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Succinctly and incisively shows the incessant problem of politicians not answering straight questions even in the cnotext of Covid. It is well past time we stopped tolerating this. That probably needs to start with not creating an einvironment where politicians are in danger of losing votes and jobs if they answer straight questions....
The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.
(Sir Terry Pratchett)
Eddie Mair is an excellent presenter and journalist, a great loss to the BBC.
In this clip he is really just highlighting what is obvious to all of us. He might as easily have made an example of any of Johnson's Ministry of All The Toadies.
At least the present mantra is a bit more life and death than 'Get Brexit Done'and 'Oven-ready Deal' - but it certainly doesn't mean that people of influence should just hide behind it rather than actually answering questions.
People should expect far more from politicians. But I'm angry that this is coming to a head only when people are personally affected (journalists too). The demand for transparency, honesty and real data has been at fever-pitch because the penny has dropped for people who have been quite comfortable with the status quo but are now exposed themselves.
Journalists have been some of the absolute worst at this. They've rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into the game of politics where transparency, honesty and data are normally harder to sell than strong opinions or the "drama" of political intrigue. They (and us as uncritical consumers) have been breeding these politicians with their "on-message" media management for decades without calling them out.
If we're serious about changing this and getting the politicians we deserve we also need the media we deserve too. So let's put the cosy insiders like Kuenssberg and Peston to the side rather than letting them lead the way. Let's demand a more robust and factual BBC for our taxes whose funding is ring-fenced and independent from the government of the day. And let's address how compromised we are as a democracy with a largely right-wing and upper-middle-class media where harsh realities rarely intrude.
Then maybe the "new normal" will be better than before and where the stuff that affects people is treated as importantly as it actually is. Because for many people, communities and regions in the UK who have been vulnerable for decades, Covid-19 isn't suddenly THE big problem. It's just another one to add to the list of structural inequalities in the UK and make them even worse.
Pronouns: He/Him
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This is worth a watch on 11:52 - Apr 29 with 575 views
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