So, Conservative Julie Kirkbride has fallen on her sword and will not seek re-election. On the One News the BBC has been covering this from the feminist angle on of just how difficult it is for “working mums” to get the work/life balance and also from the angle of how few female MP’s that Cameron will be left with. (Nice dig at the unrepresentative Tories, natch!) In addition, did you notice the way that Labour trougher Margaret Moran has been thrown to the media wolves just as Kirkbride hits the buffs. A good day to bury bad Labour news?
THE GENTLE TOUCH?
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Drop the gender issue BBC. We don’t care what sex they are as long as they are honest.
Same with ethnicity.
Look at how many senior black cops have crashed and burned recently.
We don’t care what colour you are as long as you are honest, understand and obey the traditions and conventions of this christian (small c)country, and do not seek to pervert the course of justice or throw your toys out of the pram if you don’t get what you want.
Simple really.
Radio 4 World at One concentrated on Julie for some minutes and then quickly slipped in the news about Moran and moved on to the next item !!!
as I keep saying in my blog, it is simply not good enough for the corrupt to slope off into a taxpayer funded retirment. We need the guilty punished just like anyone else.
the Beeb are giving undue emphasis to Krikbride, who should go no question, when Moran is so blatent in her corruption. Emphasis is all
Grant – Exactly, that is what I heard.
Anon126 and Dave,
Totally agree.
David 3:01
Of course if Moran had been a Tory and Kirkbride Labour, the BBC coverage would have been reversed.
It is pathetic, really !
Kirkbride leading as the patsy on BBC news 24 – nothing sbout the labour minister.
Lots of quotes from Dave but surprisingly no labour big hitter interviewed.
Just been listening to 5 Live on the way home.
Julie Kitrkbride led the news bulletin and we were told all about her and her husband’s ‘dodgy’ expense claims. We got the lot – double claiming, employing family members etc… Then we were told that Moran had also bitten he dust – her crime claiming for dy rot. And that was it – just one sentence of about 8 words – no mention about the dry rot being in her partner’s home, some 100 miles from Luton. No mention of the holiday home or using her position as an MP to help her partner’s buisness etc…
I didn’t think it was possible, but the BBC is getting even more biassed… don’t they care that jo-public is starting to twigg?
The World Service news break just reported Julie Kirkbride as “a prominent opposition MP”, just after announcing that Labour MP Moran would also stand down. Was she “prominent” before this?
David P. 5:21
I would in no way describe Julie as “prominent”. But she is a former journalist with the Daily Telegraph which partly explains the BBC venom.
So far as I know she has had no jobs outside journalism or politics.
The institutionally left wing BBC has been on and on about the Tories particularly Julie Kirkbride for days now with barely a mention of any Labour MP’s who have also been troughing big time.
It shows that the totally BBC is bias in its reporting and we can be sure that when we hear a news story done to death it will only be those referencing Tories, not Labour.
Nothing about Balls and Cooper, nothing about Smith, nothing about Purnell, nothing about many Labour or Lib/Dems, except a brief comment that Moran is going.
I had to laugh at the BBC and this feminist argument. Whenever a female in any position of power gets the chop it’s always the fault of a man, NEVER the woman.
But also, anyone else remember the vile Emily Maitlis attacking Sarah Palin when Maitlis was interviewing Henry Kissinger in the US election? I remember Maitlis suggesting that Palin shouldn’t be in such a position of power as she had a young family.
Oh and the BBC have forgotten all about corrupt Liebour Peers being forced out of the Lords.
Just thought I’d mention it again. The BBC won’t.
For the BBC, (as if it doesn’t already know):
‘thefirstpost.co.uk’
“Kirkbride ‘pushed out’ by Respect”
[Extract]:
“Former Tory Northern Ireland minister Richard Needham, who resigned from the Thatcher Government after being taped describing Lady Thatcher as ‘a cow’ on his mobile phone, is one of the few senior Tories to have jumped to Julie Kirkbride’s defence. He accused the media of a cover-up over the ‘Respect’ link with the campaign to remove her, because it does not fit into their ‘Tory sleaze’ agenda.
“In an open letter, Needham said: ‘Almost every Sky and BBC news report involves sending a ‘team’ to discover what the locals in Bromsgrove are saying about Julie. This entails interviewing those signing a ‘Julie Must Go’ petition being organised by George Galloway’s Respect Party. Not that I have heard that mentioned by Sky or the BBC’.”
Off-topic but amusing none the less:-
“Gay Muslim story for EastEnders”
EastEnders is to tackle a storyline which will feature a Muslim man embarking upon a gay affair.
Newcomer Syed Masood, played by Marc Elliott, will fall for openly gay man Christian Clarke (John Partridge) and the pair will share an on-screen kiss.
