Did the Today programme really get through the entire morning without mentioning the polls, which see the Tories leading by 28 points on 52%? I wasn’t able to listen to it all, but I did catch Naughtie’s two way with their political correspondent, his interview with Prescott on the chances of Labour’s recovery and the news summary on the same topic, as well as the paper review: No mention. The website is doing no better. But can the Beeb really get through the day without giving the figures?
UPDATE: I have spotted a reference to the poll in the last paragraphs of this story. Of course, it’s a shame the Conservatives’ best polling in about 20 years doesn’t get a little higher up the story, and that the journo feels it necessary to balance the figures for those certain to vote (the normal headline figures) with the only slightly better ones for support among the general public – something none of the fuller accounts I linked to felt compelled to do. But, still, it’s better than Naughtie.
It appears the BBC are just going all out to spin for Nu Liebour.
You had fatso slapper shagger on Radio 4. We had Mr ‘Bog standard Comp’ on Radio 5.
Of course they can, opinion polls will be of no interest to the BBC unless they show a Labour recovery.
I was browsing the website, looking for the poll story, and came across this hilarious headline:
‘Soap abuse plot sparks complaints’
From two nuns in a bath, presumably.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7622019.stm
Sky News (not propped up with the Telly Tax) are able to report this poll:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Conservatives-Dominate-Poll-Tories-On-52-Percent-While-Labour-Trails-With-24-Percent/Article/200809315101824?lpos=Politics_News_Your_Way_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15101824_Conservatives_Dominate_Poll%3A_Tories_On_52_Percent_While_Labour_Trails_With_24_Percent
But al-Beeb, despite a dedicated politics page on their website, wishes to sweep polls under the carpet until there is a Labour recovery.
Bias.
Interestingly, a BBC News search reveals that the last time they led with a “Tory Poll Lead” story was Feb 2007.
I guess the sub-ed involved is still hanging in chains in the basement – and no-one has risked repeating the story since.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6400463.stm
Sky News did report the poll and then had Ken Livingstone on to tell us that everything was OK and that Gordon was going to win the next election.
………so thats Ok then.
Good. Nu Liebour have Captain idiot steering the Titantic and there is a fucking big Tory iceberg straight ahead.
“Full speed ahead” shouts McBean.
The BBC crew informs the passengers that there is nothing to fear and that the iceberg is just a figmant of their imagination.
Breakfast Time on BBC 1 did mention the poll, but said simply (with a hint of a sneer) that it showed the ‘Tories’ were as popular as in Margaret Thatcher’s time.
Not a mention of 28 points. Or 52.
That, in my book, is deliberate, dishonest bias.
Opinion polls not only measure public opinion they also influence it. A bad result for a political party almost always leads to a further drop in support. Labour would be delighted to keep such bad news out of the headlines, and the BBC duly obliges. Sky featured it as their second story. The BBC rarely if ever reports polls showing just how badly Labour is doing, it can’t be anything but a deliberate effort to keep the public ignorant and to please their political favourites. Anyone relying on the BBC, which has the biggest news department of any broadcaster, would be totally unaware of this poll.
Just what is the point of BBC News?
Why would they mention this crushing poll when the top politics story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/default.stm
should obviously be this 73-word bit of spin and attaching blame to everyone but Gordon~:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7623053.stm
Didn’t he have enough time as Chancellor to “clean-up the financial system”?
Oh that’s rich. al Beeb buries the poll at the bottom of a Prescott story. Knowing that most people will not read about that clown.
The pain that must be felt at the Beeb about now, is so transaparent that it’s feckin hilarious!
I heard Prescott this morning. He reminded me of Prof. Stanley Unwin.
In the dim and distant past, I remember the BBC used to do a regular “Poll Watch” summary of polls. However since the BBC decided the polls were no longer favourable to their biased point of view, this useful feature appears to have been dropped.
Paul C: Yes, the regularity and detail of the poll-watch column withered as Labour’s ratings fell – until it eventually disappeared. I am working on a statistical model to put a precise figure on the correlation.
Also it’s noticeable that the BBC’s (moronic) rule that it won’t lead a news item with poll results was only introduced in recent years: I’d be interested in finding out the date it was introduced to see how well this coincides with Labour’s mid-term blues.
Ben: Snap!
No sign of the Poll on what I heard of PM; there was fantastic Traktor Production news about MRSA, though. All hail, NuLabour!
Martin: don’t forget, the iceberg can’t be there because it has melted due to all that nasty, vile, man-made CO2.
hang on a moment, what’s that scraping sound….
Radio 5 did a piece this morning on the “woes facing David Cameron”
I am not joking.
It contained some bloke moaning about the Conservative stance on the EU.
I would have thought Dave would have been a woe free zone for most of the day after seeing those polls !
Not in BBC land.