Matthew Norman



Profile:


Full name: Matthew Norman

Area of interest: Politics, Media, Sport

Journals: The Independent, Evening Standard, The Daily Telegraph

Email: [mailto:m.norman@independent.co.uk m.norman@independent.co.uk]

Website: Independent.co | Telegraph.co

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Career: Evening Standard: journalist, columnist; Daily Mirror: columnist; The Guardian: political diarist, 1995/2004; The Sunday Telegraph: sports columnist, 2005/2006; The Independent: political and media columnist, 2004- (concurrent with) Evening Standard: sports columnist, 2006- Current position/role: The Independent: Political and Media columnist; Evening Standard: Sports columnist


 * also writes/written for: The Guardian: Restaurant critic (archive)

Other roles: The Spectator: contributing editor, 2006-

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Disclosures:

Viewpoints/Insight: This is my last Diary, and after nine years you will readily imagine the agonised internal debate that has raged as to how to say farewell - The Guardian, 11th June 2004

TV/Radio:

Controversy/Criticism: Spurs ban Standard, by Steve Cording, Evening Standard, 28th August 2007

Awards/Honours: British Press Awards Columnist of the Year, 2008

Other: Married to Rebecca Tyrrel and is a feature of her column 'Days like those'; A lifelong Spurs fan



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Articles: 2011

 * and John Bercow: A panto couple who strayed into Parliament'' - Sally Bercow's strip-and-tell surely means curtains for a fairy-tale fiasco - 5th February
 * Open 2011: Whisper it not, but Andy Murray has a chance'' - A Grand Slam title for a British tennis player is within touching distance - 29th January
 * dinner party that went up in smoke'' - We didn't need the emergency services – but they arrived anyway - 22nd January
 * you are an MP now, so act like one'' - Miliband the elder should stop hawking himself about and clock in at work - 15th January
 * won the Ashes? What was I on?'' - There’s an air of dreamlike unreality to our stunning victory over Australia - 8th January



Articles: 2010

 * Assange is a glamorous hero – for now'' - The WikiLeaks founder's image depends on the credibility of his supporters - 18th December
 * feud has more fire than the Ashes'' - The Botham-Chappell animosity shows the true essence of sport - 11th December
 * curious case of what Katie didn’t do next'' - Radio 4 listeners will be denied a real festive treat, suggests Matthew Norman - 27th November
 * a major flaw in David Cameron’s plan for national happiness'' - Ken Dodd’s not a peer and this isn’t Knotty Ash - 20th November
 * country needs you – and your vases'' - The Chinese economy is set to subsume all in its path. Time to wise up - 13th November
 * sporting fix I've come to love and hate'' - Sport’s ability to inspire us is matched only by its ability to infuriate - 6th November
 * midterm elections 2010: The wingnuts may be the President's salvation'' - Surely Barack Obama could not lose in a showdown with Palin - 30th October
 * Factor: We are all Cowell's Children now'' - It's a fake festival of musical mediocrity, but not to watch X Factor is a form of self-ostracism - 26th October
 * you heard the one about Nick Clegg?'' - The Lib Dems aren't laughing at the PM's favourite joke any more - 23rd October
 * laughter is all we’ve got left'' - It isn’t the BBC’s business to stop comedians from causing offence - 16th October
 * Factor 2010: Why are we crying? Because Simon Cowell says'' - Whether from emotion or disgust, we all weep at 'The X Factor’ - 9th October
 * feet have got no rhythm, George Michael'' - Hopefully a jail term will restore George Michael's powers - 18th September
 * a farce whichever Miliband brother wins the Labour leadership'' - The Opposition's leadership contenders are such a talentless bunch - 14th August
 * am I bid for a bit of John Prescott?'' - The trade in celebrity body parts seems to know no bounds - 31st July
 * Blair is a saint for helping the needy rich'' - Mrs Blair was merely performing an unpaid kindness in Albania - 24th July



The Independent: 'Politics'
Column remit: Political affairs

Section:

Role: Political commentator

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:m.norman@independent.co.uk m.norman@independent.co.uk]

Website: Independent.co / Matthew Norman

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Day published: Friday

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Articles: 2011

 * prescription is an epitaph'' - The Chancellor starts to look like a brutally arrogant oncologist - 2nd February
 * the tornado, Murdoch will still be left standing'' - So here we are enjoying another wild ride on the crazy, crazy merry-go-round - 26th January
 * will out for Coulson and Blair...'' - ... but don't hold your breath - 19th January
 * hope Alan Johnson doesn't get asked about stamp duty'' -The mood music at which Johnners can excel is important - 12th January



