Wednesday 6 July 2011

Question Time Early doors

Final game of the season.

Measured, who hasn't put a foot wrong, still comfortably leads the table. And with some rather large news stories in the papers, unlikely to trip up now. However, its a funny old game, and Mark Wadsworth & Botogol can still cause an upset.
Everyone else... Play for pride. Remember the top 6 play in the European Question Time league.

David Dimbleby is joined in Basingstoke by Hugh Grant, Chris Grayling, Baroness Williams, Douglas Alexander and Jon Gaunt


Current Leaderboard

Measured - 22.5

Mark Wadsworth -19.5

Botogol -19.5


Dick the Prick -16.5

Appointmetotheboard - 16


Nick Drew -15.5

GSD - 15

Bill Quango MP -15

Miss S-J - 15


Malcolm Tucker -14.5
Hatfield Girl -13.5
Miss CD -12

Timbo614 - 12

City Unslicker -10.5

Philipa -9

Budgie -8

Andrew - 6.5

Hopper -2.5

Amy -2.5
Blue Eyes -2.5

Lilith - 2.5

Hovis -2

24 comments:

Mark Wadsworth said...

1. Milly Dowler, phone hacking, will Dave finally sack his discredited PR guru Andy Coulson... oh, he already did. Is Rebekah Wade the worst spelled or the most hated Ginger of the Week?

2. Housing benefit caps - ethnic cleansing, mass homelessness, heartless Tories or possibly "Why should they get a better standard living than the ordinary worker?" possibly mention of £26k benefit cap which is sort of the same topic.

3. old age care - surely it's only fair that the taxpayer chip in to help preserve the wealth of those who have worked hard and paid their stamp all their lives (cont p94).

4. Drought in Horn of Africa, is this catastrophic climate change, bring back Sir Bob, will we adopt a carpet bombing programme like in Libya etc.

5. Greece bail out, when is enough enough, why are we contributing even though we are not in Euro-zone and/or why doesn't Dave do anything to help the stability of our main export market?

GSD said...

Evening all. I'm putting my guesses in now so that I don't forget again...

1) NotW phone hacking.

2) Will the rating agencies or the German constitutional court kill the bailout process?

3) Should we be given a referendum on EU membership?

4) Public sector pensions - are more strikes likely to work?

5) Press responsibility (re DSK & Yeats' landlord), How to stop "Trial by Media"?

And an early congrats to the final victor.

Budgie said...

1. Evil Tories phone hack teenage boy - but Ed Milliband says he will be 20 soon. Thatcher's attack dog Rebekah Murdoch to blame. Or is it Wade Coulson?

2. Evil Thatcherite Tories try to thwart boy Dave's generous extra Aid. The way that man puts himself out to overcome evil Tories' hard-hearted attitude! Kindly Islamists in Somalia say they will accept Aid.

3. Boy Dave going out of his way to ensure the IMF has enough money to help Greece. Evil Thatcherites fail to stop his selfless generosity - hurrah!?

4. EU cuts "roaming costs" of mobiles. THIS is why we joined the EU, and it puts all those loony, fruitcake, evil, extreme right-wing xenophobes right in their place. Oh, and Thatcherites too.

5. Evil Thatcherite Cleggerons cause mayhem with "reckless and provocative attitude" to cuts in government and the BBC. Lord Patten a traitor. Strikes only way for underpaid government workers to defend the pittances they sweat for.

measured said...

::[Dring Dring]:: ::[Dring Dring]::
BQ picks up the telephone.

BQ: Hello?

Officer: Hello, Sir. This is the Metropolitan Police*. Now we do not wish to alarm you, but we do have some news we need to tell you. Are you sitting down? Is there someone there with you?

BQ: Yes. ::[audible gulp]::

Officer: Well, Sir. We have reason to believe that a private investigator, Mulgatawny or the like, has the details of your mobile telephone number in his records.

BQ: Oh No. Oh God.

I swore to Mrs Quango when the News of the World* printed that story that it wasn’t true. There was no truth whatsoever in that that Edwina had to remind me to wear my football stripe and socks, you know. Have I got my story mixed up? Anyway, no truth whatsoever.

Officer, I haven’t done anything wrong you know. Nothing. You have got to save me. Could you lock me up while this blows over?

