speechification

A blog of Radio 4. Not about Radio 4 but of it. We point to the bits we like, the bits you might have missed, the bits that someone might have sneakily recorded. And other bits of speech radio might find their way here too.

Of course, one day this might turn into something else, maybe a new skin for Radio 4, maybe a new way of curating radio, or maybe it won't.

Your hosts on this not very wild ride are Steve Bowbrick, Russell Davies and Roo Reynolds. Drop us a line with your thoughts, unless you wish to complain about continuity announcers and their accents.

Oct
27th

Sat

Week in Westminster

Listening to the Commons (well, the Tory half anyway), baying for a withdrawal when Gordon Brown dropped the word ‘misleading’ into a response during PMQs this week, I felt (oddly, you might suppose, given I’m a lifelong Labour man) my heart swelling with pride in the unruly vigour of our central democratic institution.

Don’t talk to me about bringing an end to ‘Punch & Judy’ politics. Punch & Judy are fundamental to the process. Long may they reign! I do understand that plenty of people feel alienated by all the ‘ya-boo’ and I also agree that it’s probably not the best incentive for non-toffs to join up but, to be honest, I really want my MP to be fully Punch & Judy-compliant and robust enough to mix it up with the shouty types when necessary.

And another thing. I really don’t like the look of all those tidy, civilised horseshoe assemblies (like the ones they’ve got in Wales and Scotland) with their microphones and their wait-for-your-turn and their nasty Mr Sheen shine. Enough: I’m turning into my father. This morning’s Week in Westminster has a bit of ya-boo and an interview with marvelous Parliamentary irritant Dennis Skinner that really cheered me up (especially the bit about calling David Owen a ‘pompous sod’). (MP3, Real, podcast).

Pic from parliament.uk.

Steve