James Forsyth James Forsyth

Physician heal thyself

After Nick Clegg yesterday, it was David Cameron’s turn to do The Today Programme pre-local election interview this morning. John Humphrys was in particularly combative form, interrupting at every opportunity. But the whole technique descended into farce when Humprhys asked Cameron if he had failed to meet his promise to end Punch and Judy politics. Cameron, whose PMQs performances are pure Punch and Judy, admitted that he hadn’t. But Humphrys harried him so much that Cameron could not get out his explanation for why he had not been able to keep this promise. The irony of this seemed lost on Humphrys. 

Admittedly, Cameron is a master at turning the tables on the interviewer, remember his interview with Jeremy Paxman back in 2005. But this morning performance by Humphrys—with its obligatory reference to the Bullingdon Club—failed to elicit anything interest either in terms of policy or Cameron’s character; the whole Punch and Judy act seemed rather stale this morning.

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