Further to Natalie’s post on this subject, yesterday’s (Tuesday 20JUL04) BBC One O’Clock was the usual lightweight, right-on stuff. Stephen Sackur reported on the new session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. It was mostly filler – mention of the new Spanish something or other, the translation service, new member states, 480 language combinations, Tower of Babel (not a), etc., with the report closing as follows:
“But not everyone finds the new bigger European Parliament refreshing. UKIP now has eleven MEPs and already they’re stirring controversy. This their man on the women’s committee”
This was voiced over a clip of Robert Kilroy-Silk swallowing a sip of water, then we cut to ‘Godfrey Bloom MEP UKIP’:
“No self-respecting small-businessman with a brain in the right place would ever employ a lady of child-bearing age. That isn’t politically correct, is it? But it’s a fact of life, I know, because I run a business”
Sackur then wraps up the report with the banal:
“That isn’t going to go down well here. The temperature inside this parliament could rise quickly.”
And that was it – back to Anna Ford. Bloom didn’t look like he was being formally interviewed – he looked more like he was inadvisedly ad-libbing at large with an apparently friendly journo, as if waiting for something else, while the camera just happened to be rolling. Whatever, even if he was aware he was being filmed for broadcast, no other information or context was given for the point he was trying to make, right or wrong in this case, that excessive regulation can have unintended consequences.
yeah you’re right the beeb should have mentioned the bit about women spending more time “cleaning behind the refrigerator”.
Apparently one of Il Duce’s relatives gave the ludicrous buffoon a bit of a telling off.
Quite ironic really considering his political leanings.
Mr Tea
The BBC can have its cheap laugh. But the point was serious – too much interference by Brussels in labour laws makes it uneconomic to hire women – and therefore damages the employment prospects for women, especially in small and medium-sized businesses. And as the MEP pointed out, a lot of this type of legislation is framed by people who have never had a normal job, never worked in the real economy. But still want to impose new rules on UK business.
John I’m afraid its not the BBC having a cheap laugh. If the UKIP choose to be represented by an orange faced, tabloid TV star or in this case some bowler hat wearing clown then so be it.
I believe you have a point (I don’t agree with it mind you) however, if the best people to represent this case are these shameless self promoting nobodies, then Tony Blair wont be having any sleepless nights.
I think we see the bias of this site once again, as it’s not the BBC who are trivialising matters but rather the sad non entities championing these causes so they can get their faces on TV.
Perhaps we could get Michelle from Big Brother to stand for the UKIP, as I’m sure Godfrey Bloom would merrily have shagged someone under (or over) a table if he thought it get him the same amount of coverage …. are you listening Robert!
I think mr Tea is articulating what might be called the ‘uber’-BBC perspective. It’s the value judgement and presumption that this is a sad nonentity expressing outdated and minority views that makes BBC coverage so predictably dismissive, such that few bat an eyelid and people such as Tea feel they are on solid ground and are rather superior in defending them.
It would be a depressingly old argument to say that ‘joke’ coverage would not be extended to someone of, say, Mr Livingstone’s radical views- because they’re left-wing. Nevertheless it would be true to say it.
John, I completely agree with you. This argument is serious and the debate needs to be had. Bloom’s clip demonstrated that more eloquently than any bland commentary.
It’s obvious he was being interviewed, and he knew it, which is why he said it in such a succint, sound-bite.
The only problem here is Andrew over-analysing and picking more nits than a pregnant baboon. He really does like the sight of his own text.
Sad, he should get out more.
Oh dear, oh dear ‘Reith’.
Let’s get this straight: I wasn’t defending what Bloom said – just pointing out that his comment, as shown on the One O’Clock News, was offered with no context at all – not even a leading question or a preamble – just a Bufton-Tufton style buffoon spouting off.
As I said in my post, it is not clear that he was being interviewed for broadcast, but, even if he was, what we saw of it was quite clearly just a few seconds from a lengthy recording, carefully selected for effect.
