Mark Croucher

Yes, I dare say he received about £ 1,900 from the Politics Show.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

You're joking, right? You think politicians get paid for this stuff? When they're all falling over themselves trying to get on? It's a broadcaster's market, and politicians are 10 a penny: the fact that 90% of them parrot the same things is neither here nor there.

And despite your undoubted experience as demonstrated above, it tends to be personal because the media want an established, experienced politico who they know won't say or do anything stupid. The national media tend to want Nigel, because he's the leader, likely to be known to the audience, and can always be relied upon to be succint and to the point. Plus he has a huge electoral mandate.

I'm not really sure why I'm wasting my time typing this: what would I know about it compared to you, after all?

M

eublues

Mark - are you saying that there is no fee paid?

kernow

Couldn't have put it better myself! Love Nigel or loath him, Mark's posting answers the question of "Why always Nigel"!

Mark Croucher

Of course there's no fee paid. There are 50 or so ministers, 600+ MPs, 70 odd MEPs and tens of thousands of councillors and candidates, and the one thing they all have in common is a need for publicity. Why would they pay? A big programme like Question Time might send a cab for you or pay the train fare, but that's as good as it gets.

And before you ask, the same applies to newspaper and magazine articles.

M

SomersetYokel

Still leaves us looking like a one man band. How do the other parties mange to get a range of their people on - even the Greens. MC should get a new agent - I always got paid for my articles.

Mark Croucher

Oh, please. When did anyone last see the Greens in the media at all?

And in case you haven't noticed, the Lib/Lab/Cons have between them over 600 MPs and 90%+ of the vote at the last General Election.

But have you ever noticed how Dr Howard Stoate MP hardly ever gets on? Could it be because they ask for specific MPs? Perhaps ones with ministerial or leadership positions? And how the Dr Stoates' of parliament have to content themselves with local rags and regional broadcasters? Ever noticed how there are only about 10 Labour MPs and 3 or 4 Tories who appear on the main news? Ever wondered why?

M

SomersetYokel

The Greens do better than us at local elections and in London. No need to state the obvious. Still let us go down with our one man band. Rats leave sinking ships.

Mark Croucher

As expected, you have

(a) overlooked the main point
(b) neglected to consider the Greens 2 GLA members in London
(c) forgotten that the Greens have been active in local elections far longer than UKIP

But apart from that, well done for nearly grasping the point

Oh, and the Greens national coverage is largely of Caroline Lucas and, err, Caroline Lucas. The SNP's national coverage is largely Alex Salmond, who's ever heard of PC nationally, and the BNP's coverage is largely Nick Griffin. This is, rightly or wrongly, how the media covers small parties: they focus on the leader, partly because the smaller parties tend to be held together by a small number of individuals.

M

Bob FM

I take it Somerset another of the Edmunds/Knapman supporter. It's almost like little children, they can't make the rules so they take their ball home.

chikrodah

Thanks for bringing your ball back for us to play with, Bob.