Fuel duty - an absolute skewering.

Fuel duty - an absolute skewering.

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wormburner

Original Poster:

31,608 posts

252 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
quotequote all
An absolute skewering.

Very irresponsible of the grown-ups to send her in for this when she's clearly neither important nor a good liar. From 6m15s.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielknowles/10...

Oakey

27,523 posts

215 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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There's a certain irony reading about someone too young to do their job in an article written by someone who appears to be 12.

clanger

1,087 posts

257 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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What cowardice, or maybe I am just being naive wink in the Conservative upper ranks for letting her walk straight into Paxman's contemptible bullying.

PeanutHead

7,839 posts

169 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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Think it will give her a bit of backbone lik ann widdecombe next time round though.

JulianHJ

8,733 posts

261 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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Fantastic. biggrin

rfisher

5,024 posts

282 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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Thought Paxo was over the top with this one.

What was he so cross about?

She was clearly unprepared though.

Can't remember him laying into any Labour fish like that.

Maybe he's in the male menopause.

wormburner

Original Poster:

31,608 posts

252 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
quotequote all
rfisher said:
Thought Paxo was over the top with this one.

What was he so cross about?

She was clearly unprepared though.

Can't remember him laying into any Labour fish like that.

Maybe he's in the male menopause.
I think he probably feels insulted by the under-prepared/under-qualified (delete as appropriate) minion who was sent to face the music.

Her early refusal to say when the decision was made (when it was clearly that morning) was another insult. For her to imagine she could either bullst him or swat him away was foolish and arrogant, and I think that raised his ire.

So, delivering a savaging ensures that the big boys also look bad for sending her, as well as the junior minister getting a baptism of fire that might ensure she either knows what she's doing next time, or refuses to get thrown to the lions again.

He has done this to politicians of all flavours for many, many years, and still they get caught-out. I think he's a national treasure and one of the most valuable people in the country.

clanger

1,087 posts

257 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
quotequote all
I agree and as a national treasure he should be stored where they belong, dusted off every now and again to put on public display smile

I find his hectoring style irritating, but typical of a person who has never ever had to make an unpopular public decision - bit like those arty crytics really, give 'em a brush or a part in Merchant of Venice I say wink

A big hurrah for the decision to defer the petrol tax tho'!!

MX7

7,902 posts

173 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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Does it matter when she was told?

She was a bad choice by the Tories, but to push a point that is largely irrelevant seems very churlish.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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I'd struggle to keep a straight face if being "interviewed" by Paxman. His false outrage and false passion for the points he tries to press home makes me laugh. I suspect he wouldn't take well to that though hehe

Then again, politicians not answering direct questions riles/amuses me too.

172ff

3,648 posts

194 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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I thought it was hilarious! She wouldn't/couldn't answer a single question.

Happy82

15,077 posts

168 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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ewenm said:
I'd struggle to keep a straight face if being "interviewed" by Paxman. His false outrage and false passion for the points he tries to press home makes me laugh. I suspect he wouldn't take well to that though hehe

Then again, politicians not answering direct questions riles/amuses me too.
it would be one of those situations where he'd continue to be more angry, you'd continue to laugh more and eventually one of you would pass out hehe

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Maybe she had a bet for how long she could avoid the question or how many times she could get Paxman to ask her again hehe

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
quotequote all
Sorry, I'm obviously not taking this seriously enough paperbag

Derek Smith

45,512 posts

247 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
She was a sacrifical lamb. She was sent in without preparation, indeed without a defence. I suppose she had it coming in a way. I beleive she used to be a management consultant and, if so, it shows. She was out of her depth. Those who sent her in knowing what would happen to her are the guilty ones.

All that to one side, Paxman made some very valid points.

The Telegraph comparison with The Thick of It was very nasty as well. Have to say it gave me a bit of a guilty laugh. 'You don't deserve to live.'

What did come out, and is important I feel, is that decisions are being made on the hoof. She obviously had no idea this was coming until that day. Not the way to run a fish and chip shop, let alone a government.

Apache

39,731 posts

283 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Treasury Minister! ffs! no wonder we are all going to hell in a hand basket.......I have no idea what that means but have always wanted to say it

0000

13,812 posts

190 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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At least Paxman calls a spade a spade.

I wish other journalists weren't fobbed off so easily by such crass 'answers'.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
quotequote all
0000 said:
At least Paxman calls a spade a spade.

I wish other journalists weren't fobbed off so easily by such crass 'answers'.
I'm not sure he does. If you call it a spade, he'll call it a shovel and vice versa. That said, that's his job, to put the counter-argument and make the interviewee justify themselves and their decisions.

Derek Smith

45,512 posts

247 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
quotequote all

Apache

39,731 posts

283 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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Derek Smith said:
Either a coward or a completely inept manager, not a good pair of options to choose from really