Who’s Taking What?

If the telly is to be believed, the weather is most pleasant today in Brighton, which will be one consolation for delegates to the Labour party conference, their last before a General Election that they are widely predicted to lose. But the talking point following this morning’s Andy Marr Show will not be the sunshine outside.

Marr kicked off with the customary review of the papers, memorable only for the fact that the two hacks attending were from the Murdoch Times and the Maily Telegraph, which is hardly the left leaning line-up pictured by Beeb haters. The buffoon from the Maily Telegraph was memorable only for being utterly unfunny, except for his likeness to Alfred E Neuman, face of MAD magazine.

But the main event was a long – perhaps needlessly long – interview of Pa Broon, whose tongue was not hanging out of his mouth, and who did not appear to be losing grip or sanity. There was some perspiration, but in a stint that long, it’s no big deal. Then came the question: there have been rumours about whether he’s on anti depressants, or that his sight may be fading.

So Marr asked him, and he said no. It’s a rather personal angle to take, and even those who knew of Harold Wilson’s brandy habit – or Margaret Thatcher’s increasing use of whisky – wouldn’t have dared put the question in a live interview. So is this a bit naughty?

I take a relaxed view on this: the Beeb are always striving to be even handed (not that the Tory froth brigade would ever concede the point) and so I fully expect Marr to ask Young Dave next weekend to confirm that he no longer has a friend called Charlie.

This might prove difficult, of course, as he’s not owned up to such a friendship, even in the past. Yet.