Tub of Lard: Iain Dale Calls For Empty Chairing at BBC

Iain Dale has allowed rampant paranoia to completely possess him. If there is a pattern of few Tories getting up for Sunday morning television that must surely have something to do with those Tories? Any reasonable person would think. But Iain Dale asserts that this pattern results from a combination of Draconian Labour minders and pathetic pinkos at the BBC.

I think Iain's being very brave or very foolish to assert that Labour are actually stopping Tory people appearing on these shows as a contractual condition.

Unless he has some proof ...? And even if it were the case that some of 'em wouldn't go up head to head - which is hardly unique to Labour people - that would not stop any broadcaster taking separate 1-2-1s. Or items like today's Lansley one.

Looks to me like the relevant Tories who are invited can't or won't make it.

They won't go head to head. They won't wake up and smell the coffee. Too busy with their second and third and fourth jobs, I'll be bound. Or deliberately saying no to create a story for some muppet to "taa-daa" with.

Grant Shapps perhaps?

Few of them are capable of holding their own anyway. That's the truth. The Tories virtually disappear when Cam has time off.

By way of proof Iain offers:

On Andrew Marr (live from Scotland) we were treated to Alex Salmond and Wee Dougie Alexander, along with Sir Hugh Orde and Ian Rankin. According to Events, Dear Boy the last time a Shadow Minister appeared on the programme was on 8 February. I've checked the programme archive and he is right.
[So Scottish majority and second party, top policeman, novelist]

On the Politics Show today, we were treated to interviews with trade union leader Mark Serwotka, Labour Peer Lord Hattersley, Work & Pensions Secretary James Purnell and Defence Secretary John Hutton. Then there was a 45 second clip of LibDem Steve Webb and a perfunctory 3 minute piece with Andrew Lansley on alcohol pricing.
[Serwotka being anything but Labour, and just how long is a "perfunctory" three minutes? compared with a standard three minutes?]

And this is supposed to resemble balance?

Come on Iain. Find out who was asked on each week. It's not fair or balanced to just make up 'noid explanations. I reckon the whole lot of them are "frit" and/or barred by CCHQ from live TV, and that Tories disappear when Cam is not there.

The idea of Kenneth Clarke making himself available on a Sunday morning to tangle with Lord Mandelson is frankly bonkers iain. Clarke is all pipe and slippers in Rushcliffe come Sunday mornings, or off spreading the word on the weed for BAT.