BBC lets Paxman loose on Blair

Lisa O'Carroll
guardian.co.uk, Monday April 9 2001 17.25 BST

He has been the scourge of politicians for years but has never been allowed to get near the prime minister during an election.

Now, for the first time, the BBC's in-house rottweiller Jeremy Paxman is to step out of the shadow of the Dimblebys and do a set-piece interview with Tony Blair.

The interview is expected to last 35 minutes and will appear on Newsnight as part of a series of election specials.

Insiders say the prime minister had "no choice" but to accept the engagement after the BBC put forward its plans.

"There are always a number of programmes that get interviews with the party leaders like Today and the news bulletins," said one senior source.

"This year, however, we have decided to promote Newsnight this time. We put forward our plans and they would have looked stupid if they hadn't agreed."

In the past the big interviews have been with David Dimbleby, a decision that clearly offended Paxman, who is famed for his relentless and combative interview style.

During the 1997 election campaign he quipped: "It is part of the constitution of this country that all major events have to be presented by a Dimbleby."

Despite being sidelined, it was Paxman who made the more memorable TV, interviewing a pompous-sounding Michael Portillo just hours before he was defeated.

The Newsnight interviewer asked him whether he wanted to drink his chalice of poison now or later.

"There is no doubt that Paxman brings a frisson of danger. I'm sure it will be the interview of the election campaign," said one BBC insider.

• Michael Brunson, former political editor for News at Ten and other ITV bulletins, is being lined up to front GMTV's election coverage.

One insider claimed the approach to Mr Brunson was already causing upset at the breakfast station.

"There are a number of noses out of joint here. Some presenters believed they would get the job," said the source.