Wednesday 24 August 2016

Radio 4 on Brexit

There is a documentary online now and I think broadcast again on Sunday.

Anne McElvoy is from the Economist. she has a longer view than most radio journalists. There is background from previous elections when the Cameron approach worked well. I will listen again and write more later. But a couple of points.

She sticks to the failures of Corbyn story but the show indicates a bit more about Will Straw. Lord Mandelson is not quoted directly but the issues around Corbyn wanting some distance from "Blairism" are well indicated. I am getting the impression of a main Remain campaign run from Downing Street with support from Straw and Mandelson. Alan Johnson is interviewed about his doubts on the Cameron emphasis on economics and "project fear". But he did nothing at the time to argue about it. Straw talks about clearing the media schedule for Labour when the polls went bad. But his complaints about Corbyn lack detail on what space he was allowed. Nothing in this story about Brown or Lord Darling though at the time they got most of the space. There may be more to come on this, however slowly.

It is pointed out that Cameron did not have the backing of Fleet Street as in previous election campaigns. Not much time on this but the role of the press is another thing to come back to. Radio and TV best placed to do this.

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