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to think that anyone voting for the Conservatives deserves to hear Boris Johnson answer these questions on trust with Andrew Neil

37 replies

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 20:55

Every other leader has been interviewed by him.

Andrew Neil has some key questions to ask - and we deserve to hear his answers.

A video is here showing the questions Neil would ask. I am sure people can think of others.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50679252

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chomalungma · 05/12/2019 20:55

The questions:

We have always proceeded in good faith that the leaders would participate. And in every election they have. All of them. Until this one.

"It is not too late. We have an interview prepared. Oven-ready, as Mr Johnson likes to say.

"The theme running through our questions is trust - and why at so many times in his career, in politics and journalism, critics and sometimes even those close to him have deemed him to be untrustworthy.

"It is, of course, relevant to what he is promising us all now.

"Can he be trusted to deliver 50,000 more nurses when almost 20,000 in his numbers are already working for the NHS?

"He promises 40 new hospitals. But only six are scheduled to be built by 2025. Can he be believed when he claims another 34 will be built in the five years after that?

"Can he be trusted to fund the NHS properly when he uses a cash figure of an extra £34bn? After inflation the additional money promised amounts to £20bn.

"He vows that the NHS will not be on the table in any trade talks with America.

"But he vowed to the DUP, his Unionist allies in Northern Ireland, that there would never be a border down the Irish Sea. That is as important to the DUP as the NHS is to the rest of us. It is a vow his Brexit deal would seem to break.

"Now he tells us he's always been an opponent of austerity. We would ask him for evidence of that.

"And we would want to know why an opponent of austerity would bake so much of it into their future spending plans.

"We would ask why, as with the proposed increase in police numbers, so many of his promises only take us back to the future. Back to where we were before austerity began.

"Social care is an issue of growing concern. On the steps of Downing Street in July he said he'd prepared a plan for social care. We'd ask him why that plan is not in his manifesto.

"Questions of trust. Questions we'd like to put to Mr Johnson so you can hear his replies. But we can't. Because he won't sit down with us.

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John1971 · 05/12/2019 21:03

What a disgrace this Prime Minister is. Running scared of Neil, Etchingham on ITV and replaced with a block of ice for the climate change debate.
Even Johnson’s advisers realise that every time he opens his mouth on TV the polls get closer.

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 21:07

I bet he won't do it.
Even with all the pressure building...

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Spamantha · 05/12/2019 21:12

I don't think a politician is duty bound to undergo an interview with the BBC's interviewer of choice.

However, I do think the BBC have made a mess by broadcasting the Corbyn interview before the anticipated Boris interview is taped.

Given the BBC's error, Johnson is probably playing this tactically well. He is his own biggest liability, which is why he spent most of the conservative leadership campaign and this election campaign hiding from any real scrutiny.

Spamantha · 05/12/2019 21:12

I don't think a politician is duty bound to undergo an interview with the BBC's interviewer of choice.

However, I do think the BBC have made a mess by broadcasting the Corbyn interview before the anticipated Boris interview is taped.

Given the BBC's error, Johnson is probably playing this tactically well. He is his own biggest liability, which is why he spent most of the conservative leadership campaign and this election campaign hiding from any real scrutiny.

StoneofDestiny · 05/12/2019 21:17

The odious Johnson has one policy - 'let's get Brexit done'. When asked about anything else he simply changes the subject to attacking Corbyn.

He has nothing else to say as there is no depth to the bloke. He is being gagged by the party like Rees Mogg, terrified he will show the shallowness in everything he says and 'put his foot in it'.

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 21:20

I hope he gets asked those questions tomorrow in the election debate. And then gets his lies and misleading answers questioned - because he is misleading people.

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Justanotherlurker · 05/12/2019 21:22

@Puzzledandpissedoff

..

KidLorneRoll · 05/12/2019 21:23

He won't do it, because he's a fucking coward.

And people are still going to vote for him.

What a country.

GorkyMcPorky · 05/12/2019 21:24

I don't think anyone boring Conservative wants to hear his answers, and if he did answer they wouldn't listen.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 05/12/2019 21:38

Justanotherlurker you called? Wink

Seems like another Boris-bashing thread, but I admit I'm not sure about the interview thing - after all, we were told after Corbyn's display that Andrew Neil's a lousy interviewer, that he doesn't even allow his subjects to finish a sentence, that he's far too aggressive and much more

I'm no Boris fan, but if the above's true, surely there's little point in further interviews ... ?

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 21:42

Seems like another Boris-bashing thread

Indeed. And you got a call to action Grin

He is a coward.
His figures on the NHS forget inflation.
Police are back to where they were.
Nurse numbers.

And he is afraid of a half hour interview.