Officer: Only for 96 hours* Sir. ::[drily]::

BQ: What am I going to do? I will be the laughing stock of Parliament. My reputation will be ruined, ruined.

Please, Officer, tell me. ::[hushed voice]:: Is there anyone at your end that I could pay to suppress this information?

Officer: Well, we do like receiving money through the correct channels, Sir, and we would prefer you to be awarded money through the Courts, Sir, but..

BQ interrupts: She IS going to boil me ALIVE, Officer, and that will make me a square meal for quite a few in West Africa*. Oh, beam me up, BSkyB.* ::[BQ wails]::

There goes my growing old with dignity.* ::[another wail]::

Officer: You could apply for a thing called a Super injunction, Sir.

BQ: I don’t want to pay another penny to those white, middle class, male lawyers. I’m saving my pennies to buy two little countries, Greece and Portugal. They really are a steal you know. I might .. ::[pause]:: ... actually, Officer, do you mind if I call you back? ... ::[pause]:: ... I want to speak to Rupert and Andy down at the club. They might be able to have a quiet word with the PM. He might be able to help.

Thanks for the call. You have done a super job with those wretched NHS protestors. Do keep kettling.

* are my guesses for this week, BQ. :o)

Bill Quango MP said...

Complete fabrication Measured!
I have never met Rupe or Andy. And i have never had a thing with Edwina. I'm not that desperate. There was that Rebecca Loos incident but everyone was seeing her...

However, and in all truth, Rebecca Wade was at BQ's wedding.

Nick Drew said...

another rushed set of guesses from afar (& not exactly rocket science I fear)

1) phone hacking & Sky & Rupe & the ginger minger
2) phone hacking & the Met: all too cosy by half
3) cost of care for the elderly
4) + a wild, wildcard guess: Beeb salaries - are those people really worth all those £££ (Dimblebore this includes you)

but then again, perhaps not

Dick the Prick said...

Well done to the title contenders.

1) Phone hacking...I was bored of it a year ago. (Surely, if some tabloid doylum was happily doing it then proper corporations or foreign agencies were doing it too for far more profit but.....tails off into silence).

2) PPC & Met - would assume ToR would have been set for a public inquiry by tonight.

3) BskyB - won't somebody theeenk of the cheeeldren??

4) Health care costs - shouldn't the state pay for an evening care asst instead of some pampers or a plastic tube connected to a bucket?

5) Why is Africa such a mal-administered toilet?

6) Afghanistan - geez, for that story to be crowded out because of caterwhaling navel gazing seems incredulous but....

idle said...

At your wedding, eh? In which case, BQ, you will know that she is a RebeKaH, not a Rebecca. I am sure the spelling makes a difference to her character, though I can't be sure, of course.

I doubt that they will get beyond NOTW tonight, frankly. No other questions, unless someone asks Hugh Grant what it was like to get his rocket polished by a bloke.

Jan said...

The first time for me:

1) What happens if the US has to default cos they can't pay their bills?

2) What happens to News Int if they are found guilty?
subquestion: What happens to Rebekah and Andy if they are found guilty?

3) Will the inquiry/ies into the phone hacking be a whitewash/whitewashes?

4) Will Dave survive because of his association with Andy?

andrew said...

1 Phone Hacking and News Intl
Is hanging too good for $bad_people who clearly did $bad_things?

2 Phone Hacking and Polis Corruption
Is it not strange how the Met did not read the PI's notes where all this malfeasance was supposedly written in plain sight, should they be left to investigate themselves?

3 Money - EU Rate rise
When is the UK going to raise interest Rates / is inflation out of control / where is the recovery / glad we are not in the Euro.

4 Privacy/ Morals - how is it that rich people get super injunctions and widows / dead children get their phones hacked.
Didn't someone in the chain realise this was wrong?


5 Defense - Lions Led by Donkeys
How come nothing much has changed since WW1

Bill Quango MP said...

Long time no see Idle.

Ms Wade was not in fact invited. The sumptuous BQ wedding preceded a celebrity journalists wedding.
Some of the Sleb guests mistakenly entered the much more stylish and grand BQ wedding by mistake. Including Becky, who was spotted by the new Mrs Quango.

I myself leaving the venue via a narrow stone spiral staircase had to edge past Elton John and partner.

