Chief Political Correspondent Wanted
The Times' chief political correspondent, Anthony Browne is off to run the Policy Exchange think tank after only one year in post. The job interview must have been interesting, since only last month he described Policy Exchange as "very close to the Conservative leadership" and accused them of issuing a report "giving perfect cover for a hard-hitting speech on the same day by David Cameron, detailing how he would tackle the issue." Clearly they forgave him for that sensitive jibe.
The job opening comes at a crucial time, Murdoch having basically decided to back Brown and try to crack the whip on Cameron to bring him into line. If our tele-democracy is about bread and circuses, Guido is in no doubt who is the ringmaster. So who will be the clown who gets the job?
It will be interesting to see if it goes to a journalist with known sympathies. If Tom Baldwin gets it, you can be sure the Times will be slanting reportage even more favourably to Gordon. It is one thing for the comment columnists to be partisan, if they weren't, it'd be boring. Some days even the Times' political reporting reads like it was written by Ed Balls.
UPDATE : This just in from Machiavelli , frankly nothing would surprise Guido...
The job opening comes at a crucial time, Murdoch having basically decided to back Brown and try to crack the whip on Cameron to bring him into line. If our tele-democracy is about bread and circuses, Guido is in no doubt who is the ringmaster. So who will be the clown who gets the job?
It will be interesting to see if it goes to a journalist with known sympathies. If Tom Baldwin gets it, you can be sure the Times will be slanting reportage even more favourably to Gordon. It is one thing for the comment columnists to be partisan, if they weren't, it'd be boring. Some days even the Times' political reporting reads like it was written by Ed Balls.
UPDATE : This just in from Machiavelli , frankly nothing would surprise Guido...
31 comments:
I don't read The Times anymore, it's political coverage is boring. I just see the name Tom Baldwin at the top of an article and wonder whether the piece was dictated verbatim from Number 10 or the Treasury.
Haven't you put your CV in already?
I always thought Tom Baldwin was a pseudonym for Alistair Campbell. Are you saying Tom exists?
The political commentary of the Times is vetted by NuLab before publication these days.
Deliberately mischievous, Guido. As I expect you know, the reason Baldwin was given his current job in the States was to get him out of the Times' lobby team after his closeness to Campbell and Co started to become an embarrassment.
Baldwin also has the status of Assistant Editor of The Times, so Chief Pol Corr would be a considerable demotion. If we were talking about the Pol Ed's job, it would be different.
How about a certain BBC political reporter getting it.
After all he is showing good form at the moment.
2 things that are annoying me this morning:
1) I was busy vandalising Tim Ireland's Wikipedia entry late last night and it took him about 12 minutes to change it. Does that mean that either - he checks it all the time because he's a vain twat, or has some sort of auto-email facility set up whenever anyone goes near it?
2) The BBC aren't reporting this story anywhere -
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/world/middleeast/31karbala.html?ex=1327899600&en=6a50b9d4a3448c7c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Why not? 5 US Soldiers killed, 4 of them after being abducted by suspected Iranian agents. The Iranian slant could be true, it might not be, it's an intriguing story whoever killed them. But why isn't the BBC reporting it? I've searched bbc.co.uk and there's nothing. It's on a whole bunch of other news sites, including the Guardian.
Does Brown smell?I was thinking of applying for the job and consequently would have to mingle with politicians?Most people of Brown's size,with unwashed hair and clothing,usually smell in my experience.Some people on this blog must have met him?Does he smell?
such as today in fact - when a poll saying that a new, younger candidate would be much more popular than GB in the country and the key election battlegrounds, was spun to suggest that GB "has nothing really to worry about from this poll".
I searched the paper for a credit for Ed Balls as Editor-at-large, but couldn't find one.
We could do with a few independent newspapers, news sheets or magazines that don't have a strong political bias (if such a thing could be created)
Blogging is good but it doesn't quite replace underground press.
"Some days even the Times' political reporting reads like it was written by Ed Balls."
The whole paper is a load of balls.
Free at last ! Free at last !
With one bound Teflon Tony is free at last ! Maybe others in his circle will get a slap on the wrist, but he at least will never do porridge !
Hooray for the Guardian !! And with one bound he has escaped. By putting into the public domain stuff on the newsprint which couldn't be recalled even though the police didn't want it to be published Tony Blair has a cast iron, rock solid defence that he will not get a fair trial.
And all the huffing and puffing on the blogosphere will not change a damn thing ! It will only potentially make it worse !
Frank Fieldy ! Jackie Ashley ! Alan Rusby ! Your team would take a hell of a lot to be beaten. Yay !
Mabey Rupert should read some of the polls his paper is publishing
before rusj=hing into anything. Or is the old boy losing his touch?
I really hope that Aussie twat has his ego pricked by Brown being totally thrashed by Cameron.
The pompous prat has been labouring under the misapprehension that he is some sort of divinity for the past 20 years. Thinking that everyone gratefully bows to his wishes.
Can't wait to see the look on his face when everyone ignores him..
Anybody who sees a Tom Baldwin or similar article mixing fact with opinion, or simply making things up, should report them to the Press Complaints Commission.
