Alastair Campbell blogs on Biscuitgate

[morningpaper]

Alastair Campbell blogs on biscuitgate

I know you all drool over his trousers respect Campbell's sharp wit and insightful thoughts on the political issues of the day e.g. bisuits.

Good post on AC's blog, MP

I know about his eyesight (possibly it was you or MP telling me about his large print notes on PMQ) but really, what is the point telling us we are going to have a live webchat with the PM if what we actually get a few pre-prepared answers interspersed between chat which he is not reading. It hardly counts as "live" does it?

I assumed given his eyesight problems, he would bring along someone to read out the posts, or isn't it possible to simply enlarge the font?

BTW, I adored the way DC jumped on the bandwagon. I am beginning to like that man more and more - just as well as he will be PM next year.

MP, judging by your post on the blog, you have seriously too much time on your hands. Please tell me someone else worked out that list and you just copied it.

ermmmm

yes my secretary did the research and I got someone else to type it for me

I am of course assuming that GB could read the thread, which perhaps he couldn't, but that would be madder than mad, surely?

JUSTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINEEEEEEE

i don't really get your point tbh, dg. he did fine, afaic, and answered more questions when he was sent them on by mnhq. you'll no doubt get your way with the spineless oatcake-lover cameron and live to rue the day.

Pah. He's no oatcake lover. It's nothing but phoney solidarity with those who will be suffering from the draconian spending cuts they are sharpening their knives for. It'll be Lidl oatcakes for the masses and jammy dodgers chez Cameron.

oh christ not lidl oatcakes, have you tasted them? they are made of wood shavings.
but yes, that was a ghastly answer. it's no one's favourite biscuit.

All I was trying to express Aitch was my disappointment that he failed to engage with anyone. It would have made him more human. On a political level, it would have made no difference to me, but then I didn't expect a webchat to have that affect.

i don't necessarily get the 'more human' thing, tbh. he is human, demonstrably so. i just think that he can't win, the poor guy, and that's about at 'human' as it gets.

Well I guess I am rather more shallow than you Aitch. He may be biologically human but he lacks a certain charisma which makes him an appealing proposition as PM.

Nah scrap that, I can be less shallow if I try.

The thing is, he seemed to rely on pre-prepared statements on a variety of issues and was not willing/able to engage with in a debate. That, to me, suggests a certain insecurity in his arguments.

did you read what wonk and obm were saying about 'synthetic authenticity' on the other thread, dg? i'm with them, tbh, and having met gb i can say that he is charismatic. i just think that he's not a big fake and you need that nowadays to appeal to people on telly. .

i guess we can only ask justine how it actually took place, i'd be interested to know how present the wonks were. wrt the pre-prepared answers, maybe, but tbh the pollies i know all start speaking like that is their first language the minute you quiz them about policy. so it could be either, imo.

Yes, I can see that. But you have to have something to appeal to the electorate. Not all of us can meet the PM or have personal experience of him. We need something in this media age to latch on to. I thought this might be his chance to offer that to a small group of mums, but I was wrong. The biscuit thing is indicative of a wider issue I think.

(All that said, I am perfectly aware that in former times we have had brilliant PMs who have been equally public-unfriendly, but I do think in this media age, we demand more from our politians than their policies).

There was a thread on the day re what went on behind the scenes. Did you not see it?

This thread and sorry about my various spelling and grammatical errors. I must be half asleep.

I hadn't seen that thread

OH NO

maybe my reply was completely WRONG then and he didn't see the thread AT ALL during the live chat

chizzers

cheers, no i'd heard of it, i hadn't seen it. will go and read.

tbh i just remember how happy he was when his children were born, and how sad he was when his wee baby girl died. that made him utterly 'human' to me, and i don't expect him to have to expose himself like that on a daily basis just so he can have my vote.

cheers, no i'd heard of it, i hadn't seen it. will go and read.

tbh i just remember how happy he was when his children were born, and how sad he was when his wee baby girl died. that made him utterly 'human' to me, and i don't expect him to have to expose himself like that on a daily basis just so he can have my vote.