I know he's not to everyone's taste, but I am a big fan of Jeremy Paxman's combative style of interviewing. His most infamous encounter probably remains his inquisition of Michael Howard over the dismissal of the prison service chief, Derek Lewis.
I have in fact been subject to a Paxman grilling myself: when I was a researcher at the BBC and we were rehearsing for the through-the-night 2001 general election programme, I spent several weekends sitting on the set, playing a series of politicians in mock interviews with Paxman and David Dimbleby, which was quite an experience, I can tell you. It certainly taught me that you need to be extremely well briefed before submitting yourself to that treatment on live television.
And that's a lesson which Employment minister Tony McNulty learnt the hard way on last night's Newsnight. Asked by Paxman whether or not the Government's latest announcement on apprenticeships was new or a reannouncement, he was forced to admit that he simply didn't know. Watch the clip below.