The plot is expected to hit TV screens from next month.
“I think EastEnders would be doing the programme a disservice if they didn’t give a voice to various communities,” Elliot told the BBC Asian Network.
“I think that’s really important because I think London is a very ethnically diverse multicultural place, and EastEnders has a job to reflect that in the storylines it gives people and the characters they have on board.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8072720.stm
You have to laugh at the right-on, multi-culti obsessives that control al beebs ‘creative’ output. They are so utterly deluded by their belief that the religion of peace is a misunderstood progressive part of British society just begging to integrate, that they are willing to attempt such an unbelievably wrong-footed storyline, which will do nothing more than aggravate it’s predominatly white working class audience.
Who wants to take bets on how fast Al Beeb will retract this story line, first threatening anonymous e-mail they get from the Islamic community?
Personally, I hope to hell they do go through with it, because at last we can be smugly satisfied at the violent retaliation that will deservedly land on the BBCs doorstep.
I am sorry – but completely off topic but I have to share the awfullness
Looking on line at the Daily Main (I should have known better) was a long article about Brown and his daughter that died. Is the sympathy vote as low as he can stoop?
Sorry Daily Mail – typing error
Odd isn’t it; the Radio 4 News at 8:00 am featured the disclosure that the Telegraph this morning had fingered Bill Cash (a Conservative MP) for troughing. In the same Telegraph this morning there was as much information concerning Rosie Winterton (a Labour MP) as on Cash: no mention of her on the BBC natch!
The good news is the reintroduction of beaver into the wilds of Scotland. You could “hear” the smile on the face of the newscaster. According to the BBC, only a few diehard old-fashioned (ie “conservative”) fishermen apparently oppose this egregious interference with nature. OTOH it’s not the only over-grown rat supported by the BBC – step forward Jeremy Bowen, Matt Frei, John Simpson . . . . ).
Umbongo 9:32
Speaking from North of the border, it is typical of the ignorance of the BBC about Scotland and fishing not to know that it is pretty classless up here, although you have to be wealthy to afford the best beats.
In the Beeboids’ narrow , twisted little minds, all fly fishermen are toffs.
Ignorance and bias, that is what the BBC do best.
Umbongo 9:32
I noted the concentration on Bill Cash and wondered if the Telegraph had really only been looking at him. I am not surprised to find my suspicions were correct.
On Breakfast News this morning was an interview with someone from the Telegraph – I didn’t catch his name. Questioned whether this was turning into a witch hunt, he said no, it was constituents with no political axe to grind who had set up a petition to get rid of Julie Kirkbride. I refuse to believe neither the Telegraph man nor the presenters were aware of the fact that it was set up by a member of Respect, but he was never challenged, as it didn’t fit the agenda. It makes you wonder what else is being suppressed.
RD
Apparently the apolitical member of Respect has, within the last couple of days, resigned his membership ostensibly to avoid allegations of political axe-grinding (as if!!). So, although technically, the guy is now a political “neutral”, he’s as far removed from political disinterest as the Home Secretary’s husband was when he wrote to a local paper in support of his wife whilst forgetting to mention either his personal or political affiliations.
What intrigues me is why the fact of the organiser’s political affiliations is hidden from the “little people”: it doesn’t detract significantly from the strength of feeling evidenced by the Bromsgrove petition. Of course, the underlying mindset of the political class – and their minders in the MSM – is that the punters are not mature enough to make up our own minds given all the facts. Hence the cynicism of the public concerning all talk of “reform” and “we’ll never do it again” and “it was all within the rules”.
As to cynisism – I wonder why the Telegraph chose to start with Labour disclosures and then concentrate on Conservative disclosures as we come up to the EU elections. I know where the BBC’s coming from. It’s the motives of the Telegraph (owners: the Barclay brothers) which mystify.
Grant
The BBC probably thinks that Scottish anglers fish in top hats and waders.
Rosie Winteton wasn’t the only Labour MP fingered by the Telegraph this morning. Nigel Griffiths – a former GVN minister, and close friend of the Prime Minister – claimed £9,250 in November 2004, to redecorate the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom in his London flat. Fair enough – but he then submitted a further claim for redecoration – £4,911 – just six months later. Mr Griffiths then redecorated for a third time in 2006, & charged the taxpayer £3,310. So in total he has claimed £17,471 – to decorate a flat, not once, or twice, but three times in two years.
