The worst ever?

steve

Yes - the worst ever.

Stepney

Holy crapparoony.

And this is the right-wing alternative to Conservatism?

This simply confirms the widely-held, and growing, belief that UKIP are a bunch of gibbering, incompetent window-lickers.

Couldn't run a bath...

BW

Pearson is a joke like his Party.

Yosemite Sam

You are right BUT it is highly liberating, and amusing, to see a politician treat a journalist with such disdain.

Neil

oh dear that is bad very bad.

Vulture

Refreshingly different! He came over as an 18th century peer transported by Tardis to a 21st century setting. At least he didn't pretend!

But his point at the end was spot on: Britain is bankrupt; the EU is bleeding us whte, and the political establishment don't want us to have a referendum.

Compared to that, who gives a flying fart abt retired policemen?

logdon

I disagree.

Could be better and Farrage would have made mincemeat out of them but on the broad brush he had a point. The question about retired police officers was pathetic in view of whats going on in Britain.

And would you have preferred a winging it Brown lie?

Lets face it, bad as they are with Tories, UKIP will never get a fair hearing from the BBC.

badger

This is pure Wells and Fortune - life imitating art imitating life - and great to see Jon Sopel enjoying himself so much

Woody

Truly awful - but I must admit it was a pleasant change from all those robotic (don't make a gaffe) politicians.
Does this mean that all those UKIpers are going to go back to the conservatives, or they still having a collective sulk about the EU referendum.

Thomas Cussans

What a wonderful man. He might almost have been invented by Nancy Mitford as a perfect throw-back. What Britain needs.

Speaking as one who also has never spoken to a policeman in a car-park, Lord Pearson can rest assured that my vote is his.

Blur eyed boy

He was just as incoherent and incompetent on the radio yesterday where he admitted he didn't have any input to the manifesto. I'm amazed they let him on TV after yesterdays radio performance. Mabye it's a plot to make Nigel Lafarge look reasonable.....??

Michael Sweeney

Bizarre. He makes Nigel Farage look like a straight arrow kind of guy. Cable's been rumbled today too. Tough game, politics.

John Shields

This man is a moron, pure and simple. But thank goodness for UKIP - without them, these people would presumably be joining the Conservatives. I firmly believe that the Tories have gained more by disassociation from UKIP than they have lost in votes to this barmy party.

Swiss Bob

You Didn't see Chris Mounsey (Libertarian) on The BBC's Daily Politics: The Devil's Kitchen on The Daily Politics

Peter From Maidstone

I am not voting UKIP but I thought it was an OK interview. The interviewer WAS wanting to only talk about relatively insignificant matters and did indeed want to avoid talking about the main issues. So Pearson's objections seemed entirely valid. One would expect that when interviewing a UKIP spokesman one would want to discuss the major issues which concern UKIP and not the minor details of the manifesto.

Augustus

Garbage in, garbage out.

Bob Cat

Would this be the same Danny Finklestein of SDP fame who has been urging Dave to ;SDP-ise; the Conservative Party, with his Notting Hill agenda and who the other day told us the reason Dave was struggling in the polls was because Dave's '
SDP-ising' of the party hadn't gone far enough - and as Finkelstein put it "people aren't quite sure....!?"

Yes that's him! And as such those in glass houses are in little position to cast any stones.

The Man

As Malcolm Pearson, this guy was once a rather admirable and honest figure who stood up the the institutional corruption of Lloyds. He may still be honest but I can't say that there's much admirable about him here.

This should be shown to UKIPpers everywhere as a stark demonstration of their delusion in believing they have anything constructive to bring to this election.

Rex Burr

But he is right. The leaders of the main parties are engaged in discussion of trivial details relative to the problems.
Two thirds of the population, we are told, believe that we can cover our debt by cutting waste in government departments!
No mention is being made of creeping EU federalisation.
No mention of the crippling climate change taxes being planned.
No mention of our balance of trade deficit.
Just a vague, naïve hope that economic growth will ‘happen’ and we will live happily ever after.

Vulture

@But talking abt disastrous party leader interviews, did anyone hear C. Lucas, Fuhrerin of the Greens talking to Eddie Mair on PM just now?

Behind her humourless po face we have here a barking mad loonie recommending a return to primitive communism / the Stone Age.

Worryingly authoritarian and scary to anyone who imagines the Greens are a more radical version of the Lib Dems.

And those nutters in Brighton are going to elect her!

Swiss Bob

Having just watched the video it just confirms the BBC's pathetic partisan reporting of anyone but Labour.

Simon Cawkwell

Others of course might go along with Mr Finklestein. But it could be reasonably inferred from that interview with Lord Pearson that he is an honest man. Many would find such a manner very as opposed to rather appealing. Worst ever political interview? I doubt it.

TGF UKIP

Not exactly media savvy is he Lord P, which is why the BBC can't get enough of him. Being even more pro EU than pro Labour the BBC hate UKIP even more than they do the Tories.

