Marr’s the Man
You can keep your Paxmen, your Dimblebies and your Snows - it’s Marr for me all the way.
I’ve had a soft spot for him ever since I saw him speak at a sixth form politics conference when he was editor of the Independent. The next day, he was editor no longer - something that had presumably been uppermost in his mind during his speech. Yet there he was, looking a little flustered, but dealing deftly with both questions and unexpected requests for work experience from memebers of the audience. His career was in chaos, but he made time for a bunch of overheated 17 olds all the same. Tony Blair, in contrast, cancelled with no notice, and sent John Prescott instead.
I do have a more topical reason for being pleased with the guy. Two weeks into the campaign, the Today programme ran a segment in which three or four cynical creative types mocked all three parties in equal measure, laughing happily at buzz phrases such as “all the same” and “only out for themselves”. When the programme cut to Marr for the next section, he began by taking the panel to task for this lazy, easy cynicism that could no longer believe a politician might want to make the world better. Any journalist who can follow politicians that closely and yet still stay hopeful gets my vote.
On the beeb a few minutes ago, as Teresa May held Maindenhead on an increased majority despite the LibDem “decapitation” startegy, he described it as “more of a haircut really”. Skeptical, not cynical; jaunty, not jaded - I give you, Andrew Marr: national hero.
May 6th, 2005 at 7:22 am
I yield to no-one in my affection for Andrew Marr - you’ve read his his wonderful book ‘My Trade’ of course? - but as the BBC’s Terminator in Chief to politicians he’s way behind the Ace Man, with Paxman fulminating somewhere further down in the third division. And who’s the star? Why Eddie Mair of course! Gently, caressingly, slipping his silver stiletto between the ribs of subjects sometimes too thick to realise its happening, he’s the PM hero who never fails to delight: respecting the truthful, rubbishing the liars and spinners out of sight. Did you hear what he did to Alan Milburn the other day? Pausing only to wish him a gentle good day, Eddie floored him in one wonderfully entertaining round, leaving Milburn gasping and bloody on the carpet. Milburn was looking fairly miserable at his count last night: maybe its the prospect of further rounds with Eddie which will send him back to spend time with his family. Cheers for Eddie Mair! Let’s hope they plug his next interview with Geoff Hoon in really good time so’s we can all get off work specially to listen. And best of all would be to hear him interviewing Blair on his ‘triumphant’ winning of the third term. How about it BBC?
May 6th, 2005 at 10:22 am
Plus, Andy’s been on Doctor Who. So ner.
May 6th, 2005 at 11:32 am
That’s true - and his boundless enthusiasm was on show there too. Check out:
http://opinion.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2005/03/23/do2303.xml
Bless him.