Laura Kuenssberg - Political Editor of the BBC

[nicko31]

You’ll notice my like and knowing nod in agreement. Whilst simultaneously being very unhappy with Labour since they got in. Most of us in the middle are completely disillusioned with the lot of them and have been for a while.

Yeah, a few of things are a bit disappointing but some big wins already and overall a lot better so far. Its too early to really pass judgement, I remember the early days of Blair, they were some wrong steps and some scandal.

I certainly would have got the budget done within a few weeks of taking office, not dragging it out

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

With rumoured £8-10m income from various grifts he doesn't need the cash.

But he does need to try and re-write history with his book, LK's platform on the Beeb aided by Lord Rothermere at the Mail is a great start

I have no time for Johnson the Liar, but I doubt that he will raise anything other than giggles and money by flogging an autobiography.

A proven liar lies in a book.

If AJP Taylor were alive today he would not be using Johnson's tawdry self-aggrandizing pamphlet as a reference source in his update, English History, 1945-2004.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Who he appointed.

Re-establishing the BBC's political independence should be a high priority for the new Culture Secretary. Lisa Nandy knows what needs to be done, as evidenced by her piece for Labour list when fighting the 2020 leadership election: https://labourlist.org/2020/02/i-wi...tive-and-accountable-to-the-people-it-serves/. Let's hope being in government doesn't change her views about the need for insulation from political influence.

Absolutely. And i'm a huge supporter of the BBC and I believe it's only long term future depends on an overt neutrality. Cleansing the senior levels of the organisation of people with links to political figures or parties is a first step here.

As for Laura K, i'm aware there's an online pile on over her perceived closeness to the Tories, but i've not seen enough of that myself to form a view. This "mistake" is an embarrassing look though and the person who asks the questions should be answering a few. Chiefly, "is this the first time she's ever sent questions to an interviewee?" is the one i'd like to see her answer

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Absolutely spot on. And they’ve done this for ages, keep edging further and further right until there is an appetite for it, then act shocked someone else is doing it “better” than them (in the sense of winning that vote).

They should be going back to old fashioned calm Conservatism to have any hope of recovery any time soon.

Nutters throughout the rank and file of the Tories.

Their only hope right now is to join in with the smearing of Labour (Starmer's suits and seat at the football, etc.) as part of the 'they are all the same' agenda.

But they don't seem to have an appetite for that, and remain strangely silent.

Conscious, perhaps, of the eye-watering levels of grift and abuse of the public purse during the last several governments.

 

[jcdenton08]

Their only hope right now is to join in with the smearing of Labour (Starmer's suits and seat at the football, etc.) as part of the 'they are all the same' agenda.

But they don't seem to have an appetite for that, and remain strangely silent.

Conscious, perhaps, of the eye-watering levels of grift and abuse of the public purse during the last several governments.

Agree and disagree. I’ve posted several times I don’t agree with the campaign against Starmer on the basis of his freebies (which, as I’ve said, they actually are all the same on that front). It’s media led and just not important to me in how the country is run.

I agree wholeheartedly though that a tenacious opposition party given the ammunition should be playing politics and attacking this.

WFA, which has been discussed to death on the other threads so I won’t go into detail here unless prompted, is the rotten egg. A strong opposition would make mincemeat of that.

But we don’t have a strong opposition, we have a very poor opposition, same as Labour under Corbyn, who pick all the wrong fights and usually with themselves.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Absolutely. And i'm a huge supporter of the BBC and I believe it's only long term future depends on an overt neutrality. Cleansing the senior levels of the organisation of people with links to political figures or parties is a first step here.

As for Laura K, i'm aware there's an online pile on over her perceived closeness to the Tories, but i've not seen enough of that myself to form a view. This "mistake" is an embarrassing look though and the person who asks the questions should be answering a few. Chiefly, "is this the first time she's ever sent questions to an interviewee?" is the one i'd like to see her answer

I agree. As a Labour member she has consistently failed to alarm me by her apparent bias. She sticks it to the Tories as well as to Labour as far as I have seen.

One could criticize several journalists for tedious negative whataboutery, and there are several that seem to be gleefully leaping about because Starmer is certain to make Lord Alli the next archbishop of Canterbury, and manipulate UEFA so that Arsenal win the Champion's league. But that's all part of the panto aspect of politics.

I have been told LK has dubious antecedents, but it is only her worktime activities that interest me. If she likes to fondle a blow-up doll of Jimmy Cleverly in the privacy of her own dungeon, that's her business.

 

[jcdenton08]

Yeah, a few of things are a bit disappointing but some big wins already and overall a lot better so far. Its too early to really pass judgement, I remember the early days of Blair, they were some wrong steps and some scandal.