Would guess that UKIP ain't too worried, not only does being a media victim not hurt Lord P, who watches these shows apart from committed anoraks and journos anyway.

Victor Southern

A justifiably popular leader, Lord Gaga. It is no longer even sane for the Ukippers to shriek that Cameron would cruise in if he gave way to them. Their vote share will be pathetic and justifiably so.
They have had the rude and smug Farage, the ridiculous orange-coated Kilroy-Silk [who shafted them] and this dinosaur as leaders. Their vaunted support is as real as the 10,000 who professed at the last census that their religion was Jedi Knight.

THX1138

Where is TGF when you want to take the piss? I remember a commentor on Mel P's blog comparing Lord Pearson to Churchill ..LOL!

To quote Jerry Hayes on Twitter

"Pearson really is a gibbering imbecile. A terrible example of generations of interbreeding. How did he become leader of UKIP?"

http://twitter.com/jerryhayes1

How indeed!

John David Barnett

It was odd for the interviewer to concentrate on marginal issues. I thought Lord Pearson did OK. I won't vote for his lot, but he acquitted himself pretty well.

The plummy accent is something I'd like more of our politicians to have. I hate all this Estuary English. Bring back the toffs!

paulg

I don't think conservatives should join in humiliating a decent and honourable man.

Lets not forget Lord Pearson held the conservative whip,he probably knows his limitations, but yet, feels compelled to face the ridicule in defence of the country he loves.

Shame on you Ben Brogan

Polly Gamma

That's as may be but the interviewer shrieking like a big silly girl is vomit making for goodness sake!

Verity

So, Victor Southern, scared, are you?

oldtimer

I do not think it the worst in an election campaign. If you dig in the archives I suspect that Michael Foot might be up there though.

He comes across as a nice enough chap, but being nice is no good for the cut and thrust of an ellection campaign. It would have livened things up if, instead, he had bitten Sopel`s head off and told him to get a grip an concentrate on issues that really matter - as Farage would most certainly have done.

2trueblue

Rex Burr, amidst all the lunacy right now he is right . We are going to get screwed and we are too stupid to see it. The fact that the mouthpiece is not to ones liking does not mean that it is true and we will be screwed royally.

JONNY

Don't you fret yourself TGF. He did your Party proud.

"You really can't expect me to have read our Bloody Manifesto. All this stuff about funny little High Street banks or retired coppers. Good Lord - all that kind of buggins is way way above my head. I'm only meant to be the Bloody President or Chairman or something or other. They never told me I'd have to read anything. Anyway it's not really that important. It's only UKIP you know."

Anan

Trilobite Tories - I see your affinity for this "leader" and this party. A nincompoop, totally out of touch with reality and the polity, stuck in the 1980s, not knowing what he or his party stands for. PLEASE don't vote Conservative - We. Don't. Want. You.

JONNY

PLEASE OH PLEASE
tell me who I am to vote for then Anan.
You sound so desperate. So urgent. So terribly terribly serious and involved.
It would sadden me beyond words to disappoint you.

Zoo keeper (Elephant House)

How refreshing !
Appearing all things to all people is obviously beyond this one.
He didn't appear to be lying, and he used the word "bankrupt".
I like him.
Who is he ??

John Richardson

Does any Conservative voter reading this think the above interview was worse than Cameron's 'Gay Times' interview ?
About two weeks ago ?
To an invited interviewer on an agreed topic ?

I counted five interruptions, by the truly 'Mandelsonesgue' Jon Sopel, to the first question.
Five in about two minutes.

The 'Telegraph's man then weighed in.
Obviously he interrupted the answer to his question as well......

Rubbish like this reminds me why I stopped watching the BBC.

Or reading the MSM opinions as somehow relevant.

Ed Lebanon

the man is brain dead - but his suggestion that the banks should be more self-regulating is comedy gold.

In2minds

He won't appeal to all the young trendy types as he did not keep saying y'know and does not have sprayed on tan.

MaxSceptic

Victor Southern - April 21st, 2010 6:05pm:

Actually, over 400,000 of us professed to be Jedi Knights...

That makes us the 3rd largest religion.

It's no more or less ridiculous than any of the longer established nonsense beliefs....

And we haven't killed anyone.

Wilhelm

A lot of gotcha questions.

Next

Wilhelm

Worst ever.

Nah, Gordon Broon.

General Zod

Not going to attempt a defence of Pearson, verity? Does that mean you've switched back to the BNP?

lawrence greek

I loved this interview. Pearson went up in my estimation. Brilliant.

Ken

Wonderful! A character politician, we could with more. He deserves a great dollop of votes for putting Pravda in its place and he was right, the country is bankrupt.

Call me Infidel

According to Ed Lebanon "the man is brain dead - but his suggestion that the banks should be more self-regulating is comedy gold."

Pearson attempted to make the point that they intend to break up banks. So that the risky "casino banking" is separated from normal High Street banks. Sopel wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise. The same applies to the rest of the interview. Sopel was trying to focus on detail rather than look at the big picture.