Articles: 2010

 * very clever twit – and a proud man'' - By the narrowest of margins Vince Cable's political neck has, for now, avoided being placed in a noose - 22nd December
 * sacking must surely be on Cameron's Christmas list'' - The autocratic Mrs Thatcher would have fired Clarke in an instant - 15th December
 * back Westminster's Barbra Streisand'' - The public may not love Mandy, but they respect his intellect - 24th November
 * isn't what we expect from our monarchs'' - I can't imagine Kate Middleton having the captain of the England rugby team smuggled into Kensington Palace in the boot of a car - 17th November
 * did this wastrel ever find his way to the White House?'' - Bush has the self-awareness of a bison - 10th November
 * Widdecombe, the prisoners' pin-up. Who'd have thought it?'' - Thanks to 'Strictly', she has left Michael Howard in the nocturnal darkness - 3rd November
 * Johnson is just the man for the battle Labour must fight'' - Ed Miliband has done little wrong as leader, and one crucial thing right - 27th October
 * next, trigger-less rifles?'' - Here’s a suggestion for the Secretary of State. Good doctor, turn the aircraft-less carriers into museums themed on our imperial past. In spirit, that’s what they are anyway - 20th October
 * Topshop style'' - The state can hardly be seen to send suppliers into receivership by staunching their cash flow - 13th October
 * the masochist tendency'' - For all the whiff of born-to-punish superiority that clings indeliby to the Chancellor, this is a politician of a selflessness that verges on the uncanny - 6th October
 * Balls or Yvette Cooper? Balls to the both of them'' - Ed Miliband must frustrate the ambitions of his party's power couple - 3rd October
 * time may yet come'' - Could Barack Obama conclude that an old enemy is better placed to safeguard America from Republican madness, and walk away with dignity, as well as relief? - 29th September
 * helluva scary witch'' - A return to the subject of the Tea Party's Christine O'Donnell seems less a temptation than a moral imperative - 22nd September
 * the US comes a nasty whiff'' - The misfortunes of others being the greatest solace in gloomy, scary times, God bless the United States of America! - 15th September
 * is the only real man in Labour race'' - With the exception of Diane Abbott, this has been the Castrati Election - 1st September
 * who knows better about social mobility?'' - Promoted to the Cabinet in the misapprehension that he is the grandson of Jackie Milburn, whom Mr Tony Blair saw at St James's Park while a foetus, Wor Alan is an inspired choice - 16th August
 * zenith of our celebrity culture'' - Even Radio 4 could summon the strength to lead bulletins with the trial only once Campbell made her way to The Hague - 12th August
 * now, do try to keep it clean, Nadine'' - Troublesome as BP has found stopping that Gulf of Mexico gush, David Cameron may find it harder to staunch the flow from the honeyed mouth of Nadine Dorries - 9th August
 * an enigma instead of a leader'' - One minute the President is a cool, aloof sophisticate. The next he strikes a tone of synthetic moral outrage - 4th August
 * wonder Nick's poll ratings are plummeting'' - With any potentially transformative national event, our guide is the Chinese communist who, asked about the impact the French Revolution almost two centuries later, said it was too soon to tell - 2nd August
 * needs another Dave'' - With David Miliband as Labour leader, Mr Clegg would be a happy self-auctioneer - 28th July
 * the carping and give volunteering a go'' - Get Pickles cleaning bins, Fox delivering babies, May counselling prostitutes, and Osborne wallpapering care homes in Tatton. We know they're busy. That's the point - 22nd July
 * least inspiring contest ever'' - Will this apology for a Labour leadership campaign never cease? - 14th July
 * the benefits scrounger'' - There generally comes a point in the life of the addict when self-deception becomes unsustainable - 7th July
 * step that should have been too far'' - Even those of us who sniffed the Lib Dems' distant death on the first breeze of coalition must today be gagging - 30th June
 * football says about a country'' - It is not the fear of losing that does them in. It's the fear of winning - 18th June
 * and the memoirs'' - The traditional adverb to descibe the haste with which the newly box-deprived are scrambling to burden bookshelves is 'unseemly'. It doesn't go far enough - 9th June
 * Maj has rarely made me happier'' - Has ever a nation gazed upon its sovereign and murmured "Gawd bless you, Ma'am" as reverently? - 26th May
 * at war – it's a Jewish thing'' -Ed shows the appetite for conflict that is essential in an Opposition leader - 19th May
 * Clegg. Damned if he did...'' - From the moment that exit poll proved anything but a rogue, the Lib Dem leader was lost - 12th May
 * had our chance, and we blew it'' - We have been every bit as smug and apathetic as the politicians - 8th May
 * Gordon, the torment will be over'' - The Prime Minister has been as complex and compelling a psychological study as any politician in my lifetime - 5th May
 * Blinky consign Labour to history?'' - If Ed Balls has a political philosophy, it is the domineering, top-down, we-know-best infantilising statism of Gordon himself - 28th April
 * on Dave, don't be chicken'' - This wondrously unpredictable election campaign has its first incontestable winner - 21st April
 * Clegg must move in for the kill'' - With this election, ignorance truly is bliss. Not only does nobody have a clue how it will evolve, but for once no one even pretends to have a clue. And it's wonderful. The combat sport of politics has become hugely exciting, and that's change we can all believe in - 21st April
 * the geriatrics wot will win the Ovaltine Election'' - This is not a young country, but a very old one that is feeling its age more than ever - 31st March
 * charming symmetry of latest New Labour scandal'' - Small wonder if Tony Blair quivers like a malaria victim who has lost his quinine - 24th March
 * have thought Cameron had learned from Blair's past'' - The message is that leadership by tiny clique, besides poor, is wildly unpopular - 17th March
 * stoppable force and a moveable object'' - Post-election mayhem is now the most promising outcome - 10th March
 * would Foot have made of it now?'' - He was the last great bridgehead to an age when politicians fought for their beliefs - 5th March
 * magnificent in the sufferings of Brown'' - Gordon is no bully. The primary victim of his unsuitedness to be PM is himelf - 24th February
 * Gosling – the voice of humanity'' - The broadcaster has committed a noble act of civil disobedience - as well as of mercy - 17th February
 * and cuckolder – the perfect England captain'' - We should quit moral high ground and let John Terry get on with being captain - 3rd February
 * always a pariah'' - The former PM will never escape the verdict of the court of public opinion - 27th January