I certainly would have got the budget done within a few weeks of taking office, not dragging it out

I’m really not sure I can think of any wins. If anything, I think they’ve done too much too soon.

When I backed Labour I was hoping for stable, boring government for a while. Steady the ship. Give a safe budget. Assess the situation, earn credibility and then affect change.

Doing the WFA thing before a budget and so late in the year was a mistake. As I said in t’other thread, best would be to walk that back, give a modest budget, earn trust and bring in a properly planned for WFA cut next year alongside a Pensions Benefit national campaign to get those eligible registered.

None of this changes how incredibly shit the Tories are, on that we can agree.

 

[Grizz]

Have to admit whenever I've watched her she's always come across as a bit of a Johnson fangirl. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe she got caught out, but I wasn't surprised when I read it.

 

[Cheggers]

Roughly translates as I sent Boris a list of questions so he could suitably prepare, if he could be arsed, told my team what I did, one of said team has passed that info upwards, that info has reached someone with political neutrality (in a professonal sense) or institutional integrity, so I had to either own it or present it as a mistake...possibly.

 

[jcdenton08]

Have to admit whenever I've watched her she's always come across as a bit of a Johnson fangirl. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe she got caught out, but I wasn't surprised when I read it.

My elderly Mum always says she has a funny mouth. Now I can’t unsee it. Completely irrelevant and mouth shaming, though it is.

 

[Grizz]

My elderly Mum always says she has a funny mouth. Now I can’t unsee it. Completely irrelevant and mouth shaming, though it is.

Mum's eh. Always coming out with absolute random gems when you least except it

 

[jcdenton08]

Mum's eh. Always coming out with absolute random gems when you least except it

She also has a thing against Nick Knowles (serial killer eyes), and the Scottish woman who does the weather on the BBC morning news (her accent is like bagpipes up my bottom).

She does make me laugh.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I’m really not sure I can think of any wins. If anything, I think they’ve done too much too soon.

When I backed Labour I was hoping for stable, boring government for a while. Steady the ship. Give a safe budget. Assess the situation, earn credibility and then affect change.

Doing the WFA thing before a budget and so late in the year was a mistake. As I said in t’other thread, best would be to walk that back, give a modest budget, earn trust and bring in a properly planned for WFA cut next year alongside a Pensions Benefit national campaign to get those eligible registered.

None of this changes how incredibly shit the Tories are, on that we can agree.

The WFA thing is a little concerning. If it sent a message despite having much impact, then that may have mapped to a 'clever politics' agenda. Instead it seems ill judged with scope to annoy, disadvantage and disappoint for no obvious advantage.

A bit like if we play Spuds on Sunday with a high line of slow defenders.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Why is Boris Johnson being interviewed anyway? Surely these days he's an irrelevance, other than as a historical curiosity?

He's got a book out.

Difficult interviews for Starmer. Book promotion (with prep) for Boris.

#TwoTierLaura

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Whereas what they should be doing is moving more to the centre ground to try and regain the massive number of voters who have moved to Labour.

Strange though it may sound, Labour actually got less votes in the 2024 election than in 2019 - 9.7m vs 10.2m.

 

[jcdenton08]

Strange though it may sound, Labour actually got less votes in the 2024 election than in 2019 - 9.7m vs 10.2m.

That’s very true. And the fact of the matter.

There are also other facts which explain that fact. Like targeted tactical voting, a much lower turnout, a split vote share, people feeling compelled to vote due to the unpopularity of government or opposition - in this case the opposition - and so on.

The truth is the Tories weren’t popular in 2019 and a sensible moderate candidate would’ve won. I blame Corbyn for over four more years of Tory fuckery.

 

[Weststander]

That’s very true. And the fact of the matter.

There are also other facts which explain that fact. Like targeted tactical voting, a much lower turnout, a split vote share, people feeling compelled to vote due to the unpopularity of government or opposition - in this case the opposition - and so on.

The truth is the Tories weren’t popular in 2019 and a sensible moderate candidate would’ve won. I blame Corbyn for over four more years of Tory fuckery.

There was also the Brexit issue. Corbyn pretended to be in both camps, it came across as sly and incompetent.

 

[aftershavedave]

Roughly translates as I sent Boris a list of questions so he could suitably prepare, if he could be arsed, told my team what I did, one of said team has passed that info upwards, that info has reached someone with political neutrality (in a professonal sense) or institutional integrity, so I had to either own it or present it as a mistake...possibly.

Highly plausible. Her support for the Tories is evident

 

[The Clamp]

The BBC should not be used by Johnson to promote his forthcoming book of lies about Brexit and Partygate .

There are lots of things to like about the BBC. This is not one of them .

 

[jcdenton08]

Highly plausible. Her support for the Tories is evident

Not sure. I’ve seen her give it socks to Tories