Helen Lewis

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Boris v Paxo: the oddest political interview ever?

Newsnight's creaky encounter was a lowlight of the conference season.

By Helen Lewis Published 05 October 2011 11:13

Last night's Newsnight was real watch-through-your-fingers stuff. It began with a package on "Catgate", which started with a reference to Theresa May's kitten heels; and ended with a group of Tory female activists asking Jeremy Paxman why no men had been asked on the "women's special edition" of the programme.

But the undoubted highlight -- or lowlight, depending on your perspective -- was Boris Johnson's interview with Paxman. The tone was set by Paxman describing his guest as the "hairdresser's despair Boris Johnson" and things only got worse from there.

During the course of the encounter, all the following things happened:

Boris Johnson poked Paxman quite hard in the chest.
The word "piffle" was used.
In a discussion over whether Britain was "broken", Johnson used the camera as an example; leading Paxman to ask him incredulously, "Bits of Britain are scuffed?" (this discussion lasted about a minute).
Paxman asked Johnson whether he considered himself the intellectual inferior of David Cameron. "INFERIOR?" chortled Johnson.
"I'm trying to help you," said Paxman to Johnson at one point, as if this were the worst therapy session ever.
Johnson joked that Cameron was thick because he did PPE (politics, philosophy and economics) at Oxford, rather than Classics.
Asked how he differed from Cameron, Johnson replied: "I'm older, I'm heavier . . . I beat him at tennis the other day." When pressed further, he added: "This is a really good 'when did you stop beating your wife?' question."
Boris went into an extended rant about how he would volunteer to be Paxman's campaign manager in a run for the Tory leadership.

None of this was helped by the fact that the set creaked ominously throughout, like a galleon in Hornblower. I suspect it might have been straining to get away. Plenty of viewers certainly must have been.

No wonder this encounter was described by Tim Jonze as "the Frost/Nixon we deserve". You can watch it in full here.

Tags: Newsnight Jeremy Paxman Boris Johnson

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38 comments

Wed, 2011-10-05 11:58 — Sarah (not verified)

Playing the buffoon? BJs method was a change from playing standard-politician-with-all-the-answers, which is the usual theatre acting in political interviews. He also succeeded in "outing" Paxman´s questions without coming over as aggressive. To quote an earlier commenter, it was very watchable. "Watchable" usually gets more votes than "standard" (even if it should´t).

Thu, 2011-10-06 11:48 — Keir

Paxman is a waste of space. But then so is the BBC.

Wed, 2011-10-05 12:09 — Robert Taggart

BoJo 1, Paxo 0 !
Very little 'light', very little 'heat', very good banter though.
Oh, is it true - Paxo be paid £1m pa (of 'taxpayers' money)? - if it is - he should be pilloried by all his 'victims' until such torment drives him to retirement !

Wed, 2011-10-05 12:09 — martybee (not verified)

BJ was definitely not "Playing " the buffoon

Wed, 2011-10-05 12:29 — Jim (not verified)

This article is nonsense! It was an entertaining, refreshing interview - would you Helen prefer the non-descript autocue - 'don't deviate from the briefing notes' MP bore-view?

Another new low from the NS

Wed, 2011-10-05 12:39 — Simon (not verified)

It was certainly the oddest interview ive watched for many years, but it was great and Boris is great

Wed, 2011-10-05 12:41 — Essex Womble (not verified)

Entertaining yes, politically probing it wasn't. There are plenty of issues that Paxman could have tackled Boris on, ranging from London policing to the ever increasing problem of air pollution in the capital.
Most of Johnson's responses were as ever very shallow, is it an act or is this the real man is a debate that has been rehearsed many times before. Frankly he survives because we have entered an era of "celebrity" politicians,however
the idea that he is a potential Tory leader seems to be entering the realms of fantasy politics

Fri, 2011-10-07 21:21 — Dirk Nachbar (not verified)

I am afraid Boris was drunk

Fri, 2011-10-07 21:43 — swatantra

How can you tell? He's always like that. However can you tell?

Wed, 2011-10-05 14:34 — Paul T Horgan (not verified)

Paxo v Boris is now the absolute highlight of the political conference season. It's now in its third successful year.

The curious thing is how Boris dominates Paxo at every session. It's like Paxo is the straight men, feeing Boris lines.

For no other reason, people should keep Boris at City Hall so we can have this every year.

Tue, 2011-10-11 03:53 — terence patrick hewett1

And Boris will still win because he is simply head and shoulders above the opposition: but poor deluded souls, you cannot see it. Simply an article which says nothing and adds nothing.

Wed, 2011-10-05 15:28 — Murdo MacLeod (not verified)

What a silly analysis. It was not "watch-through-your-fingers stuff". It was laugh out loud stuff. Very funny and great television. Much better than boring "hold the line and remember the briefing notes" interviews. Great stuff and lots of fun.

Wed, 2011-10-05 16:16 — Robert (not verified)

Boris Johnson is an idiot.

Thu, 2011-10-06 14:44 — Mizar (not verified)

Keir, welcome to planet Earth.

Wed, 2011-10-05 16:46 — maxinemf

Much is made of BJ's intellectual prowess and his excellent command of the English Language. On the few ocassions I have listened to him speak, much of what he says is punctuated by numerous umms and Ahhs. He is incapable of smooth speech delivery in a way that DC is. Further BJ often uses complex language when simple words will suffice. I for one continue to express amazement at how he ever came to be elected Mayor of London. Hiding behins the veneer of intellectualism really does lie an ignorant buffoon. I say the Tory party are welcome to him and that though he may become leader he will never be Prime minister.