Articles: 2009

 * is a terrible reverse, but don't write off Obama'' - There is discontent about the US economy. But that is expected to improve dramatically - 21st January
 * will take more than Chilcot to nail Campbell'' - As the warm-up man for Tony Blair, he was perfect - 13th January
 * needs bringing to life. This might do the trick'' - A TV debate makes the next election even more fascinating and hard to call - 23rd December
 * up children shames us'' - The lasting damage caused at Yarl's Wood is apparently not our problem - 17th December
 * about a supertax on Blair?'' - The ex-PM mirrors the bankers in seeming to be rewarded for poor judgement - 10th December
 * vs Mercy: the impossible conflict behind Demjanjuk's trial'' - The question is not whether he's guilty, but if justice is served by trying him now - 3rd December
 * on Palin St'' - It is her status as the apotheosis of reality televison that explains her popularity - 26th November
 * wonder the Queen raised an eyebrow while she read it'' - She may not be a genius but she's clever enough to know that she's parroting gibberish - 19th November
 * is a God'' - He has no need to play God. On Greek mythological lines, he is one - 12th November
 * Johnson - addicted to power'' - The Home Secretary has become dependent on something very nasty - 5th November
 * it time Gordon Brown was put out of his misery?'' - Everything this reverse Midas touches turns to plutonium - 29th October
 * all the New Labour toadies, Jack Straw must be the worst'' - His entire career is a gruesome paradigm of the enfeeblement of Westminster politcs - 23rd October
 * Jan Moir, I'm nearly lost for words'' - Diary: Even by Mail standards, Jan's censoriousness is astonishing, and the instant response has been spectacular - 19th October
 * of the best is just what they needed'' - The dunces who are our MPs still cannot grasp that they have been naughty - 15th October
 * gamble might just pay off'' - The shadow chancellor trusts the public's realism about the pickle we're in - 8th October
 * perfect New Labour scandal'' - It's as an unwitting yet talented seamstress that I'll remember Baroness Scotland - 24th September
 * should be praised not banned'' - They contribute many billions more to the economy than they take in healthcare - 17th September
 * for months of dreary torture (and pass the pills)'' - The script for the period between now and the next election is already written - 10th September
 * Brown sinks, Mandelson rides the crest of a wave'' - Mamma Mia, there he goes again - 6th August
 * insanity and enduring racism of the American right'' - The Republicans now make the Tories at their worst seem achingly inclusive - 30th July
 * sycophancy and hostile action over Afghanistan'' - George Foulkes may be the most hilarious courtier that even New Labour has produced - 23rd July
 * herder Gordon has lost his tribe'' - Leaders prefer to populate the cabinet farmyard almost exclusively with sheep - 16th July
 * handed down in tabloids of stone'' - Not since Captain Renault told Rick “I am shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here”, as he collected his roulette winnings in Casablanca, has there been anything like it - 13th July
 * might be crazy, but could she end up in the White House?'' - Palin should have said she was giving up politics to spend less time with her family - 9th July
 * where is our Chancellor hiding?'' - He seems to be intent on going down as the biggest pussy ever to hold an office of state - 2nd July
 * Prince and his indulgent public'' - We seem to have outgrown the idea that royals are crucial to our sense of self-worth - 25th June
 * can see it now: 'President Blair''' - A new EU post is so perfectly suited to the former PM that it makes you wince - 18th June
 * Sugar will see you now Gordon'' - With Esther on the electoral rampage and Fiona Phillips feeling vindicated at rejecting the offer of a government job, who'd have guessed that the first beloved TV figure to make the political breakthrough would be Alan Sugar? - 8th June
 * are witnessing a very British form of anarchy'' - There is only blind panic and frantic plotting by members of a headless party - 4th June
 * a written constitution will do'' - In the constitutional context, 'unwritten' is the euphamism for 'non-existent' - 28th May
 * need a Speaker elected by the people for the people'' - It says much about the Commons' sunken state that there isn't a compelling candidate - 21st May
 * hail Heffer, the new Oliver Cromwell'' - The last time the House of Commons sank so low, a Hercules came forth from the east to muck out the stables ... but could it happen again? I refer to my friend Simon Heffer. Many cracking pieces about MPs' expenses have been published in recent days, but few have matched Simon's work in The Daily Telegraph for clinical, laser-directed wrath - 18th May
 * must seize the moment to demand a written constitution'' - Not for the first time, but more now than ever, I commend to you V For Vendetta - 14th May
 * we'll all miss Jacqui Smith'' - Her decision to ban a US shock jock demands yet another Home Office dunce's cap - 7th May
 * Lib Dems may miss their chance'' - What a masterstroke if Clegg declared that he was ready to swap jobs with his deputy - 1st May
 * lend me your smears'' - In journalism, as elsewhere, the ability to hold one's nerve underfire is a rare quality, and must never be allowed to pass uncommended - 27th April
 * police fiasco to divert attention from the last one'' - The Pakistanis haven't been released but held for deporting - 24th April
 * outrage counts for nothing'' - Fury at politicians is a noble emotion, and a moral imperative. But it won't change things - 2nd April
 * haunted PM, marooned on fantasy island'' - Not since Howe launched his cricket metaphor have we seen such an attack - 26th March
 * of the class, Mr Lammy'' - The higher education minister displays a psychosis-inducing complacency - 19th March
 * suffer contempt from all sides'' - Protests against the military are shameful. But the Government's conduct is no better - 12th March
 * us into the 51st state? Why not?'' - The upsides of the UK becoming part of the US would more than dwarf regrets - 5th March
 * fear even Obama can't save Brown'' - It's hard to imagine what the PM can tell Congress that won't sound absurd - 26th February
 * patients are always ‘brave’...'' - ... In Jade’s case, it’s true - 19th February
 * says there's no use for Gordon?'' - The PM has turned into a human landfill site for his party's toxic perceptions - 12th February
 * Carol – you just don't get it'' - Ignorance is no defence and those who defend her only show their own ignorance - 5th February
 * save our anger for real scandals'' - There's a sickness far more threatening than alleged avarice in Westminster - 29th January
 * after all that, did Bush ever really have any convictions?'' - Term ends without him leaving any impression of what he believes - 15th January
 * world-beaters when it comes to sporting incompetence'' - The ECB boost Australia's morale - 8th January



