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Talk about Newsnight

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Monday, 18 February, 2005

  • Newsnight
  • 18 Feb 08, 04:59 PM

Jeremy's presenting the programme tonight.
Northern Rock
Gordon Brown and Alistair DarlingWe'll have the latest on the fallout from the decision to nationalise Northern Rock. A few minutes ago David Cameron called for Alistair Darling to be removed from his post. Where does all this leave the government's reputation for economic competence? And would the Tories鈥 plan for the Rock be any sounder? We expect to hear from a Treasury minister and a senior Conservative.

"Draft" weapons dossier published
The government vigorously opposed its publication, but lost the battle. A first draft of the notorious under Freedom of Information legislation. The draft was never released to the nor to into the evidence that led to war. It sheds more light on the key role that political advisers had in the presentation of sensitive intelligence. More details on the programme...

Pakistan elections
The polls have already closed in . The election is supposed to ease the transition to civilian democracy after eight years of military rule - but after weeks of bloody violence, and the assassination of key opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, it's likely that the outcome will lead to yet more instability and chaos. Mark Urban has spent the past week travelling across the country, speaking to top politicians and ordinary Pakistanis about the chance of peace.

Diana inquest
It was never likely to be a quiet day in court. But at the inquest into the death of Diana has proven more explosive than anyone could have imagined. He's referred to Prince Phillip as a "Nazi", and suggested that Prince Charles was part of the alleged murder plot, hoping to clear the decks so he could marry Camilla Parker Bowles. Has any of this led us any closer to the truth about her death? Possibly not. But we've sent our reporter Steve Smith along for the spectacle.

Comments  Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 06:00 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • Nathan Eakins wrote:

Re Mohammed Al Fayed, his driver was drunk in charge and, without Diana having HRH status, he was responsible for her safety.

Clunk click.

  • 2.
  • At 06:36 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • Cecil Brown wrote:

Reference "draft weapons dossier". As na
OAP who has served in the Royal Engineers I often wonder who is running the USA, and why in heavens name we ever let ourselves be guided by American "inteligence"!!

DRAFT DOSSIER = RAW JIC DATA?

Blair declared to Aaronovitch (in the three-part TV interview) that the 鈥渞aw JIC data鈥 behind the dossier, is 鈥渁ll on the web鈥. I cannot find it and have made three requests to government for direction to its location and obtained three silences. If this 鈥渄raft鈥 is what Blair was referring to, well and good, if not, can anyone tell me where the 鈥渞aw JIC data鈥 is?

  • 4.
  • At 09:36 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • Bob Goodall wrote:

Dear Newsnight

Its quite fair to mutualise Northern Rock, with the customers interests being represented by the Government.

It will probably get a return on its investment while protecting the financial services industry,

banks should reconsider suggesting a problem may exist in terms of NR having an unfair competitive edge,

ie the Government had to do this to protect itself from taking a significant hit on this,

it had to intervene in the first place to protect the whole banking system in the UK,

the reality is that NR will not be allowed to undermine other banks

so I suggest the other banks stop the briefings to this effect,

some may come from aggrieved predators, but the press need to say this,

isnt the problem really in terms of the Governments reputation management the past undermining of the independence of the civil service information section so that when a reasonable message needs to be conveyed this has become nigh on impossible,

the Government needs to rid itself of its spin doctors who are preventing it from giving a good account of itself in the media

just my thoughts,

best wishes
Bob

  • 5.
  • At 10:09 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • Chris Neil wrote:

There are two phrases that make me switch off any news programme as soon as I hear them:

(1) At the McCartney divorce hearings...

(2) At the Diana Death inquest ....

  • 6.
  • At 10:58 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • mark smith wrote:

Paxman's worst interview to date.

What's he doing wasting airtime on the tories about Nothern Rock just because he doesn't like the personality involved, while Yvette Cooper sits there just watching?

I'm worn out with Jeremy Paxman's personal hang-ups.

  • 7.
  • At 11:05 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • Michelle Henning wrote:

Re. Northern Rock. Why and so many references, over the past couple of days on the 91热爆 as well as on tonight's programme, to past nationalisations as disasters? I'm actually feeling quite nostalgic for the days of nationalised intdustry - I find trains have become more expensive and more unreliable, the post only arrives once a day now instead of twice and often goes missing, and I am constantly being hassled a the door to switch electricity and gas suppliers. I can't help feeling that nationalisation is being referred to as if it is self-evidently a bad thing for all of us, with no argument or evidence that this is actually the case. Funny really, that this is coming from the 91热爆.

  • 8.
  • At 11:12 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • David Bell wrote:

Had to stop surfing net to concentrate on Jeremy's interview with - was it John Williams? - who wrote draft of JIC report.
Wow!! an interviewee just telling it like it is (or rather was). No hesitating, no repetition, no avoiding the question. Just telling it much as we always knew it to be - minus the inside information and intelligence which he provided.
What a breath of fresh air!
You could usefully build a programme around this guy and his observations.
Wonderful!

