to think we are doing ourselves a disservice by asking the PM about biscuits/TV/film etc?

[Ewe]

We have the PRIME MINISTER on for a webchat, surely we can keep this political and relevant?

I worry that asking questions about these superficial things;

a) gives him an opportunity to avoid the harder and more important questions

and

b) may give the impression that we are just a bunch of daft mums when we are actually the complete opposite!

AIBU? (Quite probably yes)

DP wrote the Daily Mirror story on this. I asked him not to make MNers looks stupid (have namechanged as I don't want him to see this and find out my regular posting name).

Can you tell him I wasn't being sarcastic? I was gently teasing?

kind of ironic that they are reporting on whats already happened

Oh yes, he quoted you didn't he?

He says there's a fine line between teasing and sarcastic.

Yeah, Taking. I just would have preferred "mordant irony" to "sarcasm"

Oh, I am a babe in the wood when it comes to the ruthless cherrypicking of journalism!

DP claims he wrote about GB's question dodging but that it got edited out later

I mean questions other than the biscuit question.
To be fair to GB he couldn't answer all that many questions in one hour.

Oh, I know that one. the amount of times I have had steam coming out of my ears because some snotty sub has butchered the logic out of one of my pieces...

YABU.

He didn't say anything you couldn't get from the conference or any other bit of PR. He wasn't here to chat, it was just an opportunity to churn out the same old same old, carefully contrived stuff. That "ask them yourselves" bit was revolting.

I think asking about biscuits is the only sensible alternative given that we weren't able to engage him away from stock PR approved answers.

You're a journo too MD? I'm a sub . I apologise on behalf of all subs.

Exactly Peaches, as said earlier, the repeated (gentle) probing on the biscuit question was really a counterpoint to the stock aitkin and waterman replies...he could have done so much better...I was gutted, but hey, did I get cross? no, I just took the piss a bit....and then a bit sarky ironic.

Sorry Taking, I was just about to issue an apology to lovely subs here...you know the ones I mean, the 20-year-old spotty boys who just look at you like you are insane if you point out an error in their subbing or logic...and insist hyphens are like, so not necessary...(compound adjective pedant here)

Not ever really a proper journo. just did a lot of journalism at one period of my life...ah, happy days!

My parents came for supper tonight, they know I use MN, they did query if we asked any other question other than what biscuits he liked. And Justine if you are reading then questions about farming and very relevant to alot of people on this site.

Hyphens not necessary?!
I was a bit worried that maybe I was the one butchering your copy . No 20-year-old subs where I work. We're all pedants.

YABU, it was genius.

Maybe I just had a bad stint at at wannabe yoof magazine...

Hmmph.

The BBC have been busy stealth editing that article.

They started off with the rather negative: "Jammy dodger? Brown leaves biscuit question unanswered"

which became the more neutral

"Brown takes break in biscuit quiz

Gordon Brown has revealed that he is partial to a chocolate biscuit, after he was accused of sidestepping a question during an online chat.

The Prime Minister said he had missed a question about his favourite biscuit during the live web chat with the parents' website Mumsnet.
"
and finally the much more Brown-positive

"Biscuit quiz PM doesn't crumble

Who said Gordon Brown crumbles under questioning? The PM jammy dodged inquiries about his favourite biscuit as he took part in a live web chat."