Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Quite a good watch tonight.

This week’s Tory fall guy was a smoothie-chopped twat called Lee Rowley, whose absurd jesuitical defence of the Tories’ racist/misogynist mega -donor was the most abject and ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

For Labour, there was Jonathan Ashworth, who did his usual very competent job, but also Ayesha Hazarika, who was quite wonderful. Fabulously indignant at the Tories’ hypocrisy, and doing a fantastic job. I really rate Ayesha. She’s a true asset for Labour.

Stephen Flynn, the radgy skinhead who now leads the SNP at Westminster, was as pompous and self-righteous as he has been in the commons chamber of late in relation to Palestine/Gaza. A tedious fuck.

And of course, there was Mad Mel Phillips, long absent from these debate shows for whatever reason, but now absolutely viciously belligerent in defence of the actions of the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza, and scathing in her righteous condemnation of Hamas and Hezbollah. It was as if she was (ahem) bezzie mates with Bibi. She even took time out to scold a highly skeptical Liverpudlian audience, who, despite the QT production team’s infamous attempts to select a “balanced” audience, were universally (no exceptions at all) hostile to Rowley and the Tories generally, which I suppose is to be expected in Liverpool. Some excellent, articulate contributions from individual audience members too.

QT just might have got its mojo back.

The field of self righteous, opinionated, loud mouthed right wing hacks is a crowded one these days and it's a battle between them to secure a prized spot on the very channel they all despise. Mad Mel's problem is, of course, compounded by her complete lack of charm, humour and warmth in these populist loving times.

Many years ago before I was a scruffy old geezer, Melanie Phillips sat down next to me on the Tube and gave me a flirtatious smile. A very scary moment.

Youngian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 10:35 am Many years ago before I was a scruffy old geezer, Melanie Phillips sat down next to me on the Tube and gave me a flirtatious smile. A very scary moment.

In an alternative universe you're Mr "Mad" Mel - trailing around public appearances, forced to engage in polite small-talk with her declining band of "followers".

Abernathy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:52 am Stephen Flynn, the radgy skinhead who now leads the SNP at Westminster, was as pompous and self-righteous as he has been in the commons chamber of late in relation to Palestine/Gaza. A tedious fuck.

There's a certain (mostly Calvinist) constituency up here who love this stuff.

Generally launched their careers with "Actually, I think you'll find this is legal tender".

Bones McCoy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:37 am

Youngian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 10:35 am Many years ago before I was a scruffy old geezer, Melanie Phillips sat down next to me on the Tube and gave me a flirtatious smile. A very scary moment.

In an alternative universe you're Mr "Mad" Mel - trailing around public appearances, forced to engage in polite small-talk with her declining band of "followers".

Married to strictly Reithian legal correspondent Joshua Rozenberg. Mel’s unlikely to wrangle him a job on the Mail, his cards have been marked.

He resigned from his Telegraph position, explaining in 2015 his reasons for doing so. While reporting for the newspaper on the House of Lords legal ruling on the applicability of the Human Rights Act 1998 outside Britain, Telegraph editors pressured him to include a statement that, under the ruling, legal claimants against the actions of British Army in Iraq would be entitled to millions of pounds in compensation. In Rozenberg's view this was not accurate, and he refused to include the statement. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Rozenberg

On the face of it, they appear an odd couple. Him, a straight as-a- die BBC man with a pleasant enough manner, her a humourless, hard right hack, utterly convinced of her own moral superiority who, despite frequently earning a crust from it, despises the BBC. Oh, and not forgetting her shameful role in the MMR scandal.

Rosvanian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:26 pm On the face of it, they appear an odd couple. Him, a straight as-a- die BBC man with a pleasant enough manner, her a humourless, hard right hack, utterly convinced of her own moral superiority who, despite frequently earning a crust from it, despises the BBC. Oh, and not forgetting her shameful role in the MMR scandal.

It's a real puzzler.
Josh seems a perfectly resonable chap.
One from the other side of the barricades, but I can see myself enjoying a chat with him over a drink.

Maybe less so if his "plus one" is constantly interrupting about MMR autism, Londonistan and "Mass shooters I inspired".

Bones McCoy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:00 pm

It's a real puzzler.
Josh seems a perfectly resonable chap.
One from the other side of the barricades, but I can see myself enjoying a chat with him over a drink.

Maybe less so if his "plus one" is constantly interrupting about MMR autism, Londonistan and "Mass shooters I inspired".

It might be a Jewish “marrying in” thing.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:52 am Quite a good watch tonight.

This week’s Tory fall guy was a smoothie-chopped twat called Lee Rowley, whose absurd jesuitical defence of the Tories’ racist/misogynist mega -donor was the most abject and ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

For Labour, there was Jonathan Ashworth, who did his usual very competent job, but also Ayesha Hazarika, who was quite wonderful. Fabulously indignant at the Tories’ hypocrisy, and doing a fantastic job. I really rate Ayesha. She’s a true asset for Labour.

Stephen Flynn, the radgy skinhead who now leads the SNP at Westminster, was as pompous and self-righteous as he has been in the commons chamber of late in relation to Palestine/Gaza. A tedious fuck.

And of course, there was Mad Mel Phillips, long absent from these debate shows for whatever reason, but now absolutely viciously belligerent in defence of the actions of the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza, and scathing in her righteous condemnation of Hamas and Hezbollah. It was as if she was (ahem) bezzie mates with Bibi. She even took time out to scold a highly skeptical Liverpudlian audience, who, despite the QT production team’s infamous attempts to select a “balanced” audience, were universally (no exceptions at all) hostile to Rowley and the Tories generally, which I suppose is to be expected in Liverpool. Some excellent, articulate contributions from individual audience memers too.

QT just might have got its mojo back.

They won't let it happen again.

It’s not Liverpool, Rod and you’re not John Lennon. If you’re standing as a candidate it’s best not to accuse your potential voters of being gullible twats for believing Boris Johnson. Even though they are.

Minister of State Chris Philp was asked a question by an audience member from the Democratic Republic of Congo during BBC One's Question Time.

Mr Philp asked in response: "DR Congo is a different country to Rwanda, isn't it?" - raising eyebrows from panel members and the audience.

Wes Streeting's expression - a meme is born.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-68901786

soulboy wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2024 8:21 am

Minister of State Chris Philp was asked a question by an audience member from the Democratic Republic of Congo during BBC One's Question Time.

Mr Philp asked in response: "DR Congo is a different country to Rwanda, isn't it?" - raising eyebrows from panel members and the audience.

Wes Streeting's expression - a meme is born.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-68901786

There was a brand of "1919 Tory / Retired Colonel" for whom "The wogs began at Calais".

Barely a century on elements of the party have progressed as far as "Everything south of the Med is Bongo-bongo land".

Ye gods. Philp is such a fucking arsehole.

Back in the 90s, Tory MPs had a tendency to resemble iffy estate agents, the sort who turned up as villains on shows like Lovejoy or Pie in the Sky. Nowadays they all resemble an absolutely awful car salesperson, or very out of their depth (and furious about it) supply teacher faced with the rough class.

You have to remember he is number two in that department, however he was also number 2 to Kwasi.

Laura Trott is also number 2 to Hunt and also resembles a vast space of nothing.