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Northern Ireland election

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If you can't stand the heat

  • Mark Devenport
  • 19 Feb 07, 04:28 PM

Dozens of business people were at the Europa Hotel today to question the parties on their attitude to corporation tax, road pricing and the problems facing small shopkeepers. David Cameron was at a GP's surgery in Bangor. Not getting first aid, but fending off questions about what the government should do if there's no deal by March 26th. He refused to pile the pressure on the DUP insisting the onus remained on Sinn Fein to back up its words on policing with action on the ground.

Where was I? Putting the tough questions to the potential future Prime Minister? Analysing the politicians' ability to deliver a peace dividend?

No. I was dressing up as a commis-chef for a new 91热爆 Politics trail on the theme of us lovingly preparing our dishes for a couple of voters who have never tried eating out in an electoral restaurant before.

Embarrassing photo will be attached as soon as it becomes available. In my defence I was not alone. Jim Fitzpatrick, Martina Purdy and a whole rake of presenters were also guilty parties...

Comments   Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 06:37 PM on 19 Feb 2007,
  • Elvis Parker wrote:

91热爆 stoops to new low in Servicing rather than challenging sectarian politics.
No coverage of Cameron's visit even when he addressed the navel gazing issues designation - like you always want him too.
Why is it 91热爆 policy to restrict coverage to the 'big 4' - have they not had 4 years of Inside Politics, Hearts and Minds, Lets Talk and news coverage?
Even coverage of 'real issues
You lot should hang you heads in shame

MARK REPLIES: Just back from a day on the road and only getting the chance to respond now. I was filming the trail yesterday, as mentioned earlier, but indeed the 91热爆 did cover David Cameron's visit. Political Correspondent Gareth Gordon was in Bangor to ask the Tory leader about how he would handle a 鈥渘o deal鈥 situation come March 26th. Mr Cameron's response was carried Radio Ulster news bulletins, Conor Bradford鈥檚 Evening Extra campaign desk and Good Morning Ulster's election round up plus 91热爆 NI News Online. He actually got more air time than any other politician!

Like you I was a bit surprised David Cameron wasn鈥檛 carried on the 91热爆 Newsline 6.30pm news. You might not like the programme producer's news-based decision. Another producer did of course include a piece on the 10.35 pm television news. As a potential future prime minister, I think it鈥檚 right we give David Cameron his due although I would point out this wasn鈥檛 his first visit here, rather one tied to the election.

Incidentally, with that clear, I don鈥檛 think your thesis about our obsession with sectarian politics and the four main parties holds water. 91热爆 Newsline's outside broadcasts and the Politics Show's Sunday forays out of Broadcasting House have both shown clearly that we are tackling the so called real issues. 91热爆 Newsline 6.30 did cover the Green Party last night who, whatever other criticisms anyone's entitled to make, haven't been accused of engaging in traditional sectarian politics

  • 2.
  • At 02:47 AM on 20 Feb 2007,
  • Christopher Connolly wrote:

What is the point of having political commentators in the 91热爆 when they can't even document the real political scene in this part of the UK? The antics of this style of 'reporting' should be totally re-analysed!

  • 3.
  • At 09:20 PM on 20 Feb 2007,
  • David J Timson wrote:

"Where was I? Putting the tough questions to the potential future Prime Minister? Analysing the politicians' ability to deliver a peace dividend?"

Hmmm...could this be a new "high" in 91热爆 political reporting? The so-called NI Political Editor choses to ignore the Leader of the Opposition and the concerns of the business community in favour of some stunt which seems to look suspiciously like a bit more 91热爆 dumbing down.

What next? Bairbre de Brun vs Diane Dodds in topless darts on Portrush beach? Ian Paisley and Reg Empey mud-wrestling in the Ulster Hall? (My money is on the Rev Ian - he has the bulk and the years of experience of political scrapping behind him).

The mind boggles.

MARK REPLIES: As you might see in the response to the post from Elvis Parker, my colleague Gareth Gordon was questioning David Cameron in Bangor, whilst you will find that the Business Q&A was covered in Conor Bradford's election round up on Evening Extra and on Good Morning Ulster. As you may have noticed in my earlier posts re. Sir Reg Empey and the advisor talks I have devoted a fair bit of time recently to analysing the politics of the "peace dividend". I shall let you judge whether the politics trail is good, bad or indifferent whenever it hits the screens. But our coverage of politics doesn't stop just when I am despatched to film a trail.

  • 4.
  • At 12:36 AM on 21 Feb 2007,
  • jazzone wrote:

'the Leader of the Opposition' ??

Opposition where and too whom? When I look at the voting figures for NI the Tories appear to be running neck and neck with the Workers Party, just forcing themselves ahead of heavyweights like Bangor CCTV candidate Chris Carter.

Just because the Conservatives have a shiny new leader who has our Westminster chums COMMENT EDITED FOR TASTE doesn't mean they are any more electable here, despite some people's wishful thinking.

And as for 'the concerns of the business community' - can't that be summed up as less tax, more grants, weaker unions whether there's an election on or not?

  • 5.
  • At 08:17 PM on 22 Feb 2007,
  • David J Timson wrote:

Opposition to Labour - that's the party that runs this country (in case you've been asleep since 1997).

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