The very wonderful Jane Garvey is just too honest. Listen to her reminiscences (mp3) of May 2nd 1997, the morning after the Labour Party’s overwhelming election victory – from the Drive show of 10th May 2007.
Ah, well – I had been up for most of the night but I was doing this Five Live breakfast programme with our colleague at the time – it was a bloke called Peter Allen so – I had to get a bit of sleep, and I do remember I walked back into – we were broadcasting then from Broadcasting House in the centre of London – all very upmarket in those days – and the corridors of Broadcasting House were strewn with empty champagne bottles – I will always remember that (Allen laughs) – er – not that the BBC were celebrating in any way shape or form (Allen, laughing – ‘no, no, no, not at all’) – and actually – I think it’s fair to say that in the intervening years the BBC, if it was ever in love with Labour has probably fallen out of love with Labour, or learned to fall back in, or basically just learned to be in the middle somewhere which is how it should be – um – but there was always this suggestion that the BBC was full of pinkoes who couldn’t wait for Labour to get back into power – that may have been the case, who knows ? but as I say I think there’ve been a few problems along the way – wish I hadn’t started this now …
The mp3 gives you the full effect. Champagne socialists ? Hat-tips to Barnet Pete and al-dumbdown in the comments.
UPDATE – blogger (and B-BBC reader) Not A Sheep was first to pick up on Pete and dumbdowns good work.
There are some individuals in the BBC who went to work for the Tories. That does not contradict a corporporate culture working for Labor and further Left.
Does anyone know of BBC departments that are obviously pro-Right (however you define it) in the same sense that so much of the BBC is consistently pro-Left ❓
I once asked the same question of an A.B.C. acquaintance (Australian Broadcasting Commission ~ Oz equiv of BBC) and he answered the very influential Rural Broadcasting division.
BTW going to work for a political party is not the same as supporting it. Offer enough cash and incentives and most of us would work for the Devil. Offer no cash or incentives and most of us would not quit our jobs with the Devil or publicly criticize sin.
Can someone cite an example of a high profile BBC current affairs presenter going on holiday with a Tory politician the way that Kirsty “Villagate” Wark did?
Has any BBC news presenter made an on-air slip to a Tory politician saying “If we win the election…”?
Has any BBC presenter reminisced about empty champagne bottle on any BBC site after a Tory election triumph?
Unless such examples can be produced then the BBC is shown to be biased.
The way Reith tries to downplay this is laughable. Had Garvey made this slip about strewn bottles following a Tory victory you know Reith would have been all over it and gleefully highlighting right-wing bias.
The BBC is biased towards the left and Garvey’s gaffe proves it.
Anonymous:
“Has any BBC news presenter made an on-air slip to a Tory politician saying “If we win the election…”?”
I remember my father remarking that Cliff Mitchelmore, of the BBC’s “Tonight” programme, seemed to be obviously enjoying the Conservatives’ unexpected gains during the June 1970 general election.
Reith:
‘I do know, however, the views of many of them on specific issues that come up either in editorial meetings or over a drink…….’
Would that drink be a bottle of champers at Broadcasting House following an election.
> “Apart from anything else, has anyone had a job that allowed drinking of alcohol on the premises?”
Lucky Me! I worked in finance. We got to booze for free on quarterly results day.
Nice people, nice company, boring job
AntiCitizenOne | 15.05.07 – 8:55 pm
Unfortunately, being an electrician, getting p*ssed at work was always frowned upon in my industry.
In fact, it is a sackable offence.
Gary.
I’m afraid the ‘you can make a difference by how you vote’ doesn’t work for me.
My constituency has a massive labour majority, always has had as far as I know.
In fact for 2 decades and more I have had to put up with just about the worst MP in parliament, the appalling Claire Short.
People suffered and even died for my right to vote and I respect that so I always vote however I’m under no illusions my vote never makes a difference.
Don’t get me wrong I don’t want PR and rule by the smallest party and I don’t want to give any political party the power that comes from list systems.
For me we should have ‘alternative vote’ in every constituency, still simple, still local, still giving those independant of parties a hope, but giving us a chance to vote for someone but also ensuring that the one we do not want to get in is opposed.
Nick Reynolds (BBC) | 15.05.07 – 8:54 pm
I’m not sure what Reith means by “political allegiances”, but some political activity can be a problem.
I meant membership of a political party.
The Corporation’s Conflict of Interest guidelines explicitly allow this.
Anyone is entitled to be a member of a political party or organisation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/advice/conflicts/4politicalactiv.shtml
I remember well the morning of 2 May 1997. I then worked for a large engineering company. In the office we spent a few minutes discussing the election then it was back to work. Champers bottles strewning the corridors? Not a single one. Why? Because at the time most of us viewed the Labour victory as neither a good nor bad thing. We wanted, quite rightly I think, to wait and see what the new government did before viewing its election as being good or bad. And, of course, even if we had felt like celebrating, there was, also quite rightly I feel, no drinking on the premises allowed. I wonder who paid for all that champers at the BBC and why drinking was allowed there?
John Reith
“Anyone is entitled to be a member of a political party or organisation.”
And rightly so. Does that include the BNP?
Does that include the BNP?
No but I bet if you are an extreme Marxist that’s OK in BBC world.
I remember well the morning of 2 May 1997 too – and I could see the dark clouds gathering on the horizon. It was only a great day for champagne socialists – as is evident from the BBC staff.
Wonder who paid for the champers, bet it was the poor bloody licence payer
Since the BNP are a legal political party it’s perfectly possible for someone who works for the BBC to be a member.
But it’s extremely unlikely that they would get a job at the BBC – unless of course in a janitorial capacity.
Nick Reynolds (BBC) | 18.05.07 – 4:32 pm
Since the BNP are a legal political party it’s perfectly possible for someone who works for the BBC to be a member.
Nick, look, I don’t hold any candle for the BNP, but don’t come out with such utter posturing bollocks. The only reason the affable Tory Robin Aitken survived for so long in the institutionally Leftist Beeb is because he kept his trap shut until his departure date was visible on the horizon. The notion that a BNP party member would be tolerated among the ranks of the BBC is about as likely as Hamas employing a Jewish accountant.
But of course, you could go a little way to demonstrating that the BBC is as impartial as you imply by agreeing to meet up for an hour or so to go through documents proving that the controversy that “helped bring down the last Conservative Government” (The Conspiracy Files, BBC 2 TX 10.12.2006) was actually, at the very least, supported by lies and false submissions.
You come across as a reasonable person. So why don’t you show “John Reith” and “Hillhead” how a BBC staffer ought to behave upon being confronted with such a stark allegation of press corruption, relating as it does, as I’ve said, to the controversy that “helped bring down the last Conservative Government”?
(I bet you don’t reply)
P.S.
Or if you do, you don’t take me up on my offer.
I am replying Jonathan. But I’m afraid I am unable to meet you.
As for the BNP it is perfectly possible for someone who works for the BBC to be a member as they are a legal political party.
To Reith:
Thanks for your list of Tories that AT ONE TIME used to work at the BBC. It shows that there are two types of “Left” at the BBC.
“Left wing” and “left the building”