Two Maulings in One Day - Paxman AND Channel 4

[Boilk]

George Osborne's sacrificial lamb, Chloe Smith,
gets a double mauling on TV in one day.

Gripping stuff!

[Beef Oven]

George Osborne's sacrificial lamb, Chloe Smith,
gets a double mauling on TV in one day.

Gripping stuff!

She was slaughtered!

[Lateralthinking1]

George Osborne's sacrificial lamb, Chloe Smith,
gets a double mauling on TV in one day.

Gripping stuff!

I feel quite sorry for her. She is as naive and tongue tied as I was when a York graduate barely aged 30. Of course, I wasn't the United Kingdom's Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Since leaving the common room, her sum total of financial experience is three years at Deloittes. There have been two further years in Conservative Central Office and less than three as an MP.

It is hardly surprising that the country is in the mess it is in when there are such ludicrous appointments. But don't blame her. Blame Dave for deciding to choose someone to appease mothers who had lost out on child benefits.

[subcontrabass]

I feel quite sorry for her. She is as naive and tongue tied as I was when a York graduate barely aged 30. Of course, I wasn't the United Kingdom's Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Nor is she. She is Economic Secretary to the Treasury, i.e. number five at the Treasury (rather than number 2).

[Lateralthinking1]

Nor is she. She is Financial Secretary to the Treasury, i.e. number five at the Treasury (rather than number 2).

Well, whatever scb. I am still tongue tied then. There are many in insurance offices at 30 - lower middle managers - who have nearly five times as much financial experience.

She was clearly aggravated during the Paxman interview but might lack the deviousness needed for today's politics.

[Nick Armstrong]

I feel quite sorry for her.

So do I.

Quite apart from issues such as the substance (or lack of it) of Government policy & strategy, their PR is dire Their communications advice post-Coulson is a shambles. I've seen more organised shambles, in fact.

[subcontrabass]

Well, whatever scb. I am still tongue tied then. There are many in insurance offices at 30 - lower middle managers - who have nearly five times as much financial experience.

She was clearly aggravated during the Paxman interview but might lack the deviousness needed for today's politics.

As a very junior junior minister she might be asking why she was stitched up by those above her who actually made the decision and why she was sent out with only half the information needed.

[gurnemanz]

I feel quite sorry for her. She is as naive and tongue tied as I was when a York graduate barely aged 30. Of course, I wasn't the United Kingdom's Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Since leaving the common room, her sum total of financial experience is three years at Deloittes. There have been two further years in Conservative Central Office and less than three as an MP.

It is hardly surprising that the country is in the mess it is in when there are such ludicrous appointments. But don't blame her. Blame Dave for deciding to choose someone to appease mothers who had lost out on child benefits.

Appararently, Dave "thought she was an accountant, rather than a management consultant for an accountancy firm".

http://www.theweek.co.uk/politics/47653/can-chloe-smith-recover-paxman-car-crash#ixzz1z0Eps12C

Shoving her ill-prepared in front of Paxo would be an expedient way of rectifying their error.

[Lateralthinking1]

As a very junior junior minister she might be asking why she was stitched up by those above her who actually made the decision and why she was sent out with only half the information needed.

Yes, she was clearly someone they chose to hide behind. However, those in command of their subject deal with these things more coherently. I am not saying that she isn't intellectually capable but we need people with 15-20 years relevant experience in these posts, particularly given all the sharp suits in money.

Experienced Ministers also insist on adequate briefing ahead of interviews - in fact, McNulty rarely went anywhere before establishing what he was going to eat and where he could smoke. I assured him of a fry-up on one occasion as soon as he had endured a buffet breakfast meeting.

By the way, next time someone is reviewing film footage, would it be possible to locate the oath 'sworn' by Dave at Leveson? His stumbling was put down to nervousness but I have been wondering since whether his precise wording enabled him to speak without feeling he was under that burden.

[amateur51]

Oh dear, poor woman, shabbily treated by her bosses. As Prescott said of them, "cowards". Osborne is becoming very adept at dodging potentially embarrassing/tough interviews, I'd say..

We haven't heard much from the once-voluble Tax Payers' Alliance, have we?

[Lateralthinking1]

Oh dear, poor woman, shabbily treated by her bosses. As Prescott said of them, "cowards". Osborne is becoming very adept at dodging potentially embarrassing/tough interviews, I'd say..

We haven't heard much from the once-voluble Tax Payers' Alliance, have we? ;erm:

For a moment I read the title of the thread as "Two Maudlings in One Day".

He of "For God's sake bring me a large Scotch. What a bloody awful country" on boarding a plane out of Northern Ireland.

So worse things have happened and she will probably get over it.

[amateur51]

For a moment I read the title of the thread as "Two Maudlings in One Day".

He of "For God's sake bring me a large Scotch. What a bloody awful country" on boarding a plane out of Northern Ireland.

So worse things have happened and she will probably get over it.

i just hope she gets a chance for a spot of revenge, as Angela Eagle did after the "Calm down, dear" episode.

What is it about these Bullingdon Boys and strong women?

Oh I remember - it's called sexism

[Pianorak]

Oh dear, poor woman, shabbily treated by her bosses. . .

. . . and both interviewers, IMV.

[Serial_Apologist]

i just hope she gets a chance for a spot of revenge, as Angela Eagle did after the "Calm down, dear" episode.

What is it about these Bullingdon Boys and strong women?

Oh I remember - it's called sexism

I rather feel this too.

Choosing between that interviewer and that interviewee is like choosing between Paxman and the deep blue sea...

She could of course have said, "Why is the issue of whether or not I agree or disagree with the latest government U-turn of any interest to you or to the viewer... or for that matter, when I learned or didn't learn about the U-turn? Isn't it a matter of any interest that struggling businesses will at least find it easier to find the necessary cash to be able to transport their products to the various outlets where they wil be hopefully sold, or abroad; and that ordinary motorists will now be able to get around more cheaply as a result of this U-turn? Or does your salary not count in all this, Mr Paxman? And in any case, I was elected by my constituents. Who elected you to make insinuating pronouncements on this, that or anything else, Mr Paxman?"

It would have undermined the typically shallow, one-dimensional, mis-targeted kind of questioning we get from the Paxmen of this media power-engorged age. And what a pity that would have been - from a Tory of all things! But of course, that would have been rude - which role-model-for-the-young Mr Paxman never is. Of course.

[Northender]

Yes, I agree - you shouldn't be horrible to members of the Government. They should have asked Alan Titchmarsh or Aled Jones to interview her. (If they're a bit too mean for your taste, I suppose you could see if Gloria Hunniford is available).