Fanning the Flames (with Hugo Rifkind)
6/10/202635 min
Hugo Rifkind joins Armando, fresh from interviewing a highland cow, to discuss the phrase 'fanning the flames'.
Can a politician ever avoid politicising an issue? How is that different from weaponising? And does journalism have a role in fanning the flames, and prolonging political arguments?
Elsewhere, Armando explains the power of the power nap, Pete Hegseth conflates D-Day with immigration, and we ask if Keir's curse is having an eminently rhyme-able name?
Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound editing: Rich Evans Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter Executive Producer: James Robinson Recorded at the Sound Company
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
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Armando Iannucci· Host0:54
[gentle tone] [upbeat music] Hello, and welcome to Strong Message here from BBC Radio 4, a guide to the use and abuse of political language. I'm Armando Iannucci. I'm joined this week, once again, by Hugo Rifkind from The Times and Times Radio. Hello.
Hugo Rifkind· Guest1:14
Hello.
Armando Iannucci· Host1:14
Hello. We are gonna look this week at the phrase fanning the flames. I wonder what that's gonna lead to. The calculations politicians make about their deliberate choice of words and their readiness to charge their opponents with politicizing