Post by Teddy Bear on Aug 31, 2007 19:10:39 GMT
A brilliant article from Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail over a Newsnight interview of David Cameron:
LITTLEJOHN: If BBC reporter Stephanie Flanders speaks for Britain, I'm a gnu
22:06pm 30th August 2007
Comments (17)
Richard Littlejohn says the BBC's Stephanie Flanders did not speak for Britain when she asked David Cameron about tax breaks for married couples
She could barely contain her contempt and condescension. "I'm not married. I have a small child. Are you saying the Conservative Party would like me to be married?"
No wonder Call Me Dave looked surprised. The questioner was BBC reporter Stephanie Flanders, specialist subject: economics.
She was one of a panel of four chosen to interview the Tory leader for a special edition of Newsnight - the lone woman, a striking figure in a vivid red frock, surrounded by middle-aged men in sober suits.
Naturally, Dave had been expecting her to ask him something about economic policy.
Miss Flanders chose to personalise her attack and turn it into a challenge over individual morality.
Cameron dealt with it graciously, explaining that while he had no intention of preaching, there were good reasons why he believed that governments should encourage couples to get married and stay married, not least for the sake of the children.
He is convinced that family breakdown is at the heart of what he calls our "broken society".
As he said: "The evidence shows that kids do best if mum and dad are there to bring them up."
Miss Flanders referred to Iain Duncan Smith's recent report which recommended a £20-a-week tax credit for married couples.
"Have you ever met anybody who gets married for £20 a week?" she sneered. "If I decided to go home and get married, you'd give me £20 a week just for getting married.
"I'm not sure I'd need it. Why is that a good use of scarce public resources?"
(Have you noticed how "public resources" are always "scarce" on the BBC?)
Her petulant outburst tells you an awful lot about the "liberal" mindset.
It's not about you, pet. I don't suppose she does need an extra £20 a week (though her cleaning lady probably wouldn't turn her nose up at it). Not on a six-figure salary from the BBC and a partner who presumably pulls in a few bob, too. But she chose deliberately to miss the point.
Flanders is the daughter of the entertainer Michael Flanders - one half of Flanders and Swann, of The Hippopotamus (Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud) and The Gnu Song fame.
She was privately educated at St Paul's School for Girls, attended Oxford and Harvard and has a top-flight degree.
She is described as having one of the most formidable brains at the BBC.
I guess you have to have a first-class mind to come out with such third-rate drivel.
David Cameron was forced to answer questions on individual morality by the Newsnight reporter
Miss Flanders is educated, intelligent and comes from a privileged, wealthy background. She can afford nannies and private schooling, like all the other "liberal" women who lecture the rest of us about what's best for our families.
By concentrating on the £20 tax credit, she was waving a matching red herring to go with her outfit, even though another £1,000 a year would be a welcome windfall for most couples.
It's about a presumption in favour of marriage as the best foundation for a healthy society.
The way the tax and benefits system works under Labour actually rewards single women for having children and actively penalises parents who get married.
But if children of married couples do better, Miss Flanders retaliated, why give them extra incentive? Surely that money should go to disadvantaged children of mothers already living on benefits.
At this point, Dave is to be congratulated for not shaking his head and calling her a silly cow.
This is what a first-class degree from Oxford gets you, is it?
When throwing money at something doesn't work, the answer is to throw even more money at it?
Brilliant. Laureates all round. I can only assume that while she was studying at Harvard, she didn't stumble across the work of the eminent economist Arthur Laffer, who asserts that people will always be poor if you pay them to be poor.
Miss Flanders is symptomatic of the whole BBC/Guardianista/New Labour mindset - patronising, statist, nanny knows best.
She exemplifies the way the self-appointed "liberal" elite have imposed their own values and prejudices on society - and to hell with the consequences.
And still they don't get it. What's good for Stephanie Flanders is not necessarily good for Vicky Pollard or for society as a whole.
Call Me Dave was always on a hiding to nothing trying to woo "liberal" opinion. While he stuck to windmills, huskies and hugging hoodies, he was guaranteed an easy ride.
The moment he dared venture into traditional Tory territory - support for the family, tax cuts, law and order, immigration - his new best friends were quick to stick the knife in.
The BBC and the Guardianistas couldn't wait to revert to type, no matter how reasonable Dave tries to appear.
Lurch to the Right! Tory Cuts! Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, Out, Out, Out!
On Newsnight, he was accused of trying to appeal to the Conservative base, as if that was a bad thing.
While it's prudent to broaden his party's appeal, it makes no sense to alienate his core support.
CMD didn't have a great summer and much of the damage was self-inflicted. Over the past few weeks, the Tories have begun to make the right noises. They get what's wrong and they have some idea how to fix it.
It will be a slog. The BBC/Guardianista/New Labour axis will try to smear him at every turn.
