Sunday morning viewing

I couldn’t help spotting irony in kindly Sheikh Mogra’s contribution to the Sunday programme featuring the Pew report. 

In the context of the projected rise in Europe’s Muslim population (to 18% by 20150) the good Sheikh said it will work out fine if WE stop invading MUSLIM Countries. 

Who’s invading whom?

*****

I listen to Andrew Marr on Start the Week occasionally, and he always impresses with his grasp of the issues discussed, sometimes extremely complex ones, such as  this morning’s episode. Russia, religion and the Middle East.

Andrew Marr has many talents, but I don’t think presenting the Andrew Marr show is one of them.

I was just thinking, in view of Rob Burley’s wry Twittering, why not swap jobs? Burley presents the Andrew Marr Show and  Andrew Marr produces it. Win-win.

Further to Craig’s astute observations about the paper review 

“Andrew Marr was trying to conduct an interview with Nigel Farage during the paper review, challenging him about those Trump tweets, Britain First and his EU pension - something that would have been much better done as a proper interview not during a supposedly relaxed paper review with two others leaping in to 'help' in harrying the ‘interviewee’.”

(admittedly, Rob Burley would have had to undergo even more flak had Farage been invited as an interviewee proper.) 

Craig referred to Ayesha Hazarika’s (and Nigel Farage’s) verbal incontinence  as 'a shouty affair', but Ms Hazarika was the one  throwing out ‘fascist’ and ‘racist’ like there was no tomorrow. 

Isn’t it odd that certain female pundits (men don’t do this so much) show their disrespect, nay, disgust, by gurning and squirming during an opponent's  attempt to “finish their point”. Ayesha gurned like a demented Yasmin Alibhai Brown, and (Craig politely referred to it as a hubbub) she and Farage continually interrupted each other, effectively drowning each other out. Andrew Marr didn’t seem to have the will nor the way to put things back in order.

Presenters! Take back control!

I spotted that tell-tale  'at last we agree on something’ from Andrew Marr as he signed off Jacob Rees Mogg, and I do think Rob Burleys’s retort was a tad glib:

“Well you don't know anything about Andrew's views. Think it was a jocular end to the interview which shouldn't be taken seriously really.”  

As Tweeter  “Tesh” remarked, I can’t see him saying that to “a leftist”, even in jest.

Still on Sunday viewing, Alan Milburn has resigned from something or other...

but when did he quit producing “One Big Family” for the BBC?