 said:

Absolutely. 

Unbelievable how many idiots are in the UK - that mind sound harsh - but they fucking are if they vote for him as PM.

All the working class people too who will vote for him and JRM. Well, the joke is on them useful idiots. Bit like the Hicks in rhe American south who don't have two dimes to rub together but vote Republican.

I'd never vote Labour in Scotland, but certainly would consider it depending on the candidate in England. 

I totally agree and when I lived in England I did vote Labour - may even have voted Lib Dems once but NEVER EVER Tory.

However, we live in sad and confusing times. Many will vote Tory as they are drawn to BJ's racist side and all his macho BS mistaking that for him being a strong leader. Others voting Tory being Brexiteers who would vote for their hand to be chopped off if it got them their Brexit. Also there are those sucked in by anti-semitism against Labour plus, of course, the upper class toffs who know the Tories will always fight to look after their massive nest eggs. So you see Toryism expands various classes of people no matter how repugnant it is.

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10 minutes ago, weekevie04 said:

Absolutely. 

Unbelievable how many idiots are in the UK - that mind sound harsh - but they fucking are if they vote for him as PM.

All the working class people too who will vote for him and JRM. Well, the joke is on them useful idiots. Bit like the Hicks in rhe American south who don't have two dimes to rub together but vote Republican.

I'd never vote Labour in Scotland, but certainly would consider it depending on the candidate in England. 

Calling people idiots because of a political system that presents them election after election with frankly horrible choices, lovely. 

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23 minutes ago, ParisInAKilt said:

Privately educated, plenty of TV and public speaking experience and suddenly can’t string a sentence together with Andrew Marr. Funny that. 

He's actually not the great communicator he's reputed to be.  His strength is basically in the sort of after dinner style speeches where he can look like he's making things up off the cuff but in fact it's a very well practices and well rehearsed schtick.  Jeremy Vine tells a very good story of how he was the MC at some industry awards dinner when Johnson was the guest speaker.  He - Johnson - turned up just before he was due to go on, scribbled a few notes down, got up on stage, giving the impression that he'd only just realised he was supposed to be there, was completely unprepared and went into his routine and had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand.  Vine thought he was brilliant, until he was at a similar event a year or so later and Johnson went through the exact same routine as before and he then realised that it was all an act.   It the same with the deliberately messed up hair, ill fitting suits, shirt tails hanging out, they're all part of the act.

Johnson is very good when he's got an audience that's on his side.  He's actually a terrible debater in the Commons, which is why he hardly spoke as a backbencher and he can't handle hard direct questioning as has been evident throughout his career. 

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I think someone said Johnson was essentially a print journalist. Good at a certain amount of wordsmithery and building up an argument (where racists sounding comments are taken out of context, honest guv). But poor verbal communicator/debater as others have said.

 

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I think the key to Johnson getting back in is that he promises to Get Brexit Done. And people hear that and they'd vote anyone to get it. In a sense you can't blame them, those 17.4 million who voted for Brexit and still waiting. It's unfinished business. If they put up an imbecile, criminal or talking horse, it could still be the right thing to do, to right what is perceived as a wrong. That's why all the attacks on his character and past record are futile. 

The tragedy of it (or the brilliance) is that BJ gets to bring in 5 new years of Tory rule on the back of that one piece of unfinished business.

But more than that, the tragedy for his own voters is that he can't deliver a Brexit that will satisfy all his followers.  He offers only a self-proclaimed 'polished turd' or 'surrender deal' that will keep part of UK under EU rule, that will loosen the bonds of the Precious Union. He is a weak cowardly man who could cave in to Trump, Russia and EU, right left and centre, but get the media to spin it as statesmanship. If I was a hard line Eurosceptic I'd much rather have a Redwood or a Dodds - or even Theresa May 😲 - fighting my corner. At least May had red lines. Johnson just has vague scribbles. 

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