Politicos and news media began the long, weary trudge towards the May general election this week. Sky News was, as ever, quick out of the traps with its #InTheMargins tour of key marginal constituencies, kicking off on Monday.
However, BBC2’s Newsnight (which for the 2005 election brought us Jeremy Vine touring the nation in a VW camper van) has the most eye-catching gimmick – or should that be breath-taking?
Presenter Emily Maitlis, a jogger’s delight in a high-vis pink padded bodywarmer, turquoise running shorts and matching trainers, got the show’s general election campaign coverage up and running on Monday night. Literally.
To the opening bars of Here I Go Again by Whitesnake, Maitlis appeared with her whippet in tow – sporting its own red vest (clothing doesn’t indicate political persuasion, it is assumed) – promising to “ditch the traditional battle bus” and breathlessly turn the run up to the May election coverage into a marathon.
Monkey senses the hand of Newsnight editor and former Guardian deputy editor Ian Katz – a keen jogger, sorry … runner, in the modern parlance.
It also marvelled at Maitlis’s ambitions to conduct campaign coverage while running through the streets from “coastal paths to industrial estates and everything in between”.
The segment launched with Maitlis bringing Ipsos-Mori to Watford, to jog through the political potential for the constituency she described as a classic marginal.
The pollster came in the form of good sport Ben Page, dressed less fittingly than Maitlis in beige corduroy trousers and shoes, to jog on while talking vote swings, political bellwether status for Watford and whether or not others might sign up for the latest BBC interview technique to keep them out of breath and puffing.
The often puffed-out presenter promised future segments would see politicians run alongside her while they ran for office – Monkey is particularly looking forward to her encounters with Eric Pickles and John Prescott.
Maitlis is also asking running club reps to tweet her if they wanted to join in. The Watford Running Sisters joined Maitliss on her inaugural outing, because they meet every week to talk politics on the hoof “and put the world to rights”, apparently.
Monkey is hoping Russell Brand, a Newsnight regular for all sorts of reasons old and new, will recreate the love of running he portrayed in Get Him To The Greek.
Who would you like to see join Maitlis for her new segment? Let us know in the comments below.
