Thursday, April 26, 2007

Ming Fails to Impress 5 Live Listeners

Ming Campbell is getting an absolute pasting on the 5 Live phone-in this morning. Richard Bacon, the presenter, clearly thinks he well past his sell by date and many, if not most, of the callers have been antagonistic as well. The interesting thing is that much of the debate has been framed through the prism of David Cameron and his effect on the new politics.

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

What was the point in interviewing Rennard the other night? The original self-publicist - can't give credit to anyone else who is instrumental elsewhere and claims credit for things that other people did. I find it amazing that in your interview he even implies and suggests he was in places doing things that other people actually did when he wasn't even there.

Chris Rennard promotes Chris Rennard. Which is actually the only thing he remains capable of. He certainly doesn't have a grip on the party's finances and administration.

Alan Douglas said...

Iain,if I had not been listening in the car,I would have called in with your recent stats about where theFib Dems are or are NOT the "national" party of opposition.
Alan Douglas

James Graham (Quaequam Blog!) said...

Interesting to see that you have managed to keep your usual "the BBC are horribly impartial" bile under control, despite boasting that the interviewer is fundamentally biased.

Iain Dale said...

James, get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning? And where did I say he was biased?! I said he clearly thinks Ming has passed his sell by date. In my experience, so do most LibDems.

Phil Whittington said...

Haha!

I read the headline as "Ming Fails to Impress 5 listeners"

I'm sure this is true also!

Anonymous said...

In other news, Gore Vidal doesn't bowl over Daily Sport readers and Ghandi fails to impress devotees of Men Only.

Anonymous said...

The interesting thing is that much of the debate has been framed through the prism of David Cameron and his effect on the new politics.

What new politics? Same old self-interested, cowardly claptrap from where I'm sitting.

Or maybe I'm just a cynic.

Anonymous said...

I think most people think Richard Bacon is passed his sell by date. It's a good thing Charlie Kennedy is no longer leader. If Bacon had had him on the programme, he'd have probably tried to snort him.

Iain Dale said...

James, An addict is an addict, whether they are a LibDem leader or a radio presenter.

Anonymous said...

"The new politics" - talk about marketing led bollocks.

Next you'll be telling us that "spin" is all labour's fault

Anonymous said...

"What new politics? Same old self-interested, cowardly claptrap from where I'm sitting."

And in what way are Labour not self-interested? "Give us money so we can build more hospitals for our supporters."

Anonymous said...

no longer anonymous, exactly my point!

All political parties are self-interested etc, so to talk of a 'new politics' as if Cameron is any better, I don't agree.

I am yet to be convinced that Cameron and his men will offer anything different from what we have become used to from politicians.

I am thinking here of his quick acceptance of state funding etc. If that is 'new politics', I am the Queen of England.

Anonymous said...

Richard Bacon conducting political interviews for the BBC? We're absolutely fucked aren't we? Time to emigrate.

Anonymous said...

Personally I'm delighted that the LibDems, who really are a useless bunch taking up valuable space in the Commons, are 'led' by a dear old codger who looks as though he has forgotten where he left his Zimmer frame. Ming is a classic example of someone who has been over-promoted into the wrong job. He was perfectly competent as their Foreign Affairs spokesman, and spoke with some authotity on such matters. Now, as leader, he clearly hasn't a clue: he waffles, stumbles, and looks like he really would rather be somewhere else. Long live Ming, say I; for as long as he is leader the Lib Dems will be a spent force, leaderless, rudderless, directionless; and the nation as a whole will be better off for it. Nature abhors a vacuum, or so the story goes; and that's why God, in his infinite wisdom, invented the Lib Dems.

Mind you, the Tories needn't be too smug. I give you three words:

Iain.
Duncan.
Smith.

What a waste of space he turned out to be. Can anyone out there name - or even remember - one thing he did while leader? the only thing that IDS will be remembered for is Betsygate - having his wife on the payroll and then lying about it.

What we really need is a leader. Someone who leads through vision and inspiration. Who belies in something and knows what it is without consulting the people who write the idiot cards. Someone who believes in core conservative principles - low taxes; freedom of action under the law; small government; self-determination. In Cameron I fear we have got ourselves not a leader but a manager. And a middle manager at that.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Chris Paul said...

An addict is an addict line: Bacon isn't one is he? Was he ever? Thought you were a libertarian. Why are you suggesting he is Iain?

Charles Kennedy is a bit of a sad drunk we might accept. But why impugn a poor presenter?

IDS ... one thing ... the quiet man ... shhh!

Anonymous said...

"What we really need is a leader. Someone who leads through vision and inspiration. Who belies in something and knows what it is without consulting the people who write the idiot cards. Someone who believes in core conservative principles - low taxes; freedom of action under the law; small government; self-determination. In Cameron I fear we have got ourselves not a leader but a manager. And a middle manager at that."

Well said, Colin!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Does anyone think that Cameroooooooon is, well, a bit wet? He lacks gravitas and as so is someone whom would never get my vote.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Iain - I think a return to comment moderation is on the cards. Far too many small brained children recently with nothing to say.

Kids - back to the play grounds, this site is for adults.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

When will the wheels come off the wagon for Cameron? I have heard rumours that if the local and regional elections do not go well (i.e. isolating the traditional Tory base and not picking up voters elsewhere) that there will be a bit of a bloody coup with some of the old guard calling for his head and I for one think they have a good chance of getting it.

Anonymous said...

Who is Richard Bacon when he's at home ? I've never ever heard of him.

Is he some kind of 'celebrity' that used to be in Big Brother/X Factor/Strictly Love Island Dancing...

Anonymous said...

