Charles on… anything that comes along

It’s probably lucky for John Reid, secretary of state for health, that Caroline Quinn wasn’t allowed to slap or shoot him during their interview on this morning’s Today programme (requires Real Player, like all BBC clips). She was quizzing him very reasonably about the flaws in the Government’s position to Hutton over the September dossier on Iraq. He replied by avoiding the question - a subtle insult - and being condescending, which is more overt. Try counting how many times he addresses her as “Caroline” as though he were being pleasant, when in fact it’s a politician’s way of being anything but.

Interesting point made subsequently by Andrew Marr that “the number of Lib Dems in Parliament is like the tide - it’s rising”. It’s one bigger today. A problem for Labour and the Tories. Some voters might not see it that way at all, judging by the by-election results of last night.

And as a sidenote, it was an all-female Today: Caroline Quinn and Sara Montague doing the interviews, and Harriet Cass doing the news. They’ve got a female business presenter who does the pre-7am roundup from time to time. Now if they could only get a female sports presenter instead of the Alan Partridge who presently does it..

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