Wed, 2011-10-05 16:50 — Mejoff (not verified)

"BoJo is the Sarah Palin of British politics. He can just about see No 10 from City Hall."

But not Russia?

Wed, 2011-10-05 21:04 — Mizar (not verified)

@Robert sums it up. Johnson is a plonker, and the voters of London have a strange idea of a mayor.

Wed, 2011-10-05 19:23 — Lady J (not verified)

Boris outed Paxman as a Tory. Just as I thought. The BBC's constant criticism of all that Labour does and say (except the Blairites)and their inability to hold the Tories to account stems from what appears to be, a supposely independemnt news organisation harbouring a majority of closet Tories pretending to be independent broadcasters
This is no different to the occasions when Dodgy Dave reminded David Crick on Newsnight that he should get back in time to vote for the selection of the potential Tory candidate, clearly reminding him that he is a card carrying Tory.

So much for an unbias media.

Wed, 2011-10-05 19:27 — Lady J (not verified)

Sorry; Michael Crick

Wed, 2011-10-05 19:34 — Freeman2

swatantra nandanwar writes, 'BoJo is the Sarah Palin of British politics.'

Come off it. I hate Tories even more than Bevan did but whatever Johnson is, he isn't that stupid.

Sat, 2011-10-08 14:27 — carole herbert (not verified)

it was boring..........

like watching a pair of drunken clapped out old codgers late at night in the pub...almost too knackered to keep their heads from hitting the table...............pax is past his sell by date and should be
pastured out with another overpaid lollop fiona bruce.....perhaps they could both go off and wiggle their bony bums up the steps of some stately home...... boris needs to go and get therapy over his lovelocks.......

Fri, 2011-10-07 16:23 — ChrisL (not verified)

Paxman appeared to be tipsy and bored.
If so he should get another job.
Boris knows he will win easily against boring Ken.
Labour should have persuaded Alan Johnson to stand.He could easily defeat Boris.

Fri, 2011-10-07 16:24 — Tom (not verified)

Remember kids, your BBC license fee goes to pay for this "hard hitting content". If you don't like it, take it up with Paxman's agent, manager, the solicitor that negotiated his extremely well-paying contract and the BBC manager that signed it.

Tue, 2011-10-11 15:37 — Fergus Pickering (not verified)

Boris had Paxman for lunch, but Boris is clever and Paxo is not. Alan Johnson for mayor? You must be joking.

Sun, 2012-02-05 16:09 — Reginald-Fah-fah

Boris v Paxo: the most marvellous political interview ever!!!! Gone on Boris!!!

BACKBORIS2012

Thu, 2011-10-06 19:14 — Seaman T

The interview was a near perfect example of what I think of as The Media Driven Democracy Paradox. Politics depends on media for support but is tranformed into farce by it. The result is Silvio Berlusconni, Boris Johnson and Sarah Palin in competition with each other to rule the world as if it were The X Factor, with Murdoch playing the Simon Cowell role and the rest of us paying for a second rate performance with our vote.

Thu, 2011-10-06 19:34 — Keir

You mean it doesn't get any better than that 'interview'? I'll get the next bus back!

Sat, 2011-10-08 18:34 — swatantra

And yet Paxo told Oborne where to get off. He has to do that to BoJo as well. And lets have a straight answer to a straight question BoJo for once instead of fluxomulating drivel.

Thu, 2011-10-06 00:33 — Seenitall (not verified)

Boris might make it to No.10, but I'm not sure his hair will be with him.

Fri, 2011-10-07 17:22 — Arthur O'Connor

Boris is an entertaining buffoon - however one mustn't forget that he was dismissed from The Times for lying - his introductions are plagiaristic - and his foremost interest is bucks for himself. He will easily defeat lacking in charisma Ken and gay Paddick - but match him with Hugh Grant - who has charisma and brains and he will lose. The Lib Dems should snatch Grant as candidate.

Thu, 2011-10-06 03:54 — Kinski (not verified)

Sadly Boris Johnston is not an idiot, he is a cold and calculating tory of the worst kind.

Sat, 2011-10-08 20:53 — kenelm (not verified)

@carole - what has Fiona Bruce got to do with it? You sound just as bad as those you decry.

Wed, 2011-10-05 13:16 — swatantra

BoJo is the Sarah Palin of British politics. He can just about see No 10 from City Hall. He is extremely popular amongst ordinary Tory voters because he holds traditional Tory hardline views. He would go even further on austerity than Dave ever would and he's anti Europe and more of a toff than Dave and George.

Fri, 2011-10-14 10:06 — Brian Harry

Boris Johnson is a great English comedian, and apparently, the Lord Mayor of London. I live in Australia and our politicians are extremely unfunny. Paxman didn't dare bully Boris, he just joined in the fun, and it was very funny...!!

Wed, 2011-10-05 11:17 — CharlieBeckett

It was very watchable though, which says a lot about how boring and worthless most political interviews are these days.

Thu, 2011-10-06 11:07 — frances smith (not verified)

i found it entertaining, though it didn't reveal much about boris johnson's politics, it was not as boring as the usual tedious political interviews.

a change in how interviews with politicians are conducted will have to come, though i am not certain this should be the new model.

Wed, 2011-10-05 11:24 — swatantra

I'm afraid I switched off a minute into the interview. My doubts have been confimed: Johnson was playing the buffoon as usual. You'll never get a serious answer from him. And to think that this man could be running the country in 18 months time.