Having reviewed Newsnight, the emission from BBC 2 from 7th May 2008, I can say definitively that David Miliband was annoyed by Jeremy Paxman.
Although he remained calm and reasoning on the surface, he resorted to showing puzzlement on occasions to try to deflect some of the interviewer's quite incisive questions.
He also used befuddlement, mixing up the questions and answers.
And best of all, I caught him giving the "hooded eyes" non-verbal signal of distaste. This was very early on in the show, even before the interview :-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2S-qmyA0yg
and more clearly :-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTYQj49szyQ
If you note, carefully, just before the camera pans back to off-stage, David Miliband's eyelids half close for a brief half a second, while his eyes remain open, before finally blinking. Classic sign of disgust.
Any psychology graduates out there who know what I'm talking about ?
You really do need to see the whole film :-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7390068.stm
Here's just a small sample showing that David Miliband has been re-oriented from early radical views towards the central party line : apparently the Government believes that 60% Carbon Cuts can be achieved by (a) Carbon Trading and (b) as yet undeveloped Carbon Capture and Storage and (c) simple blunt instruments like "natural" Carbon Pricing (through higher energy bills).
I deline to agree.
Jeremy Paxman : "...You believe in a Low Carbon Economy. You can't therefore believe in a Third Runway at Heathrow Airport ?"
David Miliband : "I don't think that's right...Now it doesn't matter if we reduce [carbon emissions] from buildings, or from aviation or from surface transport. It doesn't matter how we get the carbon reductions [sic] down...What matters is that they come down in total...Aviation is actually 6% of the total..."
JP : "So you're saying you can have growth in aviation and have a Low Carbon Economy ?"
DM : "Yeah. It's not incompatible..."
Good performance from Miliband
Actually thought he did well presenting pretty awful government policy which of course, unofficially, it is to stall as much as possible. Just as well climate change bill introduced before Brown came into office, Brown might have kicked it aside.
When answering the Heathrow runway question, Miliband started with 'We believe...'. I'd be worried if he'd started that sentence with I believe. The government is expecting the climate change committee to pull off this remarkable feat of reducing emissions by 60% without putting constraints on the number of new runways, without additional tax on fuel, without feed in tariffs, with any number of new coal burning power stations, and without any form of personal carbon allowances. Just what is left in the tool box to play with. Cannot imagine why anyone would stay on the climate change committee for very long.
A couple of weeks back Jeremy Paxman asked Jonathan Porritt whether anyone inside BERR (Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform) got it? After a long pause J Porritt said no. Does anyone in government get it? J Porritt said yes but they were ineffective. Perhaps he had Hilary Benn in mind. But Mr Benn should not be disappointed, I sure that Gordon thinks he's doing a great job.
Who gets it
I'm sure Hilary Benn, David Miliband and Alistair Darling all get it but what wriggle room do they have? Please please can we have Miliband or Benn to succeed Brown and not that awful Alan Johnson, charmer with no principles would have made a very good pop star in the '60s or whenever it was he was trying.
I thought a BERR was something discussed on Channel 5 docs by Americans in forest clearings in the Rockies sporting wide-brimmed hats and check shirts.