  • 9.
  • At 11:40 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • Bob Goodall wrote:

Hi Newsnight
re tonight

spin doctorers again!!

why dont we all try an experiment with a brave new world where people tell the truth and spin doctoring is no longer seen as acceptable in modern democratic Government,

Bob

  • 10.
  • At 11:49 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • wrote:

Outstanding debate by Jeremy with Phil Hammond and Yvette Cooper on Northern Rock's nationalisation.
Sad to see Stephanie's left Newsnight :-(. Loved the cartoons used for the Diana Inquest :-) (Can we have more by the cartoonist?)

  • 11.
  • At 11:52 PM on 18 Feb 2008,
  • leigh robertson wrote:

I have just finished watching newsnight and feel a real sense of shock at the manner in which the Diana inquest news item was presented. I myself hold no real opinion regarding the death of Dodi and Diana. I feel that regardless of the "shocking" content of Mohammed Al Fayed's statements, for the item to be presented as a cartoon is wholly inappropriate. This is an inquiry into the death of a member of the royal family and her partner in a court with differing opinions leading to a final judgment. Newsnight has an obligation to present these proceedings objectively. You should work hard towards this ideal,otherwise you denigrate your profession.

  • 12.
  • At 12:43 AM on 19 Feb 2008,
  • Edward wrote:

Re the Diana Inquest coverage.

Whoever decided to present this item tonight complete with cartoons clearly has a very dark sense of humour. Three people died a decade ago in tragic circumstances.

Newsnight chose the tabloid line of cheap thought and I congratulate all of you on the team for using the efforts of the admirably named "Royal Correspondent" Peter.....errr.. Hunt.

Rank, cheap, puerile. Frankly I am surprised Mohamed Al Fayahd didn't punch him

  • 13.
  • At 12:52 AM on 19 Feb 2008,
  • wrote:

VERY ODD

Something very odd is happening to Newsnight. As I watch familar faces apparently doing "business as usual" but with all sorts of incongruous adjuncts (as mentioned in post 9) I feel I am watching hostages saying and doing stuff at gun point.
Presenters: If you are being made to engage in inappropriate broadcasting under duress, slip the phrase "The lunatics are running the asylum" into any broadcast. They will never notice. I will arrange for a swat team from Blue Peter to get you out.

  • 14.
  • At 01:07 AM on 19 Feb 2008,
  • wrote:

WHO'S COUNTING?

Post 9 became Post eleven in the interim. I have to do some rocking and weeping now.

  • 15.
  • At 04:54 AM on 19 Feb 2008,
  • Mark wrote:

"A few minutes ago David Cameron called for Alistair Darling to be removed from his post. Where does all this leave the government's reputation for economic competence?"

The high priests of financed have been defrocked and the naked truth revealed. So now the government is competing against privately owned banks in what is clearly an unfair competitive advantage having a limitless supply of money at its disposal which it can obtain from the tax coffers or just print. If it succeeds, it will rob legitimate successful entrepreneurs of their rightful profits by stealing their customers. And if it fails....it will reveal even greater incompetence than we could have possibly imagined because it will have been unable to make use of the overwhelming advantages it has created for itself. What a mess.

  • 16.
  • At 04:58 AM on 19 Feb 2008,
  • the cookie ducker wrote:

Al fayed has too much money, and hence way too many 'yes' men around him. His comments at the Diana inquest is prove that nobody has given him proper council as to how he should conduct himself or how to deliver his 'evidence'. He may have had his day in court but his only achievement was to send all the conspiracy theories into the wackosphere; which most of them belong (note: most of them).

  • 17.
  • At 09:31 AM on 19 Feb 2008,
  • Jeanette Eccles NW London wrote:

Al Fayed and the reporting
Steve Smith ALWAYS credits himself as being Arts and Culture REPORTER and even Jeremy announced it once, so what was the point of this Al Fayed piece ?

The cartoons looked like they were the work of a child art student and considering two people died despite what we may think to illustrate any death as a matter of Culture and use tacky cartoons is without doubt the 91热爆 dumbed right down.

  • 18.
  • At 09:52 AM on 19 Feb 2008,
  • stevie wrote:

sorry to everyone but I yearn for Nationalisation, the railways, the banks, the steel industry, telephones etc., and before anyone sections me can you say that life today with it's pig in trough mentality is better than thirty years ago when even the Tories thought the 'n' woird wasn't all bad. With vultures like Beardie waiting in the wings who wants all the 'profits' but none of the hassle, like an obligation to the public, so carry on Gord (even though I know you are squirming at the thought) the way the capatalist world is performing it may be your only escape route.

  • 19.
  • At 12:41 PM on 19 Feb 2008,
  • Tom wrote:

At a time when most decent investigative journalists are asking questions about sky high Geiger counter readings in enormous bunkers underneath the Euphrates River and why Syria has had to be bombed recently, Jeremy and Richard Watson take to the airwaves again about the WMD dossiers.

Jeremy barks about just how 鈥渂enign鈥 the dossiers were and Mr Watson takes the line that we now know there were no WMD there. Richard, we know there were no WMD when we got there, but prior to that we don鈥檛 know a sausage, mate.

Perhaps Newsnight could secure a no-holds barred interview with Syrian officials to deal with questions over any special deliveries they had in the post?

I wonder if they鈥檇 accept.

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