One of my brother's had been threatening to hire an Elton John look-a-like for a joke, as Mrs Q can't abide the fellow. He had even arranged a tribute Elton to call on Mrs Q to offer his services.

It was fortunate The real Mr John wasn't spotted by the Mrs Q, who might well have told him that she'd already explained once to him that "..she didn't like him, he wasn't welcome, and to sling his hook."

Hopper said...

Tough one tonight.
1. NoTW phone hacking - look for an angle attacking Murdoch and BSkyB merger. Should we sanction journalists for behaving like journalists?
2. Old age care. Why shouldn't rich pensioners subsidise the poor?
3. Old age care #2 - something involving national insurance
4. Fun question on Wimbledon - has it become interesting again?

Bill Quango MP said...

Lets make this the main thread.
Place your bets.

#1 NOTW phone hacking - Milliy outrage.
Should this mean the BskyB merger/takeover must stop?

#2 Cops taking bungs from hacks? Whatever next! Should the police investigate ..erm..the police.

#3 Is it right to have to fund your own healthcare? Shouldn't someone else do it?

#4 Should foreigners be allowed to build our trains just because they can do it more cheaply?

#5 Gaunt on the panel..could be a Huffpuff. I doubt it but when you're this far behind the leaders you need a lucky guess.

Miss CD said...

Hello all.

1. Should we all stop buying newspapers now they have been revealed to be rotten institutions?

2. Is it time for a full scale investigation into police corruption?

3. Should councils be allowed to decide they don't want to fund old age care?

4. Is it right to keep sending aid to Africa?

5.Scots prepare to charge non-Scots university top-up fees. How has it happened that Britain pays taxes to be excluded?

CityUnslicker said...

1. End of the news of the Screws - morally sanctimonious drivel from everyone for ages. i may not be able to watch the first 20 mins.

2. Coulson/Wade - this and the Tory relationship (conveniently forgetting the labour one) will be a second question.

3. Defence cuts are wrong, all cuts are wrong etc. Afghan withdrawal is right etc.

4. EU mess, greece saved, but for how lnog and why should we/should'nt we pay.

Only 4 questions this week - OD on Murdoch hatred, I think Dimbers might wet himself live on air over it.

appointmetotheboard said...

I'm loathe to submit my guesses a whole two hours before the program starts. By the time it gets underway, it'll probably be alleged that Rupert Murdoch shot JFK. And that the polis were slipped a fiver to frame Lee Harvey Oswald.

Still, onwards and onwards. 4 questions tonight I reckon.

1. The sad demise of NotW. Is it right that 200 people lose their jobs to keep Rebekah Brook gainfully employed?

2. With the police investigating the police and Rebekah Brooks investigating Rebekah Brooks, is the next logical step for Rupert Murdoch to head up the public inquiry?

2. News Corp's purchase of BskyB. Good luck with that one, Jeremy.

3. Not sure how to frame it but some hand-wringing over journalism, hacking, Hugh Grant and the 4,000 other victims of the hacking scandal.

4. Will DC be going to Rebekah Brooks for Christmas dinner this year?

OK, may be over doing it on NotW scandal. But as its the last day of the season, consider this my attacking 1-1-8 formation, and the fact I'm having 5 guesses whilst angling for the 4 question bonus my tribute to Maradona. I really don't want to get relegated to the Jeremy Kyle Show League.

Philipa said...

Much as I'm a sucker for QT I will be watching Newsnight tonight. QT may not be dominated by the phone hacking scandal but IMHO it should be. The implications of this scandal are far reaching. According to C4 News the Daily Mail and Dacre may be implicated. The Metropolitan police are most certainly implicated. The PM's social circle includes Wade, or should I say Brookes? But I would resist a scapegoat and look for rot, in the establishment.

If you can't trust the establishment you report a sex crime to, who can you trust?

There is no fun in this for me. This is all so wrong. So wrong.

Malcolm Tucker said...

Nearly missed it down here. Is this some sort of news of the world ploy?

Hugh Grant and Jon Gaunt. Will make an additional bet that a member of Guardian media group has sneaked onto the panel before kick-off.

.1 News of the end of the world. Never mind library closures. Now chavs really have nothing to read any more.

.2 Andy Coulson's/ Rebekah's imminent arrests and should Cameron be imprisoned for showing he has no judgement? + it will go on and on about how much the police were involved.

