I was scandalised by the way Oliver James was bullied on Woman's Hour, accused of "bamboozling" because his argument - which he was not allowed to develop - did not happen to fit an editorial line.
This subject is too important to be brushed aside by an aggressive presenter abusing her position. Murray showed massive ignorance today. If - IF - she wants to appear more credible to her listeners, many of whom are much better informed than she is, one book she might start with is Jean Liedloff''s "The Continuum Concept" on Attachment Parenting.
And all this defensiveness here about attacking women for packing their kids off to care! Babies/toddlers NEED contact with someone close (it can be a dad, grandparent etc) --but they need it. Many traditional societies understand this. Some of us may feel it's inconvenient and want kids off our hands, but if you don't want to love 'em and be with 'em don't have 'em! The result of packing them off too early into often deeply mediocre and inappropriate 'care' will not be happy balanced children, or, later, happy balanced adults, citizens and themselves parents...
Woman's Hour needs to broaden its range of contributors -- trotting out MumsNet people like Renaissance Woman as instant experts on any aspect of education or social policy is inadequate, and journalistically lazy. The programme needs to rise about the level of chit-chat. Oliver James needed someone of his calibre, not someone who at her own admission has "read some blogs".
And how about some contributors to this site being a less less ready to dismiss Oliver James as a 'twat'? It is highly offensive -- and shallow. James has been shockingly misrepresented in the Press. Surprise surprise..
Jenni Murray should be ashamed of herself for today's performance. Regular listeners know she can't stand anyone who refuses to bend to her will. But she might try, before she retires, to end her career with some less boorish behaviour. And those who are so ready to trash Oliver James might try actually reading him first. You'll find an intensely sincere, caring, modest man who deserves better than Jenni Murray's crude prejudices and the cheap mockery some people have dished out here.
M Buckley