De lakeien van de wetstraat, Britse versie: Remarkably, an awkward question managed to breach the bonhomie. Liz Thomson, co-editor of the website Book-Brunch, asked Marr if having Cameron host the book launch mightnt compromise his position as impartial political interviewer for the BBC. (Private Eye, Books & Bookmen column, Issue 1376, 19 September - 2 October, 2014) According to Private Eye magazine, Marr became very defensive indeed. Marrs wife, Jackie Ashley – Guardian columnist and daughter of Lord Ashley of Stoke – buttonholed Thomson, declaring, youve ruined my evening. Ashley subsequently resumed the harangue, calling [Thomson] despicable and a B-I-T-C-H. It says plenty about the state of modern journalism that Ashley was appalled that one of the BBCs most senior political journalists should be asked the one question that cried out to be raised. Or perhaps she would think nothing of her husband having his book launch party hosted by Putin, or Assad, or Maduro. Or, more to the point, of a leading Russian journalist teaming up with Putin in the same way. Ironically, in his book, My Trade, Marr was happy to discuss the issue: If you really talk with a politician about their in tray, and the problems of rival departments, or of dodgy past initiatives, it is hard to avoid seeing things their way. The same perspective that gives you insight, also blunts your hostility... then you drift closer to them emotionally and may very well flinch from putting the boot in when they have failed in some way. (Andrew Marr, My Trade - A Short History of British Journalism, Macmillan, London, 2004, p.184) Also ironically, the problem was explored in a WikiLeaks cable from the US Embassy in London to Hilary Clinton: On the public diplomacy side, I hope you can take some time out to tape an interview with leading British journalist Andrew Marr, to be broadcast on his Sunday morning BBC TV talk show... It would be a powerful way for you to set out our priorities for Afghanistan/Pakistan, and underline our premier partnership with the United Kingdom. Marr is a congenial and knowledgeable interviewer who will offer maximum impact for your investment of time. It is not, then, that Marr is biased towards the Conservatives. Indeed, in 2005, the former BBC reporter and producer, Tim Luckhurst, wrote in the Daily Mail: Andrew Marr has dismayed licence-payers with apologias for New Labour in general and Tony Blair in particular... Such conscientious rewriting of history deserves a place in George Orwells 1984, not on a national television station funded by the taxpayer. (Luckhurst, As John Humphrys announces his retirement. The giant the BBC hasnt got the guts to replace, Daily Mail, May 3, 2005) A wry comment piece in the Evening Standard was amazed by the launch party: we simply had no idea that Marr and Cameron were such close chums. After all: it just doesnt seem that long ago that Marr and his wife... were staunch allies of Camerons rivals, hosting intimate dinner parties for Labourites Tony Blair, David Miliband and Tessa Jowell. Blair even returned the favour by having the pair over at Chequers, back when he had the keys.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 07:25:02 +0000
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