.3 Another news international question. BBC won't want to waste this golden opportunity. Should Sky merger be scrapped?

.4 Ballerinas and bedpans.

it won't make five questions. Dimblby's new found enthusiasm for prodding guests along will be absent tonight. But with good cause.

.3

lilith said...

OMG the BBC can't stop going on about News Int. so it will be

1. NotW! How shocked are you Hugh? Does this make you feel better? Does it make The Guardian and the BBC feel better?

2. Should Cameron resign because he once employed someone who was once employed by Murdoch?

3. Who is worse: Rebekah Wayde, Murdoch, Cameron or Ian Huntley?

4. Should Hugh have married Elizabeth and saved the girl from certain heartache at the hands of Shane?

Years ago my world spun off its axis when I read the NotW headline "Frank Bough in Cocaine Vice Girl shock." Not been the same since.

Miss S-J said...

last of the season.
Just when it gets interesting.

1} News of the world to close after 168 years. Is that enough to save the Murdoch empire?

2} Police involvement in the phone hacking scandal. Well, it was them or the phone companies. And the police already investigated the phone companies and said they were clean. {strangely, no-one will mention this rather obvious clue.}

3. IDS and British jobs for British workers. Haven't we heard all this before somewhere?

4. Should everyone have a special national old age care insurance? Sure..sure..we've got one..But that's just a way of pretending we don't have 32% basic rate taxation.
Should we have a real one. That isn't 100% unfunded?

Botogol said...

so, pulls up sleeves, sharpens pen.. .

five questions I reckon - even though the NotW and hack gate will doubtless take up the first forty mins I expect it will also use up two (should I say three?) questions and the newly speedy Dimble will tidily sneak a few in at the end to get to the magic five.

So

- Will the closure of the NotW staunch the wound, and enable News International to survive the storm (for a bonus point - danny alexander will turn out to a C@W reader, following CU's perceptive points above about Murdoch's reasons for acting)

- Should the enquiry look beyond NotW at the behaviour of press in general? (bonus 'it goes right back to bursting in at Gordon Kaye's bedise, and pursuing Diana to her death)

- why should people expect the state to pay for old age so that their children can inherit their house ? (bonus for each and every mention of ballerinas)

- after the review by NAO do we need to look again at aircraft carriers (bonus - for Port Stanley, yomping, I counted them out and I counted them in)

- is the end of the space shuttle programme a massive shame, or was it all an expensive waste of money (china, blah, blah, india blah, future of humanity lies in Asia)

can't think of a question with a Basingstoke angle. bonus point if they finally mention badgers?

(Am I scraping too much for bonus points? but three points behind with just one round to play..,)

Timbo614 said...

[Looks at hand, looks at chip stack] Hmm, a pair of NotW...

1) NotW - well it probably is today! What happens now? Is Murdoch doomed! DOOMED?

2) NotW - is this company fit to tale over BSkYB? I think not.


3) NotW - Where does this scandal leave our Dave?

4) Will we miss Notw? I won't!

5) Throwaway - Are All Newspapers Doomed!

Anyone noticed that NotW could easily be "nowt" and now amounts nowt!

I'm ALL IN on 2 NotW! for 4 of a kind :)

Bill Quango MP said...

Q1. Is the closure of NOTW a cynical ploy to insulate Murdoch's empire?
Hugh says yes. He also agrees with CU. It was a loss maker and the SunDay is coming in its place.
{hard to disagree really. Except its not cynical, just practical.}
Danny A is appalled. Luckily for him New Labour never had any dealings with the Murdoch papers..Oh wait...
{personally i can't help feel Labour are making a mistake. They have the moral high ground and right, might and the public on their side. They can stick it to Murdoch with 'oh so much regret.' Instead they try and pin blame on Cameron. Its unnecessary. The papers will bash him for them. They don't need to get involved fanning the flames. The Murdoch bonfire is already well alight. Tom Watson has done a Miliband like, robotic sound bite, on every media outlet. Cameron supports Rebekah Brooks, he says. With no proof at all.}
Whole panel is against the Screw. Unusual, but not unexpected. Defending that is like defending Levi Bellfield.
Hugh and Jon have bashed Grayling. Very good bashing too.
They have made him look weasely.
They have both taken over the show.Its like Talksport. Caught Danny Alexander out big time too, pointing out he is only just moments back from a Murdoch party.
Shirley complains she's shut out by the men. Go on then Shirl..bore us with your view.

