Lynne Featherstone

I had my hopes up when lovely Nick appeared on the TV this evening … but alas, they were dashed.

Another BBC news reports about Gordon Brown, general election date and all the will he won’t he dithering.

On to screen strides Nick Robinson – he whose balls I wish to see - and we see him confront the Home Secretary about general election date – but what then happens? Soft question, easily batted away.

None of the tough questions about why in a democracy the PM should be able to pick the election date that most suits the PM’s electoral prospects. None of the tough questions about the hypocrisy of Brown saying he wants to get on with governing – whilst at the same time happily stoking up election date speculation.

Now – I know Nick Robinson can be a tough interviewer when he wishes – indeed, I still remember him clearly chasing Sir Ian Blair (London policeman) down the stairs, along a corridor and through to the outside, thrusting microphone in his face and asking tough, aggressive questions.

So come on Nick how about it next time – how about addressing the tough questions to Labour?

Comments

1. Nick says:

   27 September 2007 at 11:11 pm

   It’d be nice, but I suspect the answer would be the same as if he asked something like ‘and why should a party that only gets 36% of the vote have near absolute power?’: something on the lines of ‘because that’s the way it is’.
2. Anonymous says:

   30 September 2007 at 10:03 am

   Samuel Brittan had a nice article about fixed term parliaments.