The CBI must have a hot-line to Number 10. As we prepare to have the awful truth about shrinking GDP in our ailing economy unveiled today, the BBC have been able to slip in the news that the CBI are pretty sure that the worst is now behind us, so ameliorating the awfulness of the current economic position. Ask any small to medium-sized businessman if he agrees with that – because the BBC sure as hell won’t! No, they prefer to use the CBI as the alleged authentic voice of UK business and the CBI is singing from the same hymn book as Brown/Darling. It seems that each time bad economic news is announced we now have the CBI popping up to say that although it’s not good, it’s getting better all the time. Why can’t the BBC seek out broader business opinion on the state of our economy? Simple – it only ever asks the opinion of those who will provide the acceptable answer. The narrative is clear – green shoots are everywhere if ONLY you look hard enough. Pathetic.
IT’S GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME!
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No: the CBI did not say that the worst is over, they said that the pace of decline is moderating slightly (i.e. it had been falling off a cliff, it’s now just rolling uncontrollably down a steep slope). For the BBC to interpret this statement as “the worst is over” is pure unadulterated pro-government spin. The CBI did not say that. The BBC are lying to us again.
Martin C,
Fair comment but the BBC seem to have an aversion to the Federation for Small Business. I am sure we know why.
Back in the good old days the Beeb used to have the Institute of Directors give its take on government economic policy. No more – too anti-Labour I guess.
Ryan
As a member of the IoD I can tell you that far from being anti-Labour the bureaucrats who run the IoD have been staunchly in the Labour and statist camp even before Ruth Lea was slung out in 2003 by George Cox. Lea has gone on from there but Cox has slimed his way up the greasy pole reserved for so-called “businessmen” and has gone comprehensively native in the Labour interest.
Also I would recommend that you peruse Director, the IoD’s monthly journal. This has become a propaganda sheet for “sustainability” (at taxpayers’ expense) and a cheerleader for “social entrepreneuship” (at taxpayers’ expense). The IoD’s members are members because the IoD provides networking opportunities, a meeting place in central London and a decent library. As for the IoD being a representative for those in commerce or SME wealth creators, forget it!
Umbongo
As you say – after Ruth Lea left – the only a clear voice speaking for British business – the only real benefit of the Inst of Directors is the lovely clubhouse in Pall Mall opposite the Atheneum !
David, I run a small business and I haven’t seen any decline in sales whatsoever in the past year. The very opposite in fact. Business has gone through the roof. But I’m sure that has everything to do with my marketplace and little to do with me being a freeloading public schoolboy funding business from other peoples money, the banks and government handouts. Businesses like that deserve all they get. No loss.
The problem with the bbc, even if they weren’t biased, which of course they are, is that they are so out of contact with reality, that they probably actually believe that the CBI, rather than the FSB, are representative of most businesses !
The CBI did not say that. The BBC are lying to us again.
Martin C | 24.04.09 – 9:39 am
The Times also have the same quote from the CBI, so they must have said it.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article6130457.ece
The BBC said something similar about the recent report by the renowned Item Club. I must say I can’t understand how things getting worse more slowly can be interpreted as having the worst behind us, but then Newspeak is getting more & more common.
Don’t forget that it was the CBI that stated they ‘preferred foreign workers to lazy Brits’.
That’s all I need to know about these scumbags.
The CBI used to be the Federation of British Industry (FBI) before the war, and took a veryy tolerant view of Herr Hitler. As the CBI it hasn`t changed much, being very pro EU .
Dont forget though, that these trade organisations, like the Road Haulage Association (RHA), the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the NFU are run by an admin class as close to the frontline of business as the BBC is.You only have to read their press releases and journals to realise they think that the world of work is done at dinner and award events.