Articles: 2008

 * threw shoes at Brown – but his guilt is still undeniable'' - The Prime Minister shares in the responsibility for the crime that is Iraq - 18th December 2008
 * takes a rich man to pour such scorn on the poor'' - As the disability defiant Churchill would agree, an army must carry its wounded - 11th December 2008
 * written constitution is the answer'' - Jacqui Smith is Brown’s lightning rod when it’s the PM we should be frazzling - 4th December 2008
 * how liberalism's enemies embrace it when they need it - Jon Gaunt now lionises the very human rights he has derided for so long - 27th November 2008 (see: Humbled by support of old 'enemy' Shami'' - Jon Gaunt - The Sun - 28th November 2008)
 * can't afford mistakes. But nor can he play it safe'' - The Tory leader is walking a tightrope without the flimsiest of safety nets - 20th November 2008
 * you want your child to share America's moment'' - I tried to explain to the 11-year-old why we were moved to tears - 6th November 2008
 * to the BBC: stay calm in a crisis'' - The Ross/Brand episode isn't edifying. But nor is it a matter for prime ministers - 30th October 2008
 * possessed Osborne to pick a fight with Mandelson?'' - This is Westminster's answer to Stendhal Syndrome - 23rd October 2008
 * home Lord Mandy'' - It might be Awakenings, with Gordon reviving the narcoleptics - 16th October 2008
 * tragedy of this flawed hero'' - For one whose single rhetorical flourish is the gratingly incessant appellation "My friends", John McCain has very few left - 10th October 2008
 * you're a joke, you're doomed'' - The most lethal warhead in the anti-politician armoury is humour not hatred - 3rd October 2008
 * you want politics with real drama, look to America'' - The presidential debates represent the purest distillation of democracy there is - 25th September 2008
 * back to the Treasury, Gordon'' - Imagine the impact if the PM quit in order to return to the job he does best. What’s he got to lose? - 18th September 2008
 * are the police allowed to be a law unto themselves?'' - The problem is that we have no clue what the force is up to, and no mechanism to find out - 11th September 2008
 * would be better than Brown – even Kerry Katona'' - The mystery is why enough doubt persists for Charles Clarke to feel obliged to launch another Exocet - 5th September 2008
 * drama and democracy'' - Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention - 29th August 2008
 * life is destroyed. So why hound Gary Glitter?'' - 22nd August 2008
 * Cameron tackles the great unmentionable - 18th July 2008
 * Obama a belief-free zone? I don't believe so - 11th July 2008
 * Welcome back, Keith! We've missed you!! - 4th July 2008
 * An act of dispossession that shames Britain - 27th June 2008
 * Prepare for the second wave of Obamania - 20th June 2008
 * We are the world leaders in ineptitude - 13th June 2008
 * Has McClellan handed victory to Obama? - 30th May 2008
 * Courage is knowing when to stand down - 23rd May 2008
 * These petty buffoons who ruled over us - 16th May 2008
 * American democracy in all its filthy glory - 9th May 2008
 * Gordon has shown who's really in charge - 2nd May 2008
 * Another step on the road to disaster - 25th April 2008
 * Gordon must marry Lily (or possibly Keira) - 18th April 2008
 * So is Ed Balls ready for the big fight? - 11th April 2008
 * The warmest welcome for a tyrant-in-exile - 4th April 2008
 * The policy that shames our country - 28th March 2008
 * The audacity of treating voters like adults - 21st March 2008
 * Nick Clegg and the art of self-destruction - 7th March 2008
 * The only tears for Hillary are her own - 29th February 2008
 * Gordon just needs a good night's sleep - 22nd February 2008
 * Democracy's a bitch – and then you die - 8th February 2008
 * One law for MPs, another for the rest of us - 1st February 2008
 * Ken: a hideous hybrid of Blair and Brown - 25th January 2008
 * Why not let MPs go on strike for more pay? - 18th January 2008
 * From anti-apartheid hero to New Labour amnesiac - Sunday 13th January 2008
 * The Blairs and the Clintons: divided at last - 11th January 2008



