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Newspapers vote Paxman as the winner of the Cameron-Miliband show Newspapers vote Paxman as the winner of the Cameron-Miliband show
(about 1 hour later)
Did David Cameron or Ed Miliband win the TV battle? Unsurprisingly, the newspapers’ verdicts on bruising interviews of both men by Jeremy Paxman reflected their own political opinions.Did David Cameron or Ed Miliband win the TV battle? Unsurprisingly, the newspapers’ verdicts on bruising interviews of both men by Jeremy Paxman reflected their own political opinions.
You pay your money and you get the spin you want. So it was a case of “Paxo stuffs Ed” in the Sun while the Daily Mirror thought Cameron suffered a TV mauling.You pay your money and you get the spin you want. So it was a case of “Paxo stuffs Ed” in the Sun while the Daily Mirror thought Cameron suffered a TV mauling.
Miliband struggled while Cameron came out the winner, said the Daily Telegraph. Cameron’s election campaign got off to an uncomfortable start and Miliband took the plaudits, said the Independent. But Cameron was the winner, according to the Times.Miliband struggled while Cameron came out the winner, said the Daily Telegraph. Cameron’s election campaign got off to an uncomfortable start and Miliband took the plaudits, said the Independent. But Cameron was the winner, according to the Times.
By contrast, and you may be surprised by this, the Daily Mail’s main headline was even-handed, “Ed and Dave get a Paxo stuffing”. That view was reinforced in Quentin Letts’s sketch.By contrast, and you may be surprised by this, the Daily Mail’s main headline was even-handed, “Ed and Dave get a Paxo stuffing”. That view was reinforced in Quentin Letts’s sketch.
The Financial Times also came down in the middle with “Miliband gains credit in TV ‘debate’ but Cameron ‘wins’ poll” while the Daily Star believed the interviews were “a snore draw”.The Financial Times also came down in the middle with “Miliband gains credit in TV ‘debate’ but Cameron ‘wins’ poll” while the Daily Star believed the interviews were “a snore draw”.
Much of the commentary pointed to Paxman as the star of the show. Andrew Billen, in the Times, thought “the semi-mythological beast” looked hungry because he “had not tasted political flesh for a whole nine month” since being freed from his Newsnight cage. Much of the commentary pointed to Paxman as the star of the show. Andrew Billen, in the Times, thought “the semi-mythological beast” looked hungry because he “had not tasted political flesh for a whole nine months” since being freed from his Newsnight cage.
Stuart Heritage, in the Guardian, was so impressed that he believed “ferocity incarnate” Paxman emerged so well he would stand a chance of being elected as prime minister. He wrote:Stuart Heritage, in the Guardian, was so impressed that he believed “ferocity incarnate” Paxman emerged so well he would stand a chance of being elected as prime minister. He wrote:
“This was a man who’d clearly been straining at the leash since he left Newsnight... He sighed. He rolled his eyes... he clutched the side of his face in mock-despair... His tongue lolled at the back of his throat as if he were a vampire desperate to plunge in for the kill”.“This was a man who’d clearly been straining at the leash since he left Newsnight... He sighed. He rolled his eyes... he clutched the side of his face in mock-despair... His tongue lolled at the back of his throat as if he were a vampire desperate to plunge in for the kill”.
Suddenly you could understand why Cameron was so wary about televised debates. As he variously blanched and stuttered and sweated and attempted to drown himself in his glass of water in the face of Paxman’s colossal monstering, you couldn’t help but feel his pain”.Suddenly you could understand why Cameron was so wary about televised debates. As he variously blanched and stuttered and sweated and attempted to drown himself in his glass of water in the face of Paxman’s colossal monstering, you couldn’t help but feel his pain”.
Paxman was the night’s big winner, wrote the Independent’s Andy McSmith, and “oh how we miss him”.Paxman was the night’s big winner, wrote the Independent’s Andy McSmith, and “oh how we miss him”.
He was “on vintage form” with the “sneer in the question, the folded arms, and the raised eyebrow which says ‘Do you really expect us to believe this?’”He was “on vintage form” with the “sneer in the question, the folded arms, and the raised eyebrow which says ‘Do you really expect us to believe this?’”
Ann Treneman in the Times thought the two political leaders were engaged in “the battle to make Jeremy happy”, and Cameron didn’t come out well.Ann Treneman in the Times thought the two political leaders were engaged in “the battle to make Jeremy happy”, and Cameron didn’t come out well.
“He hated the way Jeremy bopped around various topics, always scowling, finding Dave wanting in almost every way”, she wrote, and was delighted when “Mr Rude” was “even ruder than we could have hoped for” when questioning Miliband.“He hated the way Jeremy bopped around various topics, always scowling, finding Dave wanting in almost every way”, she wrote, and was delighted when “Mr Rude” was “even ruder than we could have hoped for” when questioning Miliband.
She noted the turning point in Miliband’s favour when he told Paxman: “Don’t be so obnoxious. You’re important Jeremy, but you’re not that important!”She noted the turning point in Miliband’s favour when he told Paxman: “Don’t be so obnoxious. You’re important Jeremy, but you’re not that important!”
Trenemen wrote: “It took guts and, from then on, Ed relaxed. He told us he was tough, that he didn’t care what the newspapers said or, indeed what Jeremy said. It was rude, and riveting, viewing”.Trenemen wrote: “It took guts and, from then on, Ed relaxed. He told us he was tough, that he didn’t care what the newspapers said or, indeed what Jeremy said. It was rude, and riveting, viewing”.
Michael Deacon in the Telegraph was altogether less impressed with Paxman. He “was still doing the old despairing headmaster routine – withering glance, long-suffering sigh, hand clamped to the side of his face – but more than once he allowed Mr Cameron to get away with flabby, evasive answers”.Michael Deacon in the Telegraph was altogether less impressed with Paxman. He “was still doing the old despairing headmaster routine – withering glance, long-suffering sigh, hand clamped to the side of his face – but more than once he allowed Mr Cameron to get away with flabby, evasive answers”.
The Sun’s editorial writer totally ignored the mauling suffered by Cameron by concentrating on the Labour leader: “If Paxo versus Mili had been a boxing match the referee would have stopped it in round one... It was painful to watch”. Really? More painful than Cameron’s plight?The Sun’s editorial writer totally ignored the mauling suffered by Cameron by concentrating on the Labour leader: “If Paxo versus Mili had been a boxing match the referee would have stopped it in round one... It was painful to watch”. Really? More painful than Cameron’s plight?