After appearing on Newsnight this week, at least Dave knows what he's up against. He came out of it well.
And if Stephanie Flanders speaks for Britain, then I'm a gnu.
22:06pm 30th August 2007
Comments (17)
Richard Littlejohn says the BBC's Stephanie Flanders did not speak for Britain when she asked David Cameron about tax breaks for married couples
She could barely contain her contempt and condescension. "I'm not married. I have a small child. Are you saying the Conservative Party would like me to be married?"
No wonder Call Me Dave looked surprised. The questioner was BBC reporter Stephanie Flanders, specialist subject: economics.
She was one of a panel of four chosen to interview the Tory leader for a special edition of Newsnight - the lone woman, a striking figure in a vivid red frock, surrounded by middle-aged men in sober suits.
Naturally, Dave had been expecting her to ask him something about economic policy.
Miss Flanders chose to personalise her attack and turn it into a challenge over individual morality.
Cameron dealt with it graciously, explaining that while he had no intention of preaching, there were good reasons why he believed that governments should encourage couples to get married and stay married, not least for the sake of the children.
He is convinced that family breakdown is at the heart of what he calls our "broken society".
As he said: "The evidence shows that kids do best if mum and dad are there to bring them up."
Miss Flanders referred to Iain Duncan Smith's recent report which recommended a £20-a-week tax credit for married couples.
"Have you ever met anybody who gets married for £20 a week?" she sneered. "If I decided to go home and get married, you'd give me £20 a week just for getting married.
"I'm not sure I'd need it. Why is that a good use of scarce public resources?"
(Have you noticed how "public resources" are always "scarce" on the BBC?)
Her petulant outburst tells you an awful lot about the "liberal" mindset.
It's not about you, pet. I don't suppose she does need an extra £20 a week (though her cleaning lady probably wouldn't turn her nose up at it). Not on a six-figure salary from the BBC and a partner who presumably pulls in a few bob, too. But she chose deliberately to miss the point.
Flanders is the daughter of the entertainer Michael Flanders - one half of Flanders and Swann, of The Hippopotamus (Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud) and The Gnu Song fame.
She was privately educated at St Paul's School for Girls, attended Oxford and Harvard and has a top-flight degree.
She is described as having one of the most formidable brains at the BBC.
I guess you have to have a first-class mind to come out with such third-rate drivel.
David Cameron was forced to answer questions on individual morality by the Newsnight reporter
Miss Flanders is educated, intelligent and comes from a privileged, wealthy background. She can afford nannies and private schooling, like all the other "liberal" women who lecture the rest of us about what's best for our families.
By concentrating on the £20 tax credit, she was waving a matching red herring to go with her outfit, even though another £1,000 a year would be a welcome windfall for most couples.
It's about a presumption in favour of marriage as the best foundation for a healthy society.
The way the tax and benefits system works under Labour actually rewards single women for having children and actively penalises parents who get married.
But if children of married couples do better, Miss Flanders retaliated, why give them extra incentive? Surely that money should go to disadvantaged children of mothers already living on benefits.
At this point, Dave is to be congratulated for not shaking his head and calling her a silly cow.
This is what a first-class degree from Oxford gets you, is it?
When throwing money at something doesn't work, the answer is to throw even more money at it?
Brilliant. Laureates all round. I can only assume that while she was studying at Harvard, she didn't stumble across the work of the eminent economist Arthur Laffer, who asserts that people will always be poor if you pay them to be poor.
Miss Flanders is symptomatic of the whole BBC/Guardianista/New Labour mindset - patronising, statist, nanny knows best.
She exemplifies the way the self-appointed "liberal" elite have imposed their own values and prejudices on society - and to hell with the consequences.
And still they don't get it. What's good for Stephanie Flanders is not necessarily good for Vicky Pollard or for society as a whole.
Call Me Dave was always on a hiding to nothing trying to woo "liberal" opinion. While he stuck to windmills, huskies and hugging hoodies, he was guaranteed an easy ride.
The moment he dared venture into traditional Tory territory - support for the family, tax cuts, law and order, immigration - his new best friends were quick to stick the knife in.
The BBC and the Guardianistas couldn't wait to revert to type, no matter how reasonable Dave tries to appear.
Lurch to the Right! Tory Cuts! Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, Out, Out, Out!
On Newsnight, he was accused of trying to appeal to the Conservative base, as if that was a bad thing.
While it's prudent to broaden his party's appeal, it makes no sense to alienate his core support.
CMD didn't have a great summer and much of the damage was self-inflicted. Over the past few weeks, the Tories have begun to make the right noises. They get what's wrong and they have some idea how to fix it.
It will be a slog. The BBC/Guardianista/New Labour axis will try to smear him at every turn.
After appearing on Newsnight this week, at least Dave knows what he's up against. He came out of it well.
And if Stephanie Flanders speaks for Britain, then I'm a gnu.