Andrew Marr, BBC News at Ten, BBC1, April 9, 2003

As if finally liberated from the bonds of public doubt and scepticism, the BBC's political editor, Andrew Marr, rose up to deliver a career-defining speech to the nation from outside Downing Street:

'Frankly, the main mood [in Downing Street] is of unbridled relief', he began. 'I've been watching ministers wander around with smiles like split watermelons.' (BBC News At Ten, April 9, 2003)

The fact that Marr delivered this with his own happy smile was a portent of what was to come. Marr was asked to describe the significance of the fall of Baghdad. This is what he said:

'Well, I think this does one thing - it draws a line under what, before the war, had been a period of... well, a faint air of pointlessness, almost, was hanging over Downing Street. There were all these slightly tawdry arguments and scandals. That is now history. Mr Blair is well aware that all his critics out there in the party and beyond aren't going to thank him - because they're only human - for being right when they've been wrong. And he knows that there might be trouble ahead, as I said. But I think this is very, very important for him. It gives him a new freedom and a new self-confidence. He confronted many critics.

'I don't think anybody after this is going to be able to say of Tony Blair that he's somebody who is driven by the drift of public opinion, or focus groups, or opinion polls. He took all of those on. He said that they would be able to take Baghdad without a bloodbath, and that in the end the Iraqis would be celebrating. And on both of those points he has been proved conclusively right. And it would be entirely ungracious, even for his critics, not to acknowledge that tonight he stands as a larger man and a stronger prime minister as a result.' (Marr, BBC 1, News At Ten, April 9, 2003)

Extract from 'Guardians of Power: The Myth of the Liberal Media' by David Edwards and David Cromwell (Pluto Books, 2006), pp. 52-53.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Andrew Marr
• BBC
• Iraq
• propaganda
• Media Lens

[wotdoesitmatter]

Without a bloodbath?

If by baghdad he means Iraq, then 1 million+ dead is no bloodbath. I'm thinking genocide. Well done Marr - power can count on you!

[retchen]

The most extraordinary piece of propaganda you're likely do see. Establishment lick spittle buttering up to his political paymasters. This crook is stealing a living.

[redword2007]

This is clip demonstrates all that is wrong with British corporate journalism. Marr could not have provided a better propaganda boost to the Blair regime if it has been written by Alistair (Goebbles) Campbell himself.

[dutchgoing]

I wanted to add that every so often the BBC news has an item running down some EU country, the last one was about how the Germans are in economic trouble because a saw manufacturer in Berlin was having difficulties and a woman in the same city was having her heating benefit cut. They based their journalism on that. Next time it will be another country. The BBC is a propaganda machine perpetuating the myth that the UK is at the centre of things and of course better than its neighbours.

[dutchgoing]

@splattyfish How did Huw Edwards ever win a BAFTA? The BBC news is shallow, parochial and dull. When it snowed last year they devoted all of the news for five days to it. They don't have regular European news items and have you noticed that he and Fiona Bruce never work weekends. Marr has shown his little Englander colours in his frankly embarassing documentaries about UK culture & identity, frankly he's not very good at it. One day Tony Blair will be brought to justice.

[bsjunior]

thank you. good evidence.

[jesoby]

Not Andrew's finest hour. No one ever doubted the Iraqi regular forces would be quickly overwhelmed. The big questions were what had Saddam got to do with Al Qaeda (nothing), where were the weapons of mass destruction (there weren't any and Blair did know this) and what plans were in place for after the occupation (inadequate to say the least).

[splattyfish]

The brain dead Hugh Edwards made to appear to be conducting an interview but is an empty shell, and the manipulative political editor with the BBC brand, in front of 10 downing street, speaking to a population raised on the same propaganda, can spew out tripe that goes unchallenged, the NLP effect gives the message that "Tony Blair was right" instead of the truth that he is a psychopathic liar and war criminal. Until people deeply understand the way of liars like Marr they will stay asheep.

[bbcwatch]

The invasion period was brutal. It's easy to forget because of the "ghastly scenes", "terrorist attacks" and all sorts of things that subsequently went "wrong". Andrew Marr could barely conceal his own smile. Toppling a mere statue can make a man giddy.