Take the Axeman to Paxman

I am absolutely sick of Jeremy Bleedin' Paxman.

Last night's episode of Newsnight was another example of this useless overpaid idiot needlessly and pointless just abusing and interrupting another politician - the result being that the viewer was not enlightened one bit about the days events.

Now I am no fan of Vince (questionable reputation) Cable. But to invite him on Newsnight following the announcement of the detailed breakdown of the governments initial £6 Billion cuts and simply deriding him for ten minutes for 'changing his mind' about the need for cuts now, rather than later, was just ludicrous. We learn't nothing of substance about the cuts and the economic circumstances - a total waste of everyone's time.

If this was an isolated event for this mindless moron, it might be forgiveable as a temporary lapse of judgement. But it wasn't was it? Paxman's 'stock in trade' is just mindless, repetitive abuse.

The pattern is predictable and dull:

First he thinks of the most awkward, vindictive and poisonous question he can muster and then about 3 seconds into the answer he interrupts the start of the answer and starts badgering with more and more pointless follow-up questions trying to box the interviewee into a corner, all the while interrupting them and speaking to them in the most ridiculous and derisory way that none of us would ever dream of speaking to another person unless.. well they had at least mutilated or murdered a fairly large proportion of our family.

Now there are extreme cases. Where individuals or elected representatives have behaved in a completely intolerable way and in this instance, the sort of derision that Paxman heaps on almost all of his 'guests' is perhaps appropriate.

But to do it almost daily to every politician he interviews is just indiscriminate, mindless and ludicrous.

Ironically, it was on Newsnight that Michael Howard memorably attacked Alastair Campbell for having devalued and debased politics. But he could just as easily have turned his fire on Paxman.

Now Alastair Campbell has finally been sent to rot in hell it's about time someone did the same for Paxman.

His attitude is intolerable. There is absolutely no excuse for abusing people in this way. If politicians are going to be expected to behave in ways that command, if not respect, then at least reasonable acceptance, treating them like something on the bottom of your shoe is not the way to go about it.

Just as Campbell denigrated politics by making it acceptable to lie and deceive and be completely dishonest with the electorate - so Paxman continues to denigrate politics by making political discourse an arena in which he displays complete contempt for politicians of all parties.

The relevance and importance of politics, and the standing of politicians will only improve when extremist media lunatics like Paxman are consigned to the scrapheap.

Scepticism, or even a degree of cynicism is acceptable, but repetitive, mindless abuse of politicians - constant attempts to make them look stupid rather than discussing the issues is as much of a destructive force in this democracy as was the era of spin.

Boris Johnson was the only one to have ever have comprehensively beaten Paxman. Facing one of Paxman's tirades of abuse, Boris hit back with an attack. He pointed out that Paxman is a crazily overpaid public servant - reputed to 'earn' a million a year. Boris badgered him back and kept on questioning him on this point in exactly the same way that Paxman repeatedly badgers his interviewees and tries to make them look stupid.

And Paxman really did look stupid. The response from the BBC was to delete the exchange from it's later published programme on i-Player...

So. If you are looking for cuts George then just get the BBC to sack that idiot Paxman and lets start having some sensible political conversations. oh and save a million quid a year at the same time!

And Crick. Don't think I haven't noticed. I am watching you too.