I haven't watched This Morning in ages, but I randomly switched it on a few minutes ago to see new Leader of the Opposition being interviewed by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. This is the politician's equivalent of a cuddle. It's not what you'd call a Paxmanesque grilling.
Even so, every time Phil did have a bit of a go at challenging him, Ed looked like he was like a rabbit caught in the headlights. If he can't cope with a fairly relaxed affair like this, he's going to find Prime Minister's Questions next week a bit of an ordeal.
From this interview today, we discovered that:
Ed was against the Iraq war, but he didn't doubt the motives of those who decided to carry it out - well, actually, I do. What were they thinking? They seemed more interested in blindly following the ideological Bush strategy than actually working out what was in the interests of this country and its standing in the World.
Ed doesn't like cuts, but he really doesn't think strikes are a good idea. He's giving the impression now of not wanting to be associated with the unions, whose votes handed him victory. He seems to be letting the Daily Mail dictate what he thinks rather than just be himself. This is never a good idea and he doesn't seem comfortable with it.
He thinks Labour made some mistakes on the economy, but David Cameron's a pessimist and it isn't really that bad, honest.
There was a bit of a comedy moment, and I expect a researcher is getting their ear chewed out as I write, when Phil asked Ed if he was going to get married to Jane. He rightly commented that Justine might be a bit annoyed if he did. And the answer was the right one - he isn't going to get married just to satisfy the Daily Mail, but because he loves her.
I was annoyed when Holly Willoughby thought it was legitimate to ask him whether it might be difficult for the Queen and the Pope to trust him because he's said he's an atheist. Frankly, if they do, then it's their problem. Faith, or lack of it, is no barometer of trustworthiness.
So Ed has now completed this rite of passage for a political leader. Holly and Phil then went from interviewing him to Keith Lemon. Their jobs are certainly never dull and predictable.
2 comments:
The one reason I could never trust Ed Milliband is his responses to the Iraq War question.
War is the single most serious decision any government can take. If you believe in your heart and in your head that the government are planning a war that is wrong how an earth could you possibly continue to serve in that government?
Either Ed Milliband is a moral coward who did not stand up for what he believes in or he is now switching sides on the war as hindsight has shown his government's policy to be one of the most outragious acts carried out by a British government since the darkest days of Empire-making.
Hang on. If he'll get married to Justine because he loves her, does the fact that he hasn't married her yet then logically mean that he doesn't love her (enough)?
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