Kthebean Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Do the heads get paid for their appearances on QT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 I wonder what responses this question would've got, had this question been posed 2 months ago? That is, it was a Labour government who refused to put up a Government minister in response to a Tory spin doctor (e.g. Bernard Ingham or Tim Bell)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Because... It's not as if this hasn't happened in the reverse before. Did anyone kick up a fuss then? But the government are happy to put a minister (Vince Cable) up against a Labour unelected mouthpiece (Andrew Adonis) on Any Questions tonight, so why are their rules different when its Alastair Campbell? Its just made them look a bit nervous of Campbell, which is quite amusing really Until 3 weeks ago Andrew Adonis was a Minister of State and still is a member of the House of Lords. When the BBC invite more journalists onto the QT panel than politicians they have removed their right to moan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj.scuba Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 I wonder what responses this question would've got, had this question been posed 2 months ago? That is, it was a Labour government who refused to put up a Government minister in response to a Tory spin doctor (e.g. Bernard Ingham or Tim Bell)? I think we would have expected them to field a shadow minister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libuse Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Until 3 weeks ago Andrew Adonis was a Minister of State and still is a member of the House of Lords. An unelected mouthpiece, nevertheless. Why are they so spooked by Campbell specifically when they are happy to take on other unelected mouthpieces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 No, not an unelected mouthpiece, the head of a government ministry. Unelected or not he was a Minister of State. It's not worth repeating a clear and obvious point yet again so I won't. But I will repeat that the BBC had behind that desk 4 out of 6 people who were political journalists but only invited 1 elected politician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handypandy Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 And false. The government has made no attempt whatsoever to dictate anything to the BBC. "According to No 10, a senior member of the cabinet was available to do Question Time but only if Alastair Campbell was replaced by a member of the shadow cabinet." If thats not dictating, its pretty close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 An unelected mouthpiece, nevertheless. Why are they so spooked by Campbell specifically when they are happy to take on other unelected mouthpieces? And provide unelected mouthpieces of their own such as Baroness Varsey. Though why they keep putting her forward is beyonf me - she comes across as hectoring and irritating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1L2T3 Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 "According to No 10, a senior member of the cabinet was available to do Question Time but only if Alastair Campbell was replaced by a member of the shadow cabinet." If thats not dictating, its pretty close. They were putting up David Laws, not a Tory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 They were putting up David Laws, not a Tory. Maybe David Laws didn't turn up because he thought expenses might be discussed? or his ideas about getting rid of the NHS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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