Paxo never learns - like the UK, he's past his sell by date, out of touch with the constitutional realities. As Mark Hennessy of the Irish Times dryly observes "Most people watching that interview with Jeremy Paxman - I'm sure Alex Salmond would be very, very glad if he was to get more interviews like that by English presenters. It's certainly the picture of the patronising Englishman, and that's going to feed into the debate both in Scotland and indeed in the attitudes that perhaps will be taken abroad when people are looking at this from an outside audience."
Paxman's opening remarks - " ... what his country might be like if he get's his way and manages to bust up the United Kingdom. ..... But fear not: while Moses, sorry - Alex Salmond - didn't quite promise a land flowing with milk and honey, he did claim it would be a beacon of what he called progressiveness." Not quite the respect agenda that David Cameron or indeed the BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation is supposed to be pursuing with the First Minister of Scotland - nor was the comparison of Alex Salmond to Robert Mugabe later in the interview.
But Scots are long past being offended by a relic of empire - a UK dinosaur - like Paxman. Like our First Minister, we are amused by him, and will find Paxo a place on the sofa of a chat show in the new Scottish Broadcasting Corporation to remind us of days past ...
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One wonders if Paxman thinks someone is actually impressed by his "we English are so superior" act? The gentleman from Ireland isn't the only one to find his attitude almost insufferable. But maybe the English are impressed and that's all he cares about rather than the damage he is doing to what he would surely say is the cause he supports, the union of Scotland and England. I am left scratching my head in bafflement.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for this. Sadly, a lot of people will think he is the archetypical Englishman which he certainly is not.
ReplyDeleteHe accurately reflects the bewilderment, conusion and rank bad manners of the UK political establishment and the metropolitan media, Jeanne. He is a relic, and should be preserved.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, he's not, David - he's symptomatic of the political union and it's moribund state, not of the Emglish people, who are awakening to the fact that they are suffering from the same dead, venal hands, including the Tory, Labour and LibDem Scots who are part of it.
ReplyDeleteEngland wants to be free of it and enter into a new, mature relationship of friendship and cooperation with an independent neighbour, and once the FM's speech gets proper media coverage, that process will accelerate.
I watched it and it took a few minutes to figure out what was happening. Paxman was trying to even the score from the last interview with Salmond, where he was so poorly prepared that even Salmond suggested he be better prepared next time.
ReplyDeleteJust think of Westminster bubble, to them this is how it is, I await thier Ceausescu Moment
The whole thing reminded me of an ill-informed, petulant child raging at a patient, humorous adult, sooosider.
ReplyDeleteBut I think Paxo's rueful grin at the end indicated that he knew he had been bested by a master.
I have to say, over the years I've been acquainted with a fair number of people who are residents of England. Almost without fail, they were courteous and pleasant people. I have been lucky enough to be spared acquaintance with ones of the ilk of Jeremy Paxman. Discourtesy (and a comparison with Mugabe when far beyond ordinary discourtesy) is not amusing.
ReplyDeleteI still suspect Paxman was playing to an English establishment audience, the kind who applauded the discourtesy regarding Burns Day in Westmnster. They may even believe that what he did was effective, not able to recognize from within their bubble the damage it does in Scotland and around the globe.
A happy Burns NIght by the way.
That is our FM Poxman is insulting.
ReplyDeleteSalmond was very gentle to the the other one... that's why I'm not a politician - I'd be using tables and chairs for unintended purposes.
Tanks, Jeanne
ReplyDeletePeter