I have to say that I've not got much sympathy with people complaining that The Andrew Marr Show made the Cameron/tax story its main focus this morning. With all the Sunday papers in a complete front-page-and-ten-inside-pages frenzy about the story it would have looked very odd for Andrew Marr's programme to have simply looked away.
With Jeremy Corbyn and Polly Toynbee on to attack David Cameron, and Iain Dale and Amber Rudd on to defend David Cameron, it wasn't as if the programme was leading a one-sided onslaught against the PM either - though Amber Rudd certainly got a much rougher ride than Jeremy Corbyn.
The odd thing that struck me about it though was Andrew Marr's treatment of the subject during the press review. He seemed to be repeatedly defending the PM against this critics in the papers. I could imagine the Twitter fury (and cries of 'Tory') from the Corbynistas on Twitter as I watched. Please watch it for yourselves and see if you agree. (It begins with his run-through on the newspaper front pages).
The odd thing that struck me about it though was Andrew Marr's treatment of the subject during the press review. He seemed to be repeatedly defending the PM against this critics in the papers. I could imagine the Twitter fury (and cries of 'Tory') from the Corbynistas on Twitter as I watched. Please watch it for yourselves and see if you agree. (It begins with his run-through on the newspaper front pages).
I had to smile at the way Iain Dale briefly appeared to take the wind out of Polly Toynbee's sails by bringing up his and her possession of a second home, and Andrew Marr seemed to be going out of his way to 'get his defence in first' on the matter of his own tax affairs (and those of his BBC colleagues) during the Jeremy Corbyn interview - not that Mr. Corbyn picked up on that very quickly. Is there anything Andy wants to tell us?
On the EU issue, both Amber Rudd (Remain) and Jeremy Corbyn (Remain) were questioned (briefly) on process matters. Nigel Lawson (Leave) was asked a few process questions too, but got some sharp, substantial questions as well on what a Brexit would mean for our access to the single markey, for UK farmers and expats in EU countries, and for the Irish/UK border. Lord Lawson more than held his own. Polly Toynbee (Remain) and Iain Dale (Leave, it appears) also ranged widely across the issue during the press review.
If I missed any bias here, please let me know.
On the EU issue, both Amber Rudd (Remain) and Jeremy Corbyn (Remain) were questioned (briefly) on process matters. Nigel Lawson (Leave) was asked a few process questions too, but got some sharp, substantial questions as well on what a Brexit would mean for our access to the single markey, for UK farmers and expats in EU countries, and for the Irish/UK border. Lord Lawson more than held his own. Polly Toynbee (Remain) and Iain Dale (Leave, it appears) also ranged widely across the issue during the press review.
If I missed any bias here, please let me know.
Sounds like Andy has his proverbial hand down the back of the knickers of a particularly curvy tax haven. [Foreign readers may be mystified by this allusion.]
ReplyDeleteThat's funnier than anything I heard on The Now Show.
DeleteSue, Craig You would seem to have missed this exchange
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