The Independent: Media Diary
Column remit: Media issues

Section: Media

Role: Commentator

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:m.norman@independent.co.uk m.norman@independent.co.uk]

Website: Media/Matthew Norman

Commissioning editor:

Day published: Thursday

Regularity: Weekly

Column format:

Average length:



Articles: 2010

 * Huw saying, Fiona?'' - Hearty congrats to Fiona Bruce on her anointment (perhaps a poor choice of word in the context, as fellow piles-martyrs will agree) as 2010's Rear of the Year. Where this leaves Fiona's BBC colleague Huw Edwards is anyone's guess - 17th June
 * Jones, poster girl for Big Society'' - 20th May
 * at war – it's a Jewish thing'' - 20th May
 * Adam and Alastair show'' - 13th May
 * Cowell casts his vote'' - 6th May
 * Aussie rules for Trevor Kavanagh'' - 29th April
 * villainy of bewigged buffoons'' - 5th April
 * of little faith, hark the voice of the Vatican'' - Diary - 29th March
 * would Sigmund make of the Quake over the Cake?'' - 22nd March
 * puts herself on the line for Gordon'' - 15th March
 * take off that nightie, your Honour'' - 8th March
 * academic for high-minded Mr Coulson'' - 1st March
 * the revenge of the Sky News Ninja'' - 22nd February
 * see television as not-quite-crying game'' - 15th February
 * has a fight on his hands to rebuild temple of privacy'' - 8th February
 * now on ITV1, the utterly creepy Adam's family'' - 1st February
 * sorry tale of unrequited love and the Daily Mail'' - 25th January
 * bangs his old drum kit to another rhythm'' - 18th January
 * brickbats and bouquets'' - 11th January



