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Zac Goldsmith and Ch 4 News

82 replies

WinkyWinkola · 16/07/2010 19:18

I watched a report last night about whether Zac Goldsmith among other M.P.s was guilty of overspending on his campaign.

I kind of dismissed it as a petty targetting of Mr. Goldsmith because of who he is.

But tonight on Ch. 4, I see him evading and dancing round the questions about his campaign funding levels, instead focusing on why he wasn't called for a live interview last night.

It was really embarrassing. Did anyone else see it?

Are all M.P.'s really the same? If so, why does anyone even bother to get excited about politics.

OP posts:
claig · 16/07/2010 19:22

I saw it, but formed a different impression. I think Zac made an excellent case and has exposed them well. Before I watched it, I had believed their line, but now I believe Zac.

claig · 16/07/2010 19:28

I didn't know much about him before, but respect to him, he was desperate to get on and clear up this Sky News angle that Snow had pushed last night, and he wanted to inform the public. He had nothing to hide and was incensed at their shenanigans. It's a classic and it will be on youtube soon. Watch it on there and see how Snow slips up in the heated debate and says "It's very rare that I feel completely relaxed about our position". So they often get it wrong, but on this one Snow assures us that they are in clear. Zac won hands down, had integrity and accused them of a lack of integrity.

Original poster
WinkyWinkola · 16/07/2010 19:42

Oh. Gawd. I took it the other way entirely. I didn't like the line, "You'd better watch out and if they find irregularities, then there'll be a general election because all M.P.s do it."

That doesn't justify anything, does it? They're all up to tricks? If they are.

But Jon Snow said they'd tried to get him on since last Friday?

Ach, who knows what to believe? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

These rules are in place to ensure that our elections don't end up like U.S. elections where it takes a great deal of wealth to win? Is that right?

I'm such an ignoramus but love a discussion like this because it informs me so much.

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said · 16/07/2010 19:48

Yes, stated a thread about thislast night.He came across as so shifty and evasive. I would be very ashamed if he was my MP

claig · 16/07/2010 19:49

yes that was a classic, they tried to get him. They asked him last Friday, they probably said that they were researching it and probably asked for his comments. But he said that he didn't reply to them because they had not confirmed that a program would come out about it, implying that they were looking into the story but were not decided on whether to run live with the story. So his people took the decision not to bother with it. When they told him they were running live he asked to come on and they said Kathy Newman was busy on another story. The way I read it is that they accused him of bottling it and going to Sky. He wanted the public to understand that this was wrong. That is why he was so keen to come on tonight, and the most important thing for him was to defend his integrity by exposing what they had done. Snow then said ignore all that and let's talk about the story, but Zac first wanted a retraction of the Sky News angle. In the argument that followed Snow had to let some of these details out, even though he was trying to get onto the part that they thought they had him on.

claig · 16/07/2010 22:57

Zac Goldsmith interview with Jon Snow now up on youtube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UovcMQXxmoE

claig · 16/07/2010 23:14

watching it again, they are making a mountain out of a molehill, which makes Zac's claim that they have an agenda hold water. Snow even says near the end "we will get this clarified by the electoral commission". Why didn't they do that before they started flinging accusations around?

Original poster
WinkyWinkola · 17/07/2010 08:24

I hope they've compiled dossiers on all suspect M.P.s too otherwise it will be a fishy business.

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claig · 17/07/2010 08:40

yes you're right, they said they were investigating loads of other MPs, then Zac said that mysteriously all the other MPs were dropped and the story was only about him.

llareggub · 17/07/2010 08:48

It did make exceedingly good television and did not show either of them in a good light. However, Zac Goldsmith did nothing to convince me that he was aware of the impact of the allegations on his constituents. He was remarkably silent with regard to the issue of accountability to the public and maintaining the highest standards of behaviour.

I have no idea if he is guilty or not but it has struck me that he is pretty stupid to defend himself in such away. Even if there are no irregularities he has done himself no favours at all.

claig · 17/07/2010 09:10

I think it was worth him doing it, because it pricked their bubble of integrity. People naturally believe them, but now they will think twice. Zac gave us an education in how it works and managed to get Snow to tell us that "It's very rare that I feel completely relaxed about our position". We won't be as naive in future, they thought they had an easy target, but Zac didn't roll over. He exposed them and like Snow, we won't "feel completely relaxed about" their position in future either.

jodevizes · 17/07/2010 10:15

I think it shows the basis of the whole expenses issue. If they (MPs in general) are busy cooking the books over the electoral expenses, then no wonder they haven't any scruples about duck ponds, a boy friends roof or what have you.

