#26 The Sun, reported on R4

BBC Radio 4's Today programme promoted the newspaper slot to
the headlines when reporting that the Scottish Sun is supporting Sturgeon and the SNP, while the [rest of the UK] Sun is supporting the Tories.
The BBC's Scotland correspondent, Colin Blane reported at both 7o'c and 8o'c that the Southern Sun states "the Tories are the best bet for millions of ordinary people".
For the first time in my life, I bought a copy of the Sun today and the beginning and end of the piece are shown right.
Colin Blane is, I guess, innocent as a mere mouthpiece and will therefore be postcard-less, but he could have distanced himself by inserting a 'so-called'. Maybe a postcard to the editor [sent 2nd May].

Recycled Radio on Money

April 28th BBC R4 @ 23:58
This programme is a bundle of audio bits and pieces.
The chunk in question discussed the Glories of Capitalism and concluded that "the record of history is absolutely crystal clear that there is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system".

No identifiable culprit.

Manifesto Analysis

The Labour Party's manifesto uses the word 'people' 167 times, 'working people' 20 times and the word 'ordinary' only once, in the sentence "Institutional investors will have a duty to act in the best interests of ordinary savers".

The Conservative Manifesto: people = 159, working people = 5, ordinary = none.

The Liberal Democratic Manifesto: people = 167, working people = 2, ordinary = 1, but the sentence is, "Unfair votes, overcentralisation of decision-making, the power of patronage and the influence of powerful corporate lobbies mean ordinary citizens and local communities are too often excluded and sidelined in politics today".

UKIP's Manifesto: people = 81, working people = 1, ordinary = 1 in the sentence, "UK childcare costs are now the most expensive in Europe, and among the highest in the world. Costs can be crippling for ordinary families".

Plaid Cymru's Manifesto (bearing in mind I can only vouch for the English version): people = 47, working people = 26, ordinary = none.

The SNP's Manifesto: people = 85, working people = 0, ordinary = 4, all four in the phrase 'ordinary people'.

The Greens' Manifesto: people = 195, working people = 0, ordinary = 0.

#25 Tim Donovan

During each Sunday Politics there is a switch to local affairs and today (26th April) Tim Donovan introduced the London segment. Analysing Labour's offer in the coming election, he referred to "a promise to help more ordinary Londoners". 38 mins in.

Image from the broadcast.

OWP from Ken Capstick

21st April, BBC R4 @ 6.42, Ken Capstick of the Socialist Labour Party, discussing their policy of nationalising pension funds.

Image from Twitter.

#24b Farage and an OWP from Marco Biagi

17th April, BBC Radio 4's Today Programme reported the secondary leaders' debate in which Farage said "The gap between our career, professional political classes and ordinary people has never been wider". Timed at 1hr 13min in. Image from Google.

And on the 9am news following Today, Marco Biagi of the SNP hoped that they could "pull the Labour Party back to where the Labour Party used to be, the party for ordinary working people". Image from Twitter.

#24 Nigel Farage

Mr Farage has narrowly missed a postcard a couple of times on 4th March ('ordinary, decent working families') and 22nd March ('ordinary decent working people').

Launching UKIP's manifesto today, as reported on BBC Radio 4's PM, he said "ordinary people have been left behind and they've simply got no-one to speak for them". About 39 minutes in to the show.

Image from the UKIP web site, where it was added today.

#10b Bridget Kendall again, while James Naughtie and Justin Webb come close

A promising start to the day:

Bridget Kendall (#10) again reporting from Russia for BBC Radio 4 Today described the view of 'ordinary people'. 40 minutes in.

The Today hourly news headlines read by Webb (#16) at 7 o'c and by Naughtie at 8 o'c described Hilary Clinton's pitch for the presidency as aimed at 'ordinary Americans'. I guess that escapes censure. I note that for the 9 o'clock news the script changed to 'everyday Americans'.

A review in this week's Spectator by A.N. Wilson of Peter Brown's The Ransom of the Soul: Afterlife and Wealth in Early Christianity, describes an argument between Gregory of Tours and "one of his priests [who] believed that ordinary people did not have everlasting life'.

Rachel Reeves on Radio 4 PM referred to "small people and small businesses" - that's probably worse than 'ordinary'.

Ordinary people, extraordinary lovers

Nothing spotted on TV or radio today, but there is a sensible use of the phrase in a Sunday Times review of My Dear Bessie, WW2 love letters between Chris Barker and Bessie Moore. It sounds like an entirely pleasant book and I might buy one.

#22 & #23 James O'Brien and Will Self on Newsnight

Newsnight has a new Friday feature, James O'Brien and the Election Late Show. He introduced his slot, rather provocatively, as featuring "what the politicians still insist on calling ordinary people". I think the man wants a postcard.

One of the guests was Caroline Flint who has form, see 8th March and  15th March, but was clean on this occasion.

Will Self, however, 53 minutes in, contrasted the adversarial environment that politicians inhabit with that experienced by "ordinary people". Self is always good value and seems to invent a new word for every broadcast that turns out to be real. Tonight it was "fissiparous", 'inclined to cause or undergo division into separate parts or groups'.
He probably could have been forgiven because he was criticising politicians in comparison with OPs, but I'll send a card anyway, though it will have to go to his agent.

Image from the broadcast.

#17b Sturgeon again at the Scottish Leaders' Debate

Reported on Radio 4 Today programme at 7:16.

"I don't believe ordinary people across this country can afford further spending cuts ..."

Stugeon's first was on 30th March. This is the first award of a second postcard- Flint came close.

Image of the debate from The Guardian.

#21 Giles Dilnot on Daily Politics

Demonstrative reporter Giles Dilnot is touring the country for DP looking for "ordinary people who do extraordinary jobs". Today at the Aquarium in Plymouth.
The phrase was used 35 minutes in.

Image from the broadcast.

#20 John Wilson on Front Row

Slim pickings over easter, as Andrew Marr and Daily Politics both took a break.

Audio clip

But BBC Radio 4 arts programming has come to the rescue as John Wilson interviewed Peggy Seeger today. Discussing the radio ballads created with her late husband Ewan MacColl, Mr. Wilson commented 'ordinary people doing it ...' and the Great Peggy corrected him, "Well I don't like the term 'ordinary people' because I haven't found an ordinary person yet".

Quite so. The first instance of an interview participant picking up on the usage and who better to do so, a champion of real people.

Images from Radio 4.

I emailed a congratulatory note via Peggy Seegar's web site and her mail monitor replied,
Peggy says YEAAAAY!!!

Thanks, I.M.

Leaders' debate

I did not see all of the debate but only noticed one 'ordinary working people' from Farage.

#19 Arnie Somogyi

Jazz bassist Arnie Somogyi on BBC Radio 4 Extra, running a repeat of his travelogue, The Goulash Archipelago,

British jazz bass player Arnie Somogyi and his friend the Hungarian guitarist Zsolt Bende travel through the Carpathian mountains, only eating what they are given in exchange for playing their music.

I feel a little guilty at logging this one as he is so distant from politicians and journalists, but a broadcast is a broadcast and a broadcaster is a broadcaster.

Image from his web site.

No address available and so I tried to use the contact facility on the web site with the message,

"May I have your address to send a postcard to complain about your use of the phrase 'ordinary people' on Goulash Archipelago?
Regards, Nick"

But this was repeatedly rejected as spam. Fair point. No card.