Articles: 2009

 * justice be seen to complain?'' - 21st December
 * freedom, Black could be back'' - Please don't tempt fate by untying that yellow ribbon from the old oak tree ... but there is a sliver of a chance that Conrad Black will soon be out - 14th December
 * Mandy, you gave without taking'' - If heaven truly loveth a sinner that repenteth, the celestial choir must be singing endless hosannahs today in adoration of Peter Mandelson - 7th December
 * strange business on Cameron's doorstep'' - When David Cameron opened his front door and snippily berated the Daily Mirror reporter requesting his comment on its splash about how much he and colleagues will benefit from Tory inheritance tax policy, did he say: "You should try working for an independent newspaper" or "... The Independent newspaper"? - 30th November
 * contacts book may prove useful, Archie'' - Warmest congrats to ITV on finally concluding its thrilling quest for a new chairman. It’s been a blast these recent months, with a seemingly endless succession of giants touted for the job before vanishing from view - 23rd November
 * can be a bamboozling term'' - Reflecting on a week of unrelenting excitement even by his standards, an indelicate question poses itself about Rupert Murdoch. Is the old boy finally losing it? - 16th November
 * Fry affair was Twitter's first JFK moment'' - Which of us will ever forget where we were when we heard that Stephen Fry had resigned from Twitter? - 9th November
 * it a mutation or a melding of minds?'' - In a metamorphosis worthy of Ovid, new Spectator editor Fraser Nelson is rapidly mutating into his boss Andrew Neil - 2nd November
 * just the start for the David Brent of fascists'' - Never in the field of media endeavour, to adapt the man posthumously sequestered by the BNP, has so much tosh been written by so many about a single wretched nebbish - 26th October
 * a true giant among men'' - Outrage and distress are occupational hazards for those of us who follow the British media, yet I can't recall being quite so upset as I am today by the smearing of our overseer Ben Bradshaw - 12th October
 * U-turn embarrasses Labour'' - Oh the excruciation of a sense of entitlement betrayed. So many and varied are the delights to be savoured from Labour's reaction to The Sun's delicately timed transfer of support that picking a winner feels futile - 5th October
 * woman who can read out loud'' - 28th September
 * historian's excuse: 'I wasn't there''' - 21st September
 * out, Liz – even your colleagues are taking pot shots at you now'' - 14th September
 * grubby gardener’s game for a laugh'' - The tale of Alan Duncan and his not-so-secret gardener underpins the fast-emerging irony about the “surveillance society” - 17th August
 * Yum Yentob sings for his supper'' - After a mixed week for the BBC on the courage-under-fire front, a rousing thank the Lord for Alan Yentob - 10th August
 * the fingernail vs Cam the puppet'' - Here we go again. Every four or five years, without fail, the prospect of a live, televised election scrap between the party leaders is tantalisingly raised, and this time it might even happen - 3rd August
 * Desi's sword of truth'' - These are not words I expected to write without some potent psychotropic substance seeping through an intravenous drip, but Richard Desmond becomes a role model to us all - 27th July
 * BBC chief in need of media training'' - With concerns about BBC ageism intensifying all the time, the fear grows that director general Mark Thompson and trust chairman Michael Lyons will be retired before the fight over "top slicing" the licence fee is resolved - 20th July
 * polygraph test for pompous politicians'' - A spat between Ed Balls and The Spectator's political editor Fraser Nelson suggests a refinement to an old idea about how the media should deal with political whoppers - 6th July
 * to get ahead in hackery...'' - There are many compelling reasons to offer up what was known in her most memorable Sun headline to date (on the death of Dr Harold Shipman) as a rousing "Ship, Ship, Hooray" on Rebekah Wade's ascension to become News International's chief executive - 29th June
 * Shed a tear for the life of Brian'' - As the expenses aftershock continues to radiate, this seems a good moment to stand back and consider what the exes scandal tells us about this industry.Here I am indebted to Brian Binley, the Tory MP who contributed such a splendid piece to Friday’s Independent - 22nd June
 * happy union of Marx and Enoch'' - I am overjoyed to report not only that the neo-Cromwellian ambitions of Simon Heffer thrive, but that in pursuance of them he has formed potentially the most significant left-right axis Britain has known for more than 60 years - 1st June
 * TV Discard Party to clean up politics'' - Things move so quickly in neo-revolutionary Britain, but at the time of writing there is reckoned to be an 80 per cent chance that Esther Rantzen will shortly confirm her intention to contest Margaret Moran's Luton South seat - 25th May
 * last a rival for Humphrys and Paxo'' - The Sun last week devoted many pages to covering the subject of violence committed by women against their men folk. "I want society to understand domestic abuse DOES affect men," said Ian McNicholl, whose former partner has been jailed for seven years for maltreating him horrifically, on the front page - 11th May
 * catches cold as ‘Mail’ goes nuclear'' - The first Swine Flu Article of the Week award of doubtless many goes unreservedly to Christopher Booker in the Daily Mail for "Pandemic or Panic?" Catchily sub-headed "After Salmonella, Bird Flu, the Millennium Bug ... Should We Actually Be Scared This Time?" - 4th May
 * lend me your smears'' - In journalism, as elsewhere, the ability to hold one's nerve underfire is a rare quality, and must never be allowed to pass uncommended - 4th May
 * to stop these tantrums, Boris'' - With Boris Johnson continuing on the trail from journalist to Tory titan, as blazed by Winston Churchill, the thoughts turn to the transformed role in Conservative affairs played by the News of the World - 6th April
 * wounded educationalist such as Alastair would excel as an Etonian housemaster'' - On behalf of an old friend in urgent need of a proper job, I begin with a public appeal. Are you, or do you know, the head of one our leading public schools with a vacancy for the teacher of politics, media studies, modern languages, softly pornographic English literature, intelligence dossier précising or any of the other academic disciplines in which Alastair Campbell is known to excel? - 30th March
 * PCC is backing a new form of journalism – the living obituary'' - The author of a rave review of a restaurant that closed the day before it was published, I am well aware that lead times catch many of us from to time. Last Tuesday's Jade Goody tribute edition, replete with black border and "In loving memory" strapline, was rotten luck for owner Richard Desmond. Some might even wonder whether enticing potential purchasers with the promise of her "final words" should interest the Trade Descriptions boys - 23rd March
 * apprentice's guide to finding a scoop – lift a line from Wikipedia'' - 16th March
 * never really been the word when it comes to blood relatives'' - Every now and then, even those of us who prefer to leave other families to their own lunacy, judging that we have ample of that in our own, are obliged to take sides - 9th March
 * Government might deny it, but the Mail still delivers Labour's agenda'' - 2nd March
 * mad blog is balm for the anguished soul'' - In these irredeemably dismal times, all I can honestly do is ask you – beg you on all fours, in fact, hands grasping your knees in frenzied imprecation – to take advantage of the finest non-chemical upper available to humanity. I refer, of course, to Melanie Phillips’s Spectator website-hosted blog - 23rd February
 * watchdog bites back at toothless claim'' - It is with some distress that we turn to the unseemly spat between the Media Standards Trust and Sir Christopher Meyer, chairman of the Press Complaints Commission - 16th February
 * Carol... a victim of the age of the snitch'' - In any round-up of the Battle of Thatcher's Gob, a special mention in dispatches goes to The Times for sidestepping the lure of overkill on Friday with only the two pieces from non-white writers with personal insight as to why "golliwog" isn't as harmless as some insist - 9th February
 * the punchline and the joke's on you, Kelvin'' - Seemingly unconvinced by his boss Rebekah Wade's bullish Cudlipp Lecture (of which more below), Kelvin MacKenzie looks to diversify - 2nd February
 * everyone wants to buy British'' - The best of British to the Daily Mirror's drive to beat the slump by getting us all to Buy British - 19th January
 * as a war correspondent is plumbing the depths of journalism'' - In an enchantingly post-modern twist on Scoop, Joe the Plumber has been sent to Israel as a war correspondent by a conservative US web site - 13th January