Q2.Has Rupe's role as king maker ended?
Not sure if anyone got that question? BTW all those early entries on this quiz will be given extreme leeway on the phrasing of their pre Screws fold announcement questions.
Jon Gaunt's Murdoch is the SUN KING is quite good.
Danny tries to slip out of Labour's involvement with Murdoch. Not altogether successfully. Dimby has it better. "You've burnt your boats with Murdoch not because of morals, but because you don't think he's so very powerful any more?"
Grayling raises a good point. And one we must do a poll on. Does anyone buy a paper these days?
Grayling is dire on the Coulson question! He must have known it was coming. Yet he has no answer! Dismal. He should have looked on here earlier on to see the likely questions.
Supplementary from audience. Why didn't Labour do more? DA talks partial bollocks about MPs being in fear. Gets caught by CG.

See. I said it was a bad path for Labour to take. The righteous crusaders when they are equally steeped in red top blood. They should try and say as little as possible.
HG was good again. I feel like watching one of his films. Mickey Blue eyes is Ok...isn't it?

This has become the police on trial q.

Q3. A BskyB semi-question. Dimby is asking his own tonight.
DA, surprisingly thinks the competition commission should be in charge. he was supposed to say NEVER!
CG comes across as evasive.
Hugh and Jon have had a falling out over Murdoch's monopoly.. Still good TV though!
CG points out BBC is the biggest media organisaton in the UK, not Murdoch's monopoly. Audience seemed quite shocked to hear that. The BBC isn't media, is it? Its just the BBC.

Q4.Time for a non Murdoch.Its the Bombardier train story.
Whole audience thinks it was madness. The way we write our tenders is absurd. If the BBC went out to tender for state TV they would be unlikely to win it.
JG is quite right. DA is completely wrong. SW is the voice of realism. We can't do BJFBW. We should stop going on about it.
HG is right too. Yes, SW is right legally and economically. But it IS so depressing.

Bill Quango MP said...

Scores for the final.

Mark Wadsworth. - Went early but had the wrong setup for this crunch game. - 2

GSD - also went early and also caught out. But Jon Gaunt predictably called for Eu referendum a few times so -2

Budgie. Close, but no cigar {as Uk is now a non smoking island.} -2

Measured. Well, I managed to cryptically see 2½ points there. minus ½ for the outrageous, unproven, slander. = 2.

Nick Drew - 2 + ½ for the 4 questions rule = 2½

Dick the Prick. Went early and scored 3

Jan - Welcome. And very good. 3 + ½ for correctly guessing Dimby wouldn't manage to ask more than 4 questions. {not his fault though. This was always going to be a long panel one.} - 3 ½
{come back next season. You're a natural. Puts the other old news bloggers on here to shame.}

Andrew: Good effort. 3 hits.

Hopper: Good attempt 2 News of the screws hits +½ for 4qs. No time for a lite question tonight. Actually, they don't seem to that anymore. Any questions love it. -2½.

BQ - Hah! News=2+½ for the screw and two, yes two, points for being the only one to get the trains question! {what do you mean you didn't know that rule. We've had it for ages, just it doesn't often come up} - 4½

Miss CD . Not too bad - 2

Cityunslicker. - 2 points for the first q. Everyone was deeply moralising on it. +1 for another NOTW and ½ for 4qs =3½

appointmetotheboard: took a gamble on heavy newscorp night and it paid off. ½ for the JFK quip, 4 news of the world hits and ½ for 4 qs = 5.Brilliant.

Philipa: Even from your description you got most right. -2.5

Malcolm Tucker - 3 + ½ for 4 qs = 3½

Lilith - Hmmm..Frank Bough. Wasn't he the one who wore?..never mind.
2 + ½ for 4qs = 2½


Miss S-J - excellent 1st Q = 1½.+ 1 +½ for for british jobs + 4qs½ = 3½.

Botogol = 1.5 for the first q+ 1.5 for the second. But second half let you down. Extra ½ as it was Hugh who raised CUs post. Another celeb reader. =3½

Timbo 614. Right idea, but a few wrong questions. Need to not try and walk the ball into the net. = 2½.

tonight's winner is appointmetotheboard with a smashing 5.