BBC's Tory leader TV trail thwarted by Jesus

BBC’s Tory leader TV trail thwarted by Jesus

-06/12/05

An intrepid BBC television repo

BBC’s Tory leader TV trail thwarted by Jesus

-06/12/05

An intrepid BBC television reporter who has been trailing Conservative Party leadership favourite David Cameron for six weeks was last night politely ostracised on TV by the new political comet ñ over a tough question about Jesus.

Jamie Campbell, working for the late-night BBC2 Newsnight programme, a favourite for its in-depth reporting, set out to discover whether Mr Cameron (who quickly established himself as ëDaveí) really has got his finger on the zeitgeist, and just how easy-going a Tory leader he wants to be.

But after a series of intentionally ersatz enquiries ñ ranging from the back-catalogue of í80s rock legends The Smiths through to techniques for giving up smoking ñ the reporter finally got to annoy his quarry with a question about the Christian doctrine of the atonement.

Having heard that Mr Cameron believes in God, but feeling short on specifics, Mr Campbell asked: ìDo you believe that Jesus Christ died to take away our sins?î

A clearly ruffled Mr Cameron swept past the tricky poser into the next appointment, with a huffy side conversation to his adviser about ìincreasingly bizarre questions.î

Satirical stalking to seek to get under-the-skin of famous politicians is hardly a BBC Newsnight staple, but from time-to-time the programme likes to lighten its heavyweight image with stunts which annoy spin doctors ñ while providing light relief to weary viewers.

Legendary inquisitor Jeremy Paxman once famously asked ex-Home Secretary (and soon to be ex-Conservative leader) Michael Howard the same question 14 times, having failed to get a direct answer.

He later provoked a complaint from Tory Central Office after pursuing Mr Howard with a microphone through the countryside, wanting to talk about the general election campaign.

Mr Cameron will probably win plaudits for his good-natured tolerance towards the Beebís latest sound-bite bounty hunter, even if his inability to respond to theological probing leaves him vulnerable on other fronts.

Tonight the UK Christian think tank Ekklesia said that it would ease the future Conservative supremoís anxiety by sending him a copy of its book on the subject of the Cross and violence, Consuming Passion.

The collection of essays, subtitled ëWhy the killing of Jesus really mattersí traces the connection between misunderstandings of the Christian doctrine of atonement and the sanctioning of religious revenge in a troubled world.

Mr Cameron also got into hot water recently by attacking a poster campaign launched by respected churchesí development agency Christian Aid.

He said that comparing deaths caused by poverty to those caused by the tsunami was helping to foster what he called ìBritainís cultural hostility to capitalismî. Christian Aid replied that unfair trade was also unfree, and resulted in lost lives and broken communities. It also invited him to debate the issue.

Leaving God aside, Mr Cameron scored well in his Newsnight ordeal. He revealed that he had tried ìmany techniquesî to give up smoking, which he pledged to do by today ñ when the winner of the Conservative leadership race (the other candidate is David Davis) will be announced.

The possible future Prime Minister also said that he preferred ëThe Fast Showí (now defunct) to ëLittle Britainí (a current cult comedy programme). And he indicated that his favourite Smithís album was The Queen Is Dead, ìthough I donít like the title trackî.

However the limits of Mr Cameronís devotion were shown when he failed to spot that Margaret On A Guillotine ñ a highly unflattering portrait of his hero, former PM Margaret Thatcher, which provoked questions in the House of Commons ñ is actually the last track on a Morrisseyís first post-Smiths solo album, with producer Stephen Street and guitarist Vini Reilly (of the Durutti Column).

It is not thought that this will harm his standing as an aspirant political or religious figure.

(From our roving reporter, Simon Barrow)

[Also on Ekklesia: Buy Consuming Passion; Government plans reopen debate on faith schools; Christian Aid laments receding trade talk hopes; Archbishop says he is not backing Conservatives; Tories encouraged to stress faith and values; Tory leadership candidate attacks Christian agency on trade; Tory who doctored asylum photos fails to get elected; Party leaders address world poverty]

BBC’s Tory leader TV trail thwarted by Jesus

-06/12/05

Jamie Campbell, working for the late-night BBC2 Newsnight programme, a favourite for its in-depth reporting, set out to discover whether Mr Cameron (who quickly established himself as ëDave’) really has got his finger on the zeitgeist, and just how easy-going a Tory leader he wants to be.

But after a series of intentionally ersatz enquiries – ranging from the back-catalogue of ’80s rock legends The Smiths through to techniques for giving up smoking – the reporter finally got to annoy his quarry with a question about the Christian doctrine of the atonement.

Having heard that Mr Cameron believes in God, but feeling short on specifics, Mr Campbell asked: ‘Do you believe that Jesus Christ died to take away our sins?’

A clearly ruffled Mr Cameron swept past the tricky poser into the next appointment, with a huffy side conversation to his adviser about ‘increasingly bizarre questions.’

Legendary inquisitor Jeremy Paxman once famously asked ex-Home Secretary (and soon to be ex-Conservative leader) Michael Howard the same question 14 times, having failed to get a direct answer.

He later provoked a complaint from Tory Central Office after pursuing Mr Howard with a microphone through the countryside, wanting to talk about the general election campaign.

Mr Cameron will probably win plaudits for his good-natured tolerance towards the Beeb’s latest sound-bite bounty hunter, even if his inability to respond to theological probing leaves him vulnerable on other fronts.

Tonight the UK Christian think tank Ekklesia said that it would ease the future Conservative supremo’s anxiety by sending him a copy of its book on the subject of the Cross and violence, Consuming Passion.

The collection of essays, subtitled ëWhy the killing of Jesus really matters’ traces the connection between misunderstandings of the Christian doctrine of atonement and the sanctioning of religious revenge in a troubled world.

Mr Cameron also got into hot water recently by attacking a poster campaign launched by respected churches’ development agency Christian Aid.

He said that comparing deaths caused by poverty to those caused by the tsunami was helping to foster what he called ‘Britain’s cultural hostility to capitalism’. Christian Aid replied that unfair trade was also unfree, and resulted in lost lives and broken communities. It also invited him to debate the issue.

Leaving God aside, Mr Cameron scored well in his Newsnight ordeal. He revealed that he had tried ‘many techniques’ to give up smoking, which he pledged to do by today – when the winner of the Conservative leadership race (the other candidate is David Davis) will be announced.

The possible future Prime Minister also said that he preferred ëThe Fast Show’ (now defunct) to ëLittle Britain’ (a current cult comedy programme). And he indicated that his favourite Smith’s album was The Queen Is Dead, ‘though I don’t like the title track’.

However the limits of Mr Cameron’s devotion were shown when he failed to spot that Margaret On A Guillotine – a highly unflattering portrait of his hero, former PM Margaret Thatcher, which provoked questions in the House of Commons – is actually the last track on a Morrissey’s first post-Smiths solo album, with producer Stephen Street and guitarist Vini Reilly (of the Durutti Column).

It is not thought that this will harm his standing as an aspirant political or religious figure.

(From our roving reporter, Simon Barrow)