Articles: 2008

 * Ed couldn't do the jolly banter'' - As the aftershocks from the seismic Stourton sacking continue to reverberate, an old friend dons his hard hat and skips among the rubble to consider the role played by class warfare. In the Daily Telegraph, Simon Heffer declares that Ed Stourton's poshness had nothing to do with it - 22nd December 2008
 * can't applaud the all-singing Sark satire'' - Sometimes, all you can do is scratch your head at people's inexplicable distrust of those with their own best interests in mind - 15th December 2008 (see: Sark general election, 2008)
 * of the Bangalore Express'' - 8th December 2008
 * lunch, Moore licence fee please'' - 1st December 2008
 * press complaints gone mad!'' - 24th November 2008
 * this the end of the Fox-Palin affair?'' - 10th November 2008
 * Pugh, Lyons, McGrew...'' - 3rd November 2008
 * sermon from Murdoch's pulpit'' - 27th October 2008
 * me kangaroo down, Sir, our Rolf is as British as Elizabeth Windsor'' - 20th October 2008
 * vanishes if you look in the Mirror'' - 13th October 2008
 * of the Newsnight soothsayer'' - I am increasingly obsessed by the work of that sleek transatlantic focus groupie Frank Luntz - 6th October 2008
 * the muddled kingmaker'' - 29th September 2008
 * last stand – or Nolly's folly?'' - 22nd September 2008
 * Marr's sketchy Big Bang slot'' - 15th September 2008
 * Heffer's guide to sexism'' - 8th September 2008
 * the hounding of Glitter must stop'' - 1st September 2008
 * An Olympian exercise in patriotism'' - 25th August 2008
 * So, Arthur Daley is back. Dolly good show! - 21st July 2008
 * Those who live in Gaunt houses... - 14th July 2008
 * Noel, Noel ... a saviour is (re)born - 7th July 2008
 * Brave Dave prepares for the putsch to topple the junta - 30th June 2008
 * A base slur on the blessed Shami - 23rd June 2008
 * Sit back and enjoy the freakshow - 16th June 2008
 * Will Fox come out of its lair and go where 'The Sun' already shines? - 9th June 2008
 * Whose eco-disaster is it, anyway? - 2nd June 2008
 * Murdoch's stand for human rights - 26th May 2008
 * Campbell's chance for closure... - 19th May 2008
 * ‘This year's Scam award goes to...’ - 12th May 2008
 * There's no stopping theWall Street shuffle - 5th May 2008
 * With friends like Alastair Campbell... - 28th April 2008
 * The mystery migrant scaremongers - 21st April 2008
 * Let's hear more of Witty's repartee - 14th April 2008
 * Osama: the musical? You first, Ben - 7th April 2008
 * Alas, poor Kelvin, we feel your pain - 31st March 2008
 * A time for prayer and contemplation - 24th March 2008
 * What a Dickens of a scriptwriter! - 10th March 2008
 * 'Mail' and Mad Mel save the planet! - 3rd March 2008
 * Oscars could be silent movie awards - 14th January 2008



