Robert Peston Q In Today's Briefing

[tiggerblue10]

Today's briefing must've been the shortest question and answer from Robert Peston I've ever seen.

He asked about Matt Hancock's childcare arrangements compared with DCs and MH came back with a swift "We had childcare readily available at home and Mr Cummings didn't." That was it - The End. Without a chance of a come back he cut RP off.

I'm certainly not complaining and I did find it quite amusing.....sorry.

[albaqwerty]

Liked the way Hancock dealt with peston.
He, Peston, irks me as he tries to give off an air o being an intellectual and asking questions is beneath him.
(He may well be a clever sausage but that doesn't excuse his persona)

I liked the Evening Standard bloke, a nice wee stinger in his secrond question.

Factor - La Sturgeon handles herself well in the press briefings, faces some tough questions but handles it well.
Apart from one time when I thought she was going to reach down the reporter's throat and perform a vasectomy. (Yes, that far down his throat!) :-)

[retrocop]

I think you may be right tigger.

[woofgang]

tiggs I have read that too. He's damned either way....either he keeps quiet about it and takes the flack or he mentions it and is accused of playing the disability card.

[jourdain2]

A few years ago I used to quite like Peston. He's come out in his full colours since. Matt Hancock's reply was brilliant. It's really all there is to be said. Rather a press 'feeding frenzy' at the moment. (The journalists don't seem to be 'social distancing' at the moment do they?) Time all this was laid to rest. Actually, more than time, it's quite embarrassing how broadcasters' political opinions are showing now. I'm just short of turning-off all BBC news (refraining on the grounds of 'know thy enemy'). Tiresome lot.

[jourdain2]

tigger 2 - I wondered about that. Another good reason for familiarity around the child.

[retrocop]

Jourdain
Channel 4 is just as bad as the beeb imo. I have only watched ITV News at 10 for years now. That's enough for me in a day.

[fiction-factory]

Thanks Alba. Nicola is good at handling questions but on the few clips I've seen she gets an easier ride (maybe she's doing a better job) and doesn't take follow-ups, but I wonder whether she is also in a good position of being able to dodge some bullets and blame London. She's an astute politician though, definitely. Shame she couldn't do Brexit negotiations

[gness]

I don't know you, Tiggs....but from what I've read on here you'd not be leaving it until the last minute. You'd have something in place long before he did if what he's trying to faff us off with is even half true.

[douglas9401]

I'm going to take that as a 'no'.

[tiggerblue10]

When lockdown was first announced I was sick with worry for the first few weeks, Gness. I was ill myself with an ear infection and then my mum had a breakdown and I had to go and look after her whilst leaving Little Tigs at my uncle's house where they distanced themselves. My dad couldn't cope, being in his late 70s. I and my brother must've broken rules left, right and centre to look after my mum and support my dad. It got to a point where we had to remove knives and other sharp objects.

I know I broke rules and will admit to it.

[Spicerack]

Sturgeon being grilled by Scottish TV.

[albaqwerty]

Sounds about right Spicy, pre-covid she got a very easy ride from journalists - no holding the SNP to account for anything when there's so much to attack.
She does seem to be clear in her press briefings, no umming, aahing and waffle.

[gness]

I'm sure many broke rules in circumstances not nearly as bad as yours, Tiggs. With a good reason when there was just nothing else that could be done it's understandable.
Lying about everything isn't...and those who are defending him deserve the leadership they are getting....x

[woofgang]

as I have said on here before, not going to give details but I know well two other lots of folk who have made similar decisions in order to support vulnerable family members. "Walk a mile in my shoes" comes to mind....and as I said I don't even like the bloke.

[Spicerack]

Wasn't pre-covid, Alba. The children are thanking Nicola for keeping them safe from Covid. It's not a parody. It was a real STV News item. ;-/.

[albaqwerty]

Spicy, STV aren't the sharpest tool in the drawer (imo). Haven't seen STV or their news for a long, long time. If that's what they're putting on, then I won't be back at all. :-D
I don't have much time for the Scottish media.

I think of Mr. Cummings had said, I panicked, I'm sorry, then there would be much less kerfuffle.

[albaqwerty]

*if, not of

[andy-hughes]

retrocop - // Peston tries to give the laid back attitude with his lazy,bored drawl. Any more laid back and he'll end up on his a#$e. //

Mr Peston does not have a 'lazy bored drawl' - what he does have is a stammer, and his speech patterns reflect his way of coping with it.

[andy-hughes]

woofgang - // as I have said on here before, not going to give details but I know well two other lots of folk who have made similar decisions in order to support vulnerable family members. "Walk a mile in my shoes" comes to mind....and as I said I don't even like the bloke. //

I am happy to cut the guy some slack if he'd simply said that he was worried, acte first and thought afterwards, was wrong, and was sorry.

But to spin this utter fairy tale and 'testing his eyesight' is simply insulting, and that's where the anger and hostility come from.

[gness]

Mind you, Andy.....telling us his trip was to test his eyesight was sure to make us angry enough to perhaps ignore facilities at Barnard Castle that may be of interest to him?