As an aside, I watched some old election coverage from the 60s-70s a while ago. The vox pops cured me of any sense that there was a golden age of mass political discussion. They were mostly terrible.
Re: Makerfield By-election
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 9:01 pm
by Youngian
Coogan's come out for Burnham before but Hugh Grant is an interesting addition. The press will quickly note the two actors are Hacked Off activists.
British acting legend Hugh Grant has been pictured arriving at the community sports club in Makerfield where Andy Burnham is holding an eve-of-poll rally tonight
Actor Hugh Grant was later pictured leaving the Andy Burnham rally in Makerfield tonight.
He's the latest celebrity to appear in the constituency following the likes of Steve Coogan, who was supporting Mr Burnham, and Ant Middleton who lent his support to Reform's Rob Kenyon. https://www.facebook.com/share/1G1oSM4go2/
As an aside, I watched some old election coverage from the 60s-70s a while ago. The vox pops cured me of any sense that there was a golden age of mass political discussion. They were mostly terrible.
Ha ha. The vox pops were like that. I get that women, and working class people generally, weren't really encouraged to speak, so I don't want to be harsh on the vox poppers.
Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2026 7:11 pm
I remember seeing on one of those outtakes shows a vox pop team interviewing people about some recent scientific discovery and did they care. They go up to a big tattooed guy, and he replies eloquently and with enthusiasm, as he explains he's a research student in particle physics or whatever. Clip doesn't get aired.
This is one of the curious things about journos. They must all know the rules of the game. And yet they all act like Salt of the Earth types look, sound and think a very definite way, and everyone else is irrelevant. Do they just not put 2+2? Or do they not care?
You are implying honesty and integrity where none exists.
This is one of the curious things about journos. They must all know the rules of the game. And yet they all act like Salt of the Earth types look, sound and think a very definite way, and everyone else is irrelevant. Do they just not put 2+2? Or do they not care?
There are a lot of journalists who are basically storytellers. Reporting the facts isn't enough, instead they have to be contextualised. Wrapped up in a neat package. But nothing too original, so you get the payoff - you know the sort of thing, the pun (visual or verbal) that signs off the article. The event repackaged into a predetermined narrative. The little people against the system.
Re: Makerfield By-election
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 9:54 pm
by Abernathy
Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2026 8:41 pm
I was featured on a vox pop on BBC Midlands in 2024, being vaguely nice about the Green Party.
Were you the fat bloke with the crew cut and the spiders web neck tattoo ?
As an aside, I watched some old election coverage from the 60s-70s a while ago. The vox pops cured me of any sense that there was a golden age of mass political discussion. They were mostly terrible.
Ha ha. The vox pops were like that. I get that women, and working class people generally, weren't really encouraged to speak, so I don't want to be harsh on the vox poppers.
BBC4 showed the 1964 election coverage featuring quality vox pops. And yes people were wearing bowler hats or in dungarees on the shop floor.
There was a know it all shop steward at Dagenham who made it clear he was there to represent his members and wasn't interested in politics. He then gave his opinions on everything from prices and incomes policies to nuclear detente.
Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2026 8:41 pm
I was featured on a vox pop on BBC Midlands in 2024, being vaguely nice about the Green Party.
Were you the fat bloke with the crew cut and the spiders web neck tattoo ?
Ha ha. I was outside the sports shop in Ledbury, if that helps.
Re: Makerfield By-election
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 10:47 pm
by Samanfur
I had Lindsey Hilsum stick a mic and a camera in my face the last time I was on delegate duty at a Labour conference, back in 2023. Right before the leader's speech.
The constituency PPC and I were just leaning on the railings on the bank of the Mersey, enjoying the ambience. I suspect that she was looking at the bloke in the suit and the woman with the army surplus parka, the wide-brimmed hat and the lanyard full of mostly LGBTQ+ pin badges (very much advertising myself as on the left of the party, and not bothered who noticed) and expecting to get something rude about Starmer.
The PPC made his excuses and bolted, whilst I responded calmly, politely, and didn't fall into the obvious bear traps in the questioning.