Evening Standard:
Column remit: Sport and sport business analysis

Section:

Role: Commentator

Pen-name:

Email:

Website: Standard.co / Matthew Norman

Commissioning editor:

Day published: Monday and Friday

Regularity: Twice-weekly

Column format:

Average length:

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Articles:

 * got it wrong but that doesn't warrant a kicking'' - If golf is a game of millimeters, golf captaincy also turns on the tiniest of margins - 22nd September 2008
 * time for Levy to earn his Spurs with a transfer of power'' - 19th September 2008
 * famous Faldo focus could spell defeat for laid-back Europeans'' - 15th September 2008
 * time to wake up after Fabio's night from heaven'' - 12th September 2008
 * Murray holds all the aces against Federer'' - 8th September 2008
 * has a lot to answer for as football loses its soul'' - 5th September 2008
 * race shows our sporting lot are off the pace'' - 1st September 2008
 * we go again . . . a new season brings yet more chaos at the Lane'' - it remains Groundhog Day at White Hart Lane, the repetitive cycle that spins the club like once gorgeous but now grey and tatty lingerie in a washing machine - 29th August 2008
 * time we gave golden girl Ohuruogu credit she deserves'' - 22nd August 2008
 * face it, Bolt has run his rivals into the ground'' - 18th August 2008
 * minority golds is no substitute for major triumphs'' - 15th August 2008
 * of Olympic addiction is bringing tears of joy to my eyes'' - 11th August 2008
 * Drinking from the Claret Jug won't be so sweet this year - 18th July 2008
 * They may be pariahs but I am rooting for Dwain and Max - 14th July 2008
 * Frank has to decide whether to follow his principles or the cash - 11th July 2008
 * Peerless pair put Borg and McEnroe heroics in the shade - 7th July 2008
 * Nadal can rampage his way to being the game's greatest - 4th July 2008
 * I'm sorry, Germany, but proper justice was served - 30th June 2008
 * Andy gets our hopes up so that means it's high time to panic - 27th June 2008
 * Golf needs Tiger like King Lear has to have a monarch - 20th June 2008
 * New superstars will lose their harmony with fans - 16th June 2008
 * Giving the 'loony one' a free rein would be the sane thing to do - 13th June 2008
 * King Fed may never rule again after this humbling demolition - 9th June 2008
 * Blatter's numbers add up in fight for future of our game - 2nd June 2008
 * Please let it be any nation but Germany for glory at Euro 2008 - 30th May 2008
 * Watching Terry's trauma was an intrusion too far - 23rd May 2008
 * Drogba can have the final word in Moscow and save Grant's job - 19th May 2008
 * Battle of the unlikely lads is FA Cup Final to savour - 16th May 2008
 * Hats-off to Ferguson and United for another vintage campaign - 12th May 2008
 * Boring old Wigan are the most influential team in the league - 9th May 2008
 * Now Blues belong on the world stage after a night of raw drama - 2nd May 2008
 * History is on side of Grant as Blues look set to see off raiders - 28th April 2008
 * Mediocrity reigns again as BBC hand Mac the mic - 25th April 2008
 * It's sink or swim for Avram Grant as Blues dive into Red Sea - 21st April 2008
 * Ashton's axemen win rugby award for worst of a rotten lot - 18th April 2008
 * Wenger's refusal to spend has proved so costly for Arsenal - 14th April 2008
 * Wenger's youth plan requires a splash of old spice - 11th April 2008
 * Shameful echoes in Lord Coe's defence of Olympic hypocrisy - 7th April 2008
 * It's over for Max now that he is the butt of our jokes - 4th April 2008
 * Give praise to a French president who is not frightened to face facts - 31st March 2008
 * Hollow England need more than Becks running on empty - 28th March 2008
 * Title race bets are off as trio hit final furlong in dead heat - 18th March 2008
 * Enjoy romantic journey back in time while it lasts - 10th March 2008
 * Ashton's schoolboy error teaches a sobering lesson - 7th March 2008
 * Chelsea's Mr Chips has to say goodbye now the fun is over - 3rd March 2008
 * Tyson v Holyfield: a freak show but we'd all watch it - 29th February 2008
 * Let us all hope Juande's new dawn is the real deal - 25th February 2008
 * Tragedy of two lost souls abandoned by the game - 22nd February 2008
 * Wenger is setting the tone for Arsenal's distasteful petulance - 18th February 2008
 * This BOA constrictor must not be allowed to crush all opposition - 11th February 2008
 * The 39th step is one too far for game that sold out years ago - 8th February 2008

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Links:

 * The Spectator: articles