The PCC isn't a very effective regulator but if enough people complain they'll be forced to act.
w 10:13am: "We could do with a few independent newspapers, news sheets or magazines that don't have a strong political bias (if such a thing could be created)"
What, like "The Independent"?
HAHAHAHA
Just pop down to the nearest cesspit and find some piece of amoeba who will do the job and at a fraction of the cost of some hack with no morals or ethical standards.
We need to bring in some rules, that UK national newspapers can only be owned by UK nationals or at a push by some oik from the continent. Rather similar to the US television station regulations, one reason why Murdoch dumped his Aussie passport for a Yankee one. CUNT.
Few people I know actually believe much of what they read in the political pages these days. Political journalism is becoming as bad as football reporting for mixing fact with opinion. Purely objective journalism is on its last legs - if it ever existed in the first place. Sadly, we are fed a diet of infotainment.
You are always so casual with facts Guido it really gets to me. First you slag off The Times and they you imply that Ed Balls is literate and capable of writing.
What nonsense.
I dislike Murdoch intensly but he is no fool.If it becomes plain that GB is going to lose the next election he will change sides.After all,it is not in his interests for a new govt to enter office with a serious grudge against him.Let off the leash,the competion authorities could make hay with his empire.
jobhunter said...
Does Brown smell?
not today I dont cos Konrad changed my nappy after I done a ploppy
Yes he does, stench of death
Browne was a pretty poor Brussels correspondent, who would generally run with any line that was spoonfed to him.
The chaps at Policy Exchange had better make sure they leave a good list of minicab numbers on his desk when he arrives, as I don't think he takes black cabs any more.
http://www.london-taxi.co.uk/taxi/prat.htm
I'm guessing that Cameron has told Murdoch to f*ck off. He probably is smart enough to know that the 3.5million Sun readers only buy it for the sport pages. Times readers all live in safe Tory seats. Murdoch usually backs the likely winner to make it look like he has influence with Joe Public - and hey presto he gets the influence he desires. All the bias at the BBC and in the Murdoch press hasn't stopped the Cameroons gradual rise in popularity - clearlt he doesn't need them and there's a long way to go yet.
The BBC and the Murdoch press may find they have tough times ahead with their blatant support of Brown when Cameron wins - unless Murdoch has some dirt that will stick.
The thing is Murdoch is very old and even with his money will not be able to buy the necessary body parts to keep himself alive indefinitely. When he goes the Murdoch empire will be deconstructed and their power dispersed. Will Murdoch even make it to the next U.K. election? Interesting times ahead.
Baldwin is famous for only two things at Westminster. Having a very runny nose - and taking (only marginally slower) dictation from A. Campbell/P. Mandelson/E.Balls than not-so-clever Trevor Kavanagh of the Nu-Lab Sun.
PS. Did I mention, Baldwin's runny nose?
Guido,
Surely you must realize by now what the Anglospehre and their PR man want?
Let me spell it out for you - the complete and total destruction of the Labour Party (both Old and New flavours).
To achieve this the vain, one eyed, dour Jock must be given his head (contrary to what Johnny Powell and his VX controllers originally planned) for a year or so.
It goes without saying that all the shit currently building up in the system (constitutional crisis in Scotland, cancellation of the Olympics etc) will all explode in Gordo's smug mug with the ink barely dry on his authorization to double the BBC license fee...
Daz Cameron wins four successive general elections and declares himself to be an unashamed 'New Thatcherite' and climate contrarian after barely eighteen months in office. A grateful CIA promises to restore to Britain her old colonies of Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan.
And the 'Dirty Digger' is rewarded on his death bed in 2013 with all the rights, assets, chattels, leaseholds and freeholds pertaining to the former British Broadcasting Corporation...
Spook Buster
"I'm guessing that Cameron has told Murdoch to f*ck off."
I hope Cameron *actually* used those very words too.
Murdoch is the very worst kind of slimy, sanctimonious little shit.
Never mind "Does Brown smell?" Look at the photos of his hands! ( today's Daily Maily)
Thought Maguire was going to number 10 ... someone is running with that. The new Al Campbell puling the strings.
Its compleat rubbish to suggest that putting information relevent to a police investigation into the public domain, makes getting a fair trial impossible or even that difficult. This is just agitprop of the most basic and silly type. What examples is there of this ever happening before?
I think what the police are saying is that they just want to run the investigation at their own speed. That is to give maximum time for the nerves of the participants to crack. They will always give suspects the impresion that they have more substantive evidence then they in fact have. Hoping for them to grass each other up when the pressure gets to much.
EVIDENCE IS EVIDENCE its as simple as that. But a confesion is always better and saves months in court.
As half the British people dont know what the hells going on in this country and quite frankly dont give a damm either. Getting hold of 12 "uncontaminated" wittnesses would be easier then finding a dishonest Labour politician to convict in the first place.
"It was us Wot Lost it" - it looks like Murdoch is backing a lame horse this time.
Perhaps Gorond holding Virgin over his head has something to do with his support for the dark side.
Still, double or quits Rupert.
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