Dan Hannan in yet another US Interview

Its a better interview with Glenn Beck than the earlier one with Neil Cavuto. At least Dan gets to speak a bit more!

I'm still waiting for him to get the same opportunity on the UK TV networks.

That Dan Hannan Speech Again

I've seen a lot of talk on political blogs over the past two days in praise of Dan Hannan's speech and why don't the guys over here in Westminster rip Gordon Brown a new arsehole in the house of commons.

The fact is, they can't. Thanks to Parliamentary protocol, everything has to go through the speaker rather than directly to the MP you are criticising. The "Don't you agree Mr Speaker, that the Prime Minister is grinning buffoon?" doesn't have the same impact, because Mr Speaker is in fact staunchly Labour, wouldn't agree and would most likely rebuke the opposition leader for saying it, just to make him feel like a naughty schoolboy.

The other thing about PMQs is that the number of questions that are put to the Prime Minister are limited. The leader of the opposition has a privilege where he can ask more than 1 question of the Prime Minister, but the problem seems to be the Prime Minister has no obligation to directly answer any questions put to him.

So in short, despite Dan's speech being effective, succinct, direct and to the point, it's thanks to EU Parliamentary protocol that it hapened at all. It simply wouldn't happen in our Parliament, which really does impoverish our so-called democracy.

Guido Vs Draper on the Daily Politics

I've just finished watching the Guido vs Draper battle on the Daily Politics show.

All I can say there is that it would have been more interesting had Draper shut his gob more and let the pair of them have reasoned debate. Instead it turned into a "Draper shouts over the top of anyone that disagrees with him" fest. Hardly a glowing advertisement for Draper to the rest of the blogging public that were eagerly watching the show.

Guido sounded nervous and I guess felt a little hamstrung by what the BBC refused to let him discuss.

So in the end, on the day, on the show, I'd call it a draw, as neither side got a substantial point across.

However, my sense of fair play and justice says to side with the guy that allows free speech and doesn't shout over the top of people.

So Guido wins on a technicality.

To be honest, my personal opinion is that Draper comes across as an obnoxious, self-interested, arrogant, antagonistic jerk. The sort of person that really doesn't belong anywhere near politics, but those in charge seem to employ more and more in order to bully people opposed to them into submission.

If you want proof of how this tactic is used in politics, just go to labourlist and have a look here and see their comprehensive character assasination attempt of Guido.

Its nasty, disgusting negative mud-slinging politics of the worst kind.

But, quid pro quo, I expect to see what other skeletons Draper has in his closet.