People give Peston a hard time...

[Olf]

And like most I find his voice infuriating but looking back at his blog you can't quite help but think he knows his stuff...

2 years ago he said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpest...

[jsc15]

The 8th comment, by "Russ H", is fairly prophetic

[mybrainhurts]

Olf said:

you can't quite help but think he knows his stuff...

We've all known that for a long time...all, that is, except Gordon Brown

[motco]

Daddy (Peston) is a New Labour peer if I recall rightly. Couldn't he have tipped off GordyBroon?

[mybrainhurts]

motco said:

Daddy (Peston) is a New Labour peer if I recall rightly. Couldn't he have tipped off GordyBroon?

Slackjaw has been in denial...he never listens to anybody

[trooperiziz]

Olf said:

And like most I find his voice infuriating but looking back at his blog you can't quite help but think he knows his stuff...

2 years ago he said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpest...

I don't think the problem is that he doesn't know his stuff, the problem is that everyone "knows" he has a direct unofficial feed from the government and uses that information to further his own media career, releasing part information as soon as he has it and causing panic

[clk hbl]

Peston is a total c un t. He is the reason that people queued around the block to withdraw their savings and break Northern Rock. Northern Rock were only doing what the other banks were doing by asking for money from the Bank of England as no one else was lending. Peston has a personal vendetta as he was ridiculed a couple of years earlier for writing that Northern Rock was lending too much. He is a smarmy little t wat.

[DiabloRojo]

This whole disaster was a long time coming and he could see that.

If he had so much accurate insider knowledge, you can bet your bottom dollar that he wouldn't be the only person to get this info. Therefore I think that is a pointless explanation - people should just shut up about that aspect.

I think people underestimate Peston, he clearly understands what underpins succesful banking systems, and if you look at that article you can see that by analysing how the banks were acting 2 years ago, he knew it was going to lead to problems.

Sorry everyone he was right.

[kryten]

I saw and interview with him where he said that what he reports is mostly fairly widely known 'unofficially' within the City itself (or at least rumoured) which means the City gets a chance to move on the info before all the little people get wind of it - his view seemed to be that if he reports it then everyone knows and it levels the playing field...

He seems to basically know his stuff, has developed some _very_ good contacts for information and generally be someone the establishment isn't too keen on.

Sounds like exactly the sort of thing most journalists should be aspiring to!!!

[10 Pence Short]

Peston's relationship with New Labour and the biggest news story of the decade is one of the main reasons the BBC are unable to stick with remaining impartial. They are now in a position where they are completely open to blackmail by the government at any given opportunity.

[clk hbl]

haworthlloyd1 said:

clk hbl said:

Peston is a total c un t. He is the reason that people queued around the block to withdraw their savings and break Northern Rock. Northern Rock were only doing what the other banks were doing by asking for money from the Bank of England as no one else was lending. Peston has a personal vendetta as he was ridiculed a couple of years earlier for writing that Northern Rock was lending too much. He is a smarmy little t wat.

wasn't he right that northern rock were lending too much? wouldn't you be a little smarmy too?

I don't think you can blame him for northern rock - you have to blame applegarth and the rest for lending too much. It wasn't peston that did it and the public have a right to know if northern rock are on the brink.

I say good for peston.

Good for Peston? Good that he caused a run on a bank that was only doing what most of the other banks were doing. Im sure all the employees that may still have a job if Northern Rock hadnt been Pestoned would not agree.

Peston had personal issues to prove himself right, further his career, and help make himself a packet writing a book about how great he is.

Im not blaming Peston for Northern Rocks risky lending but for reckless reporting for self benefit.