Douglas Carswell's Blog

BBC HardTalk? More like CrossPurpose

Click on this link to view what is, in my view, one of the most poorly researched interviews I’ve seen in a long time.

Interviewer Stephen Sackur doesn’t seem to have done a vast amount of research before asking Daniel Hannan the questions. Hardtalk? More like CrossPurpose.

Sackur seems determined to get Dan to play the role of angry-right-winger-who-hates-the-Coalition. His questions keep pushing that angle, regardless of any answers given.

Oddly Sackur appears to be under the impression that Hannan must be against many of the Coalition policies that Hannan himself helped author.  Indeed, Sackur’s line of questioning seem to pre-suppose Dan is hostile to the Coalition.  The truth is he was ahead of the game in calling for it . 

Perhaps the researcher simply couldn't be bothered to find out what the subject for the interview actually believes?  Maybe it was a case of simply projecting onto Dan those things that a BBC researcher imagines rigthwing Tories must believe?   

In my view, it is a good example of an interview that tells viewers more about the perceptions of the person asking the questions than the person answering them.

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