Re Zak, I mean charging for the stickers but not the jackets, trying to cut the cost of printing by counting only those used is really scraping the barrel. It is like those who skate around avoiding their taxes.

VoidofDiscovery · 17/07/2010 10:35

Yes indeed jodevizes. Given the scrutiny that MP expenses have been given, one would assume that ANY costs incurred would be explicitly spelled out so that there woulld be no misinterpretation.

If as with the jackets, either someone else paid (who should show receipts) or it was for other uses (I think he said that could be used for future elections without logo), this should have been paid from a separate account.

However, the bill seems to have put the whole jacket/logo cost together, thereby implying he paid for full amount, so how can he claim to have paid only a fraction of the true cost. It may be legitimate to only claim the logo costs, but the figures, to outsiders, look very suspicious. Certainly not transparent.

And, if he is correct in his assumptions, why not just make his point in a reasoned and coherent manner, not spend 6 1/2 mins trying to answer a non event?

grannieonabike · 17/07/2010 10:42

I'm just SO GLAD I'm not married to Zac Goldsmith. Ugh!

I wouldn't kick Jon Snow out of bed though.

grannieonabike · 17/07/2010 10:43

Just to raise the tone a bit.

VoidofDiscovery · 17/07/2010 10:46
Grin
singersgirl · 17/07/2010 10:49

Yes, it would have been much more convincing if he'd just explained the expenses straightaway. The whole shouting match didn't show either Jon or Zac in a good light, but it certainly didn't increase my trust in Zac. After all, they're quite small amounts, so a calm and reasoned explanation of why they were accounted for in that way would have been much more persuasive. Ugh. He's my MP. and .

daftpunk · 17/07/2010 10:57

Zac is brilliant, and probably next Tory leader.

Breton1900 · 17/07/2010 11:24

Classic example of dishonest argument tactics by Mr G.

Zac likes to appear as rather "eco-friendly" perhaps it's time to put some of his £200 million towards some ecological issues. And why was he ever a non-dom? It doesn't sit well with his proclaimed ecological credentials!

His "Hooray Henry" election agent does say a lot!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1274263/UK-ELECTION-RESULTS-2010-Zac-Goldsm ith-takes-Richmond-Park-Lib-Dems.html

llareggub · 17/07/2010 13:26

Oh, I do hope he'll be the next Conservative leader. I'm sure he'll vastly increase the chances of them sliding back into opposition.

daftpunk · 17/07/2010 13:36

Oh, and of course all Labour politicians are as pure as the driven snow and everything they do is for the good of the people...

thelastresort · 17/07/2010 14:09

'Oh and of course all Labour politicians are as pure as the drive snow etc'. That isn't the point. Two wrongs don't make a right!!!!

The point IS (as if anyone needs reminding) there has been an enormous hoo ha over politicians fiddling their expenses and so not a v good idea to be caught out doing it as a newly elected MP....

However, I suspect that Zac Goldsmith is so enormously wealthy that he really cannot be bothered to account for a few thousand pounds here and there.

He didn't strike me as particularly bright during that little tirade on C4 news though. On what grounds is he deemed 'brilliant'?? He didn't explain or justify the discrepancies.

I can't see him lasting very long as an MP when he has to deal with all the actual boring bits day to day constituency business involving helping people in need etc etc.

daftpunk · 17/07/2010 15:27

Helping people in need...Hmmm, ..y'see that means different things to different people..

To Labour it meant helping themselves while systematically destroying the country.....slimy bastards...and they're still at it, they only put Diane Abbott in the leadership race so they didn't have 5 white men..(gotta remain PC at all times) ....even though she doesn't have a hope of winning (& She knows it) but she still went ahead just to get her profile up a bit....if she had any integrity she would have told them where to stick it...

daftpunk · 17/07/2010 15:32

Oh, and Zac is brilliant because he made JS look like a complete idiot...

llareggub · 17/07/2010 15:46

It just goes to show that two people watching the same programme can reach two very different opinions. You see, I thought Zac Goldsmith made himself look arrogant, smug and rather dim.