Why Does May Agree To Do Tv And Radio Interviews...

[Gromit]

...she hadn't got an honest bone in her body.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41576098

[ToraToraTora]

I think you are being a bit harsh singling out the PM, what politician is totally honest?

[jim360]

So why not say the same thing again?

I certainly agree that questions like this aren't really meant to get an answer so much as they are meant to catch politicians out, and as I say I have sympathy with her for dodging the question in that sense. But, as I also say, I wish that politicians saw that they're going to be attacked anyway, so why not be attacked at least for saying what they believe in, rather than saying nothing at all?

[naomi24]

Jim, Probably because it's ancient history and she had no intention of starting it all up again. Whatever she says she'll be attacked so in this instance, since the question was irrelevant, she was wise to ignore it.

[ludwig]

It seems to be the latest rather silly game interviewers are now playing with government ministers - let's ask the ones that were remainers how they would vote if there was another referendum - that'll embarrass them (tee hee, chortle, ooh aren't we clever).

May is in the position of having the job of implementing the result of a referendum that didn't go the way she wanted. She has to be positive about it and appear to now be fully behind the process. To expect her to do otherwise is a bit childish.

[jim360]

On that last at least I agree with you -- I suppose it's more of a general question as to whether you'd prefer politicians to be attacked for being honest rather than attacked for being evasive.

[naomi24]

I'd like to see honest interviewers.

[jim360]

Those too. Although honest politicians seems more urgent, because they're the ones who actually do something important.

[ludwig]

Jim, do you really expect the Prime Minister to say that she wishes brexit wasn't happening and that it's going to be a disaster, in the middle of the so called divorce negotiations?
I think that'd be rather irresponsible of her, whether it's honest or not.

Meanwhile on the flipside of the coin I'm still waiting for Corbyn to admit that he was a leaver all along and deliberately ran a half-hearted remain campaign. That wouldn't play well with his supporters and potential voters of course, so best to avoid that one by not having a brexit debate at the conference etc.

They're politicians.

[jim360]

That's not actually the answer I gave on her behalf. If indeed she does think that then maybe it would be well to say so though because it would clearly be far more irresponsible for a leader to take the country where she thinks it shouldn't go than it is to not answer a question.

Perhaps anyway her (honest) answer could be, "I voted remain last time but in the last few months I've seen the EU at its worst and honestly I'm now convinced that we are better off outside it."

I don't think it's unreasonable for us to want to know what our leader actually thinks from time to time, and while I doubt this question was asked for any other reason than to try and catch her out it doesn't seem unreasonable to hope that one day politicians will prefer the art of answering questions to the art of not answering them. But 'twas ever thus.

[jackthehat]

May agrees to do TV and Radio interviews because it is part and parcel of her job as PM.
If she (or any other person holding the position) refused, there would be an outcry about the lack of transparency/accountability, etc.

It is well-known that she was a Remainer and going over her position at that time and asking whther she would vote the same way now really seves no purpose.

She'd be decried as being a hypocrite (now, or then) whichever answer she gave....

[Spicerack]

Don't blame the left wingers. They get all their opinions from the BBC and The Guardian.
Remember when it was 'cool' to be a lefty.
They were Hawkeye Pierce in Mash to the right's Frank Burns.
Imagine if they remade it now. They'd have to reverse the roles 180.

[ludwig]

// Perhaps anyway her (honest) answer could be, "I voted remain last time but in the last few months I've seen the EU at its worst and honestly I'm now convinced that we are better off outside it." //

I don't know if it'd be more honest or not jim, but it'd be definitely be a better way batting off a pointless question. Maybe we'll see it used, if there are any govt. ministers that frequent answerbank. ;-)

[naomi24]

Jim, // "I voted remain last time but in the last few months I've seen the EU at its worst and honestly I'm now convinced that we are better off outside it." //

Why do you think that would be an honest answer? It simply assumes she's changed her mind.

[jim360]

"Perhaps... could be..."

I absolutely did not say that that *was* her position. I said that if it were her position, why not say so?

[naomi24]

Jim, you said, //Perhaps anyway her (honest) answer could be...//

You've lost me.

[jim360]

Let me be clear, then.

-- I don't think it's unreasonable for Theresa May to dodge the question, although I wish that she, and all politicians, were less afraid of actually answering questions.

-- I offered two possible answers she could have given instead. Both of them seem reasonable and defensible to me.

-- The first was if she still felt that Remaining was better, but that she saw her job as implementing the will of the people, and make a success of that decision to the utmost of her ability. Why not say so (again, even, as she's already said this in the past apparently)?

-- The second was in the event that she'd changed her mind.

-- In both cases I don't know what she would actually say, I was just offering two alternative answers that address the question, and yes risk some criticism but would at least have the virtue of being honest and forthright, presumably.

[ichkeria]

If Theresa May had answered "I'd vote Remain" you can only imagine the furore. If she'd said "I'd vote leave" there'd also have beeen quite a fuss. I am not a fan of hers but the only real issue is: we all know journalists will put you on the spot, so it;s a question of hoe you deal with that. I don't think "honesty" comes into it.

[naomi24]

Jim, I don’t think you’ve thought this through. If she said she thinks the UK would be better off staying in the EU what do you think the fallout from that - from all quarters - would be? She took the prudent option.

[ToraToraTora]

there is also this ridiculous attitude that no one can ever change their mind. Personally I do not want to be represented by someone who is so intransigent that they never change there opinion regardless of emerging data, yet you get howls of "U-Turn" na na nana na from many quarters when direction does change.

[ludwig]

// you get howls of "U-Turn" //

Again, it's a journalist thing. Journalists love a U-turn. They almost wet themselves with glee if they think they've detected something they can classify as a U-turn.