I agree he is a poor performer compared to snake oil salesmen like Mandelson, Bliar et al but before all the Tories pat themselves on the back there are still a lot of people who will vote for UKIP irrespective of a duff performance from the party leader. Ultimately the Tories will be lucky to secure a slim majority in the next parliament thanks to their gutless leadership and failure to address peoples concerns over Europe and immigration.

Verity

My speakers - made in China - stopped functioning within one day, so I was unable to watch the video. But I've seen Lord Pearson speak before, and Tony Blair he's not. Thank God for small mercies.

And who the hell is Danny Finkelstein? He's got a sinecure at The Times. Pearson has to get his party elected. In other words, he is on an extended, nerve-wracking job application.

Victor Southern

MaxSceptic - one of my sons put his religion down as Jedi Knight, as a joke. I see that nearly 400,000 others have the same sense of humour. It is harmless little jape. UKIP and their crazed leadership are a bad joke as they are capable of doing the country untold harm since their 2% of the vote, sensibly exercised, would keep Brown from holding office again.

And no, Verity - I am unafraid of the UKIPpers in any way, only of their obdurate stubbornness in refusing to exercise commonsense.

Watt Tyler

The judgement will not be upon Lord Pearson, but upon yourselves; the way you have reacted to an honest man who has your liberty as his chief interest is the most interesting, and saddening thing about this. People get the government they deserve, and thanks to the way you obviously are, you have had yours, and you will get yours.

egh

Well I thought he did just fine. He even tried to broach the important issues: the cost of the euSSR, and referenda on sovereignty.

I thought he also showed up that nasty (looking and sounding) commentator for what he is. Lord Rannoch was right; furthermore he speaks beautiful English. The other little toad can't even read aloud coherently.

Antonio Lorusso

UKIP are trying desperately to convince voters who since UKIP's inception have consistently voted against leaving the EU when voting at General Elections (a significant majority of votes go to parties that have stated policies to remain in the EU) that they are not a single issue party, but they have the EU on their brain, and he showed it in the opening minutes of the interview.

The very first question he gets, he somehow goes from hung parliament to failed government to an EU referendum being the only way to save parliament. This is a non sequitur, and is typical of UKIPers drive to bring up the EU into every conversation no matter how ridiculous.

Here's a tip for all of you who want an EU referedum, vote LibDem with a clear majority (yes that includes you UKIPpers who despise the pro-EU LibDem party), then persuade the EU to introduce a new treaty, because that's the only realistic way you are going to get a referendum, from the LibDems, a pro-EU party. Funny how UKIPpers never mention this when criticising the LibDems for their Pro-EU stance.

Fergus Pickering

The worst ever? You have to be joking. What flat lies did he tell? What sweetnothings did he mouth? Did he say anythingthat was just plain silly? Compare him with Caroline Lucas, or is it Sarah Lucas, I forget. Now SHE really is something. He's got a posh voice and some posh attitudes. So what? I like him. I shan't vote for his party because I have already decided to vote Conservative, but I wish him all the best. As for being rude to political journalists... well now!

Andrew S

Is this the great hope Heffer et al? Anyone voting for this mob should be certified. Appaling.

David Ossitt

Peter From Maidstone

"I am not voting UKIP but I thought it was an OK interview. The interviewer WAS wanting to only talk about relatively insignificant matters and did indeed want to avoid talking about the main issues."

Correct; nice to see someone who shows a bit of fallibility.

General Zod

"A bit of fallibility"?

And to think you accuse us Tory supporters of looking through rose-tinted spectacles.

The man is a moron.

Tim Carpenter LPUK

Pearson (UKIP) and Lucas (Green) were exposed by their policies, but Chris Mounsey was hijacked over his swearblogging - Libertarian policies were the last thing on Neill's mind, for shame.

Ian C

The naivety is stupid and a good example of why UKIP cannot do anything other than split the skeptic vote.

But he did have a very important point. That so called media interests trivialises politics and then gets objectionable when they claim in the dishonest fashion that Sopel did, that they are merley tryingto examine their manifesto. Sopel know sdamn well that their only reason to exist is to get us out of Europe. That is what he should have concentrated on, but he was more interested in scoring points than doing the job for which we are forced to pay his salary.

The media trivialises politics. That is the real reason why there is such disillusion and why we have had such rotten MP's for the past 20+ years and there are no true statesman in politics any longer.

Wilhelm

I loved the way Lord Rannoch dismissed the twittereing hack Jon Sopel who had an agenda from the start.

JONNY

'Tony Blair he is not.'
For once I agree with Verity.

Simon

Classic BBC ambush to make someone who is "right-wing" look stupid

As Lord Pearson said he was brought on the program to talk about different issues to the ones that were brought up, so he was caught massively offguard.

And I didn't like the smug attitude of Jon Sopel, who should be grateful to Lord Pearson for paying the TV tax that pays his over-inflated wages

Noa Zrk

I thought he did well in making key points against a condescendingly hostile and in the weeds attempted bushwhacker.