Battyman - where the hell did you hear that crap. Cameron is here to stay and he will be the next Conservative PM.

Old BE said...

Cameron need only give us one thing to be infinitely more successful than the current Labour "administration":

Competence.

Anonymous said...

Ricard Bacon doesn't like Pepsi, that's for sure.

Anonymous said...

Ed - surely you mean impotence? As Chip n' Dale pointed out he is wet, a haircut in an open necked shirt who talks like he has something stuck in his arse. Cameron can't identify with 80% of the population and I'm pretty sure his popularity stops once you get north of the Watford Gap. Yes, civilization does exist beyond it.

Old BE said...

Thanks anonymong!

When he becomes Prime Minister (who could fail to beat Gordon Brown) he will only need to excel in one area to be a massive improvement on the current lot.

As for his image, do you think voters will be more impressed by a man who can't dress himself and is by his own admission "not much good at maths"?

Victor, NW Kent said...

Please moderate, Iain. Many of these posts are depressing as they show that all the writers learned at school was how to spell some common swear words which constitute all of their vocabulary.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Iain Dale said...

And if anyone really believes that the above comment is from me, then I can assure you it wasn't. It is now deleted. Looks like Comment moderation will have to go back on.

Anonymous said...

Iain posts on Sir Walter Campbell's incompetence and a load of new posters pop up to have a go at Cameron with froth-at-the-mouth "low taxes for the middle class at all costs!" attacks.

Hmmmm....

Either the Lib Dems very cleverly sock puppeting to wind up the Thatcher-lovers to apoplexies, to detract from Ming's uselessness, and to enable them to point out what a nasty party we are at the grassroots...

...or Mr Noble has too much time on his hands in France.

Anonymous said...

Iain Dale, you are supposed to be a serious commentator.

New politics ? What is that ? Why is it any good ?

Any idiot in cameron's shoes would be ahead in the polls, giving the current shower in charge.

Cameron is the new Bliar, all style and very little substance. Not exactly new politics.

Anonymous said...

Chad Noble is always doing that, and the pathetic thing is he thinks nobody knows it's him sockpuppeting. He did it yesterday on the ConHome poll thread as "That's why I vote Tory". He was sad enough to post stuff on ukiphome then troll over to conhome, get a name like Dave For Europe and post the exact same stuff again.

Iain Dale said...

test

Roger Thornhill said...

Ming Fails to Impress 5 Live Listeners

p'raps he should try and impress 5 dead ones.

Anonymous said...

icles?

Anonymous said...

@Colin

I think you're being a bit unfair to IDS.

The whole 'social justice' thingy he started pursuing towards the end of his leader stint does contribute to the current 'social responsibility' theme.

Anonymous said...

As for his image, do you think voters will be more impressed by a man who can't dress himself and is by his own admission "not much good at maths"?

Could Brown become Labour's Michael Foot for the Noughties?

Anonymous said...

I think Colin's comment about Iain Duncan Smith was very unfair. Maybe he wasn't the best choice for leader after all, but he is a very decent man who's shown a lot of dignity since stepping down and has done more for his country than most of us ever will. I, for one, would love to see him serve in a Cameron cabinet.

Anonymous said...

"much of the debate has been framed through the prism of David Cameron and his effect on the new politics."

peering through a transparent toilet bowl then?

Anonymous said...

"It is now deleted."

Oh NO IT ISN'T!!!

Anonymous said...

IAIN, DO NOT GET SO SMUG..AND AGEIST!

Cameron is not impressing people. He is an opportunist and he will not be about come the general election. Maude for leader then the lib dems can merge with the greenT's

Anonymous said...

Dave Vartklett na Anonymous (3.09pm) both leap to IDS' defence and accuse me of being 'unfair'. Harsh, yes - unfair, no. IDS' leadership achieved precisely nothing for the party, and in effect cost us two years plus a great deal of credibility. If the most he can be remembered for is the 'Quiet Man' theme the Social Justice commission and being a decent chap,then, frankly, I rest my case. That, however, is not to acknowledge his contribution and his good qualities - just to recognise that he was not a leader. Not everyone is: get over it!

We need a leader of dynamism, vision, real political and ideological convictions. Cameron, for all his good qualities and managerial ability, isn't that person. With regret, I would put money that he will be the fourth conservative leader in a row who won't be Prime Minister.

Anonymous said...

Better Richard Bacon than Victoria Derbyshire (he's covering for her maternity leave), the drone-voiced, sloppily spoken moron whose every second word is 'Yeah'. I hope she doesn't come back.

As for Ming, he once again tried to 'get down with the kids' by saying he watched lots of TV, then couldn't name a single programme, ending up by lamely saying that he watched the news.

Anonymous said...

framed through the prism of David Cameron...

I do hope that's a parody of Grauniad-speak. If it isn't, you really ought to look up 'mixed metaphor' sometime.

Anonymous said...

Ming may be a media novice but he has a bit of political integrity about him which the Newlabcon spivs will never have. It's come to something when what counts in this country is being a media clone with the soundbites and the hairdo. While you are being snooty about Ming's media gaucheness, thanks for IDS and Dracula in recent times.

Anonymous said...

Let us be honest with ourselves. Ming IS passed his sell by date. He sounds like it and looks it.

Put him against the 'pretty boy' Cameron and the 'who is a good daddy' Brown, Ming is like the grandfather (not even the hugging type) one feels like telling him to sit down and take it easy.

He is actually a lovely man. A gentleman from the old school very old fashioned but he doesn't impress most younger people.

Many LibDems won't say what they are really feeling about him. It's a case of closing ranks to protect the party's image. He's the leader so one has to live with.