Mailwatch(ed) Forum

You know what ? I think Newsnight has actually improved since the Beeb reduced it to 30 minutes long. It means that it is now really just a discussion programme, but it usually has a couple of interesting guests, and Victoria Derbyshire is doing a superb job, as is Nick Watt. The focus is all politics, which suits me fine. Not bad at all, at all.

Watching Kuenssberg interviewing the Chancellor of the Exchequer this morning, Kuenssberg’s approach was to try to cloak her own hostility towards a Labour Chancellor as merely being representative of the concerns of the viewers of her Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show. There was a great deal of “viewers want to know” type formulations, and, to be fair, she had a couple of vox pop type video clips to play, one of a farmer woman with a gripe about the closing of the IHT concession. But she spent an awful lot of time trying to get Rachel Reeves to concede that Labour’s manifesto pledge not to increase employees’ NI contributions was a lie, given the increase in employers’ NI contributions (aka “a tax on jobs”.). She was never going to get Reeves to concede any such thing, of course, but boy, did she stick at it.

The “viewers want to know” approach is a bit disingenuous, I feel, and not that dissimilar to the Trumpian “people are telling me”. I can see how it leads people to accuse Kuenssberg of Tory bias, but she - sort of - took a similar approach to her subsequent interview with Bad Enoch.

Watching Newsnight.. Is Tim Montgomerie having a stroke ?

Abernathy wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 10:51 pm Watching Newsnight.. Is Tim Montgomerie having a stroke ?

Just come on here to say the exact same thing Abers. He's developed some peculiar neck and mouth movements which I've never noticed before. He also seems to have lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw him - which I guess was around the time of the election. He really doesn't look at all well.

Oboogie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 11:11 pm

Abernathy wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 10:51 pm Watching Newsnight.. Is Tim Montgomerie having a stroke ?

Just come on here to say the exact same thing Abers. He's developed some peculiar neck and mouth movements which I've never noticed before. He also seems to have lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw him - which I guess was around the time of the election. He really doesn't look at all well.

I've seen that mentioned several times on social media. Almost as though he is recovering from a stroke.

He's not a clown, he's a nasty bit of work.

Turned on the idiot box to watch Kuenssberg.

Kevin Hollinrake. Piers Morgan. Nadine fucking Dorries (again).

Turned the telly off again immediately.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 10:08 am Turned on the idiot box to watch Kuenssberg.

Kevin Hollinrake. Piers Morgan. Nadine fucking Dorries (again).

Turned the telly off again immediately.

Lefties, one and all.

I was thinking of watching Question Time, but Farage is on.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 10:21 pm I was thinking of watching Question Time, but Farage is on.

I've not watched the show yet, but there are some great clips circulating on Twitter including this one of Alistair Campbell tearing Farage a new one. https://x.com/EddieBurfi/status/1864784623076540589

Abernathy wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 10:21 pm I was thinking of watching Question Time, but Farage is on.

Maybe he should be the Honourable Member for the Question Time studio - Eh readers!.


(At least he shows up there, unlike Clacton).

He's off to the US again today - to support Steve Bannon...

All those hours sitting on a plane won't be much fun after the spanking Campbell gave him last night.

Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2024 12:42 pm He's off to the US again today - to support Steve Bannon...

Who's paying for the flight this time?

Going to support a criminal in a foreign country!

Forrin criminalz is da best criminalz.

While covering the story about Sue Gray being nominated for a peerage a BBC correspondent basically said that Sue Gray was responsible for Boris Johnson losing his job as PM. This claim is wrong on so many levels. Firstly it wasn't Party Gate that did for Johnson but his failure to properly deal with a sex scandal involving Chris Pincher. Secondly all that Sue Gray did was publish evidence. It was Johnson who actually broke the rules and then lied about breaking the rules.

Christmas news always feels a bit like the last day of term and they've been allowed to bring games in.

Lunchtime bulletin had a bit on the economy, with much quoting of "business leaders" and vox pops of northerners. Then a long piece on fostering (choir, schmaltz, ickle baby Jeebus etc), a very patronising bit on violence against women which reduced the issue to "Ooh, in't she brave?", and an update from Magdeburg which revealed absolutely fuck and all. Finally, women's cycling, because they're available. Oh yes, and an advert for the new Wallace and Gromit thing. Oh, and the King's speech; more baby Jeebus and hey we're really relevant actually from the church.

Just reeked of fill the space.

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2024 1:35 pm Christmas news always feels a bit like the last day of term and they've been allowed to bring games in.

Lunchtime bulletin had a bit on the economy, with much quoting of "business leaders" and vox pops of northerners. Then a long piece on fostering (choir, schmaltz, ickle baby Jeebus etc), a very patronising bit on violence against women which reduced the issue to "Ooh, in't she brave?", and an update from Magdeburg which revealed absolutely fuck and all. Finally, women's cycling, because they're available. Oh yes, and an advert for the new Wallace and Gromit thing. Oh, and the King's speech; more baby Jeebus and hey we're really relevant actually from the church.

Just reeked of fill the space.

See also the acres of newsprint devoted to Gavin & Stacey.

davidjay wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2024 7:44 pm

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2024 1:35 pm Christmas news always feels a bit like the last day of term and they've been allowed to bring games in.

Lunchtime bulletin had a bit on the economy, with much quoting of "business leaders" and vox pops of northerners. Then a long piece on fostering (choir, schmaltz, ickle baby Jeebus etc), a very patronising bit on violence against women which reduced the issue to "Ooh, in't she brave?", and an update from Magdeburg which revealed absolutely fuck and all. Finally, women's cycling, because they're available. Oh yes, and an advert for the new Wallace and Gromit thing. Oh, and the King's speech; more baby Jeebus and hey we're really relevant actually from the church.

Just reeked of fill the space.

See also the acres of newsprint devoted to Gavin & Stacey.

Also about an hour of BBC Radio's "review" of the Christmas schedules.