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Justanotherlurker · 05/12/2019 21:46

Seems like another Boris-bashing thread, but I admit I'm not sure about the interview thing

Oh no I agree, I was pointing out the recent call to action, remember this place is only being targeted by right wing trolls.

This is word for word a copy and paste.

He should do the interview, but it's not as though he is ducking the cameras considering the leaders debate is tomorrow.

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 21:49

This is word for word a copy and paste

Ummm, no it's not.

The only thing that has been coped and pasted is the text from the BBC website.

The rest is all my own words - and I don't need to call for backup from other people.

Oh no I agree, I was pointing out the recent call to action, remember this place is only being targeted by right wing trolls

Eh.....Right wing trolls?

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Justanotherlurker · 05/12/2019 21:49

Indeed. And you got a call to action grin

No, we are looking at the cries of tory activist infiltrating the site, there was no call to action here.

I agree it looks bad he is not going, that doesn't invalidate my point of why I called her.

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 21:50

No, we are looking at the cries of tory activist infiltrating the site, there was no call to action here

Eh?

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Justanotherlurker · 05/12/2019 21:58

Ummm, no it's not.

OK

The rest is all my own words - and I don't need to call for backup from other people.

Oh you're mistaken if you think I am asking for backup, I can handle myself thanks all the same.

He should go on the interview, just the same as I think Corbyn should have stood with Cameron for remain (I can here you whatabout just reading this)

However, as I said previously, he isn't dodging the cameras considering the leaders debate tomorrow.

You doing a copy and paste from the labour activists groups is not something I should feel embarrassed about highlighting. Political activism online needs to be pointed out, so far, especially on MN it is considered that only the right employ this tactic.

Justanotherlurker · 05/12/2019 22:00

Eh?

Don't worry about it, it means you will have to go off script.

I wasn't calling for back up, just highlighting something between users.

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 22:02

You doing a copy and paste from the labour activists groups is not something I should feel embarrassed about highlighting

Seriously - this is not a copy and paste - the only person embarrassing themselves is you.

It's not particularly difficult to see that Boris Johson has refused to do an interview with Andrew Neil and to highlight that.

You don't need to be a member of an activist group to do that.

It's an obvious attack line - and it just helps create more doubt in some people's minds.

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chomalungma · 05/12/2019 22:04

However, as I said previously, he isn't dodging the cameras considering the leaders debate tomorrow

This debate will be interesting - I hope that members of the public get a chance to ask him a question and then a follow up when he lies.
And another follow up when he continues to lie.

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John1971 · 05/12/2019 22:04

Not dodging the cameras no. Dodging the interviews.

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 22:06

olitical activism online needs to be pointed out, so far, especially on MN it is considered that only the right employ this tactic

I very much doubt that - MN is a great place to carry out all kinds of activism. On all sides of a debate.

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Spamantha · 05/12/2019 23:00

Justanotherlurker was saying some weird stuff about GCHQ infiltrating Mumsnet on another thread.

It's sometimes hard to work out what she's talking about, but I think the gist is:

Some left wing mumsnetters are quick to allege that pro-Tory threads are posted by Conservative activists (I've certainly seen this accusation levelled).

Justanotherlurker believes that it is in fact predominantly or exclusively Labour activists that are posting on Mumsnet.

She goes on to allege that a lot of comments are directly 'copied and pasted' from Labour campaign materials.

She appears to lack an appreciation that some people who support Labour probably themselves have concerns that are similar in nature to those of the Party (hence why they intend to vote for them).

In this thread, yes the OP is clearly a left-wing voter and is repeating an attack that has been made by other parties against Boris. Could she be an activist? Possibly, but so could anyone who expresses a political opinion on this site. Unless 'activist' now means anyone who talks politics in a public forum...

I would be astonished if activists for parties do not post on Mumsnet but that does not mean that every person who is posting views that they share in common with the Labour party are 'copying and pasting' from Labour campaign materials. Ditto posters who repeat talking points from, or share sentiments similar to those of, other parties.

This is all getting very asinine.

chomalungma · 05/12/2019 23:04

I would be astonished if activists for parties do not post on Mumsnet but that does not mean that every person who is posting views that they share in common with the Labour party are 'copying and pasting' from Labour campaign materials. Ditto posters who repeat talking points from, or share sentiments similar to those of, other parties

I couldn't have put it better myself...Grin

It's not that difficult to find ways to attack politicians and to use MN or other forums to spread that message.

If that makes someone an activist, then maybe I am? But I've never been to a Labour party meeting.

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chomalungma · 05/12/2019 23:09

I hope he gets asked in detail about the hospital plans.
Some are being partially rebuilt.
Some are being modernised.
1/3 are in Dorset apparently. And are potentially small cottage hospitals without overnight beds.

Once you drill into the stats like a good interviewer should do and ask what they mean by 'new' and a 'hospital', then his grand statements fall apart

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