Not every incident covered on this blog is bias – the question is – are these incidents, taken together, signs of BBC laziness, incompetence or bias? From this, those of us not on the BBC shilling like you, at least, can then deduce a pattern.
Andrew.
P.S. If you wish to indulge in personal insults, kindly ‘off and set up your own blog so we can return the compliment. And if you believe in integrity and in your own words, be honest enough to use your real name.
Hi Andrew
I think the issue here is that you presume Bloom, through the dark arts of “stealth editing”, has being taken out of context and in some way has been misrepresented.
I on the other hand possibly due to my “‘uber’-BBC perspective” (ed) think the man is an arse, (sorry it’s a bit early for witty invective). No amount of vaseline on the lens is going to soften up peoples view of this bigot. I’m actually shocked that UKIP allow this extremely silly person to represent them.
“If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…….”
The point the UKIP man was making isn’t ludicrous, but the BBC is so
totally business unaware they would think it was.
I run a small business, and if I can avoid recruiting young women I
do. Here’s the reason – they cost a lot more. If they take maternity
leave, I still have to pay a proportion of salary and also have to pay for a temporary replacement. If you try and make them redundant due to
a downturn in business, you have the costs of a court case. It’s just
too much hassle. Cost and risk in employment is a major consideration.
The comment about the fridge was a joke. UKIP are not professional
politicians remember.
The BBC response has been to avoid serious analysis & discussion.
The trouble is Bloom’s point was obscured by his shameless desire to be on television.
The BBC cannot be blamed for avoiding serious analysis as Bloom was clearly more interested in raising his profile than discussing the issues at hand. Perhaps he is hoping to oust the orange one from his position of poster boy for the basket cases.
It’s not the job of the beeb to make these people appear more plausible.
If UKIP are quite happy for some bumptious, jug eared, blowhard to be their spokesman on these issues then that’s their look out.
I think I would prefer my representative in Brussels to have had a lifetime’s experience in the real world of business and commerce, even if he is a “bumptious,jug eared blowhard” ,as opposed to a professional politician whose career path has been ;school,college,job as a political researcher,elected as a councillor,MP(failed)then put out to grass in Brussels.No experience at all of the world of work outside politics and a lifetime funded by the state,until the day he dies.
Fair point Dave though I reckon Bill Gates didn’t make his trillions by not employing talented individuals just because they might get pregnant.
I have no doubt Mr Bloom is a talented businessman it would have been refreshing if hadn’t come across as a parody but he did.
“I reckon Bill Gates didn’t make his trillions by not employing talented individuals just because they might get pregnant”
The issue here is small business, not unique mega corps like Microsoft who have always been in a unique position (since MS-DOS & their agreement with IBM).
The BBC attitude was not to take the matter seriously, or report the point being made accurately. I only found out what he had really said from ITN. The BBC was so busy sneering they failed to inform me.
My point being I’d rather have a forward thinking businessman in Brussels, someone who appreciates talent and drive, Gavyn Davies perhaps. Rather than some “send them up the chimneys” caricature
As for sneering If the cap fits:
” I am here to represent Yorkshire women who always have dinner on the table when
You get home”
What a moron.
I actually love people like him, just when the Tories are looking quite progressive, the UKIP wheel out this loon to split the vote and send everyone else back into the arms of Tony Blair.
It makes you wonder if Mandelson isn’t working him from behind…..
Tea
Bloom’s remark about cleaning behind the fridge was levity. The BBC magnified it to try to ridicule him. Probably so they could totally distort what he was saying about the serious disincentives to employing women.
By the way – Gavyn Davies was not a businessman. He was an economic adviser in the City. NOT an employer. And he seems to have been out of his depth as Chairman of the BBC, complacently failing to grill his management properly and getting all uptight about amour propre instead of dealing with the facts of the matter. nd railroading his Governors into a very serious error of judgment.