Is this story mentioned on the BBC website… err No! On my journey into work this morning (1.5 hour duration) did I hear 5 Live mention this story… err No! Did they talk about Rosie Winterton… err No! Or how about the fact that the Employment Minister, Tony McNulty, has just agreed to repay £3,000 in mortgage interest relief and council tax; monies "mistakenly" claimed for a house in Harrow – which he nominated as his second home for expenses – where his parents lived, err No! That wasn’t on the agenda either – was this because 5 Live weren’t covering the expenses scandal? Err No! In fact, about 80% of the broadcast I listen too was devoted to this subject. What I did hear a lot about was Bill Cash, Julie Kirkbeide & her husband, Moats, Duck-houses and two Conservative MP’s facing their constituents tonight. Indeed, in the whole 1 ½ hrs there wasn’t one mention of Labour or Lib-Dem sleaze. The word Tory however, must have cropped up – ten or fifteen times (I kid you not). One item even involved regional reporters analyzing how Westminster sleazse allegations were likely to hit Conservative party fortunes on June 4th. Apparently in Staffordshire, Labour were posed to be the main beneficiaries. Quite, why – the anti-sleaze vote should go to Gordon – wasn’t explained.
Sorry to go on – but on a personal note, I’m bloody sick of these expenses claims from all sides, but also sick of the BBC trying to turn this all-party scandal to Labour’s electoral advantage
I’m appalled by the bBC’s bias, and I agree that marginally at least the bBC has favoured stories about Conservatives more than Labour.
Marginally, when compared to say Sky, not lots more than that.
The trouble has been not just the clear cases, but the extremely wealthy Conservative MPs who are not breaking the letter of the law rules but are clearly massively abusing the system and are morally breaking the rules.
Sadly there has been more of them because there are more Tory grandees.
And the capital gains fiddles are ptentially much larger than any expenses as no doubt John Butterfill would testify to.
I genuinely hope it will help Cameron to sort that situation out but anyone not seeing that is in denial.
But the special pleading for the troughing conservative MPs on these pages when they are at least just as guilty as the other parties has reached a sickening level.
I’m off till you can show a bit less bias yourself.
Shame really as you do a good job in showing bBC bias, but I have had enough of it.
The miscreants come from all parties in fairly equal measure and they are a bunch of greedy snouts in the trough good for nothings, from whichever party, and if you can’t see it you are not just out of touch with public opinion you are as blind as they are.
I have received a document that purports to break down all MPs expenses in several categories and the totals of the claims.
I cannot verify if it is genuine as yet, though it gives all indications it is.
Of course it is limited.
For example it lists Tony Blair as having the second lowest claim of all MPs in the last full year, but then he wasn’t an MP for most of the year was he.
And it doesnt say anything about failed applications, detailed receipts or flipping and capital gains.
Like I said limited.
If I can get it confirmed I would publish, now that would be a coup, but then various such documents are circulating on emails, I doubt they can be confirmed before official publication that will come anyway this summer.
It does beg the question if I can get this sort of information surely a huge bloated overpaid organisation like the BBC can too, and they have the resources to investigate and confirm if it is genuine.
So why are they leaving it to the Telegraph, why aren’t they doing their job?
I’m off till you can show a bit less bias yourself.
Oh, dear. Since you’re anonymous, how will we know?
I don’t think I’ve seen special pleading for Tory MPs here, just a wish for equal treatment.
Anonymous @ 4:23 PM, May 29, 2009
But the special pleading for the troughing conservative MPs on these pages when they are at least just as guilty as the other parties has reached a sickening level.
Who here has been pleading in support of any troughing Tories? The main concern is not that the Tories are alright, but that the BBC’s coverage has been Tory-centric, filled with emotional and class-war language. You’ll have to provide a few examples if anyone is to take your claims of bias seriously.
In case you forgot, the Top 20 Expense Abusers:
Totals:
Labour – 13, or 65%. – £2,258,806
Lib Dem – 4, or 20% – £691,699
Conservative – 2, or 10% – £344,710
DUP – 1, or 5% – £171,609
How many Labour MPs have made a profit off the taxpayer by flipping houses versus Tory MPs? Or just refurbished them a few times, or claimed family homes, swapped primary designation, etc.? I don’t know the exact numbers, but a casual glance at reporting outside of the BBC gives me an idea. In any case:
Top 20 Claims for 2nd homes:
Labour – 12, or 60% – £276,996
Tory – 4, or 20% – £92,332
LibDem – 2, or 10% – £46,163
23 MPs paying back claims:
Labour – 7, or appr. 31% – £103,456
Tory – 10 or appr. 43% – £20,343.50
Lib-Dem – 5, or appr. 22% – £2,734
UUP – 1, or appr. 4% – £2,700
The top four Labour MPs paying back claims made large profits at the taxpayers’ expense. Douglas Hogg didn’t clean his moat to sell it for a profit. He paid the money back and is being forced to fall on his sword, even though the amount was a fraction of the profit the bigger Labour fish have made. In all, Labourites seem to have been gouging at a rate three times that of Tories. I’m sure they deserve it because they’re not as rich as Tories.
Yet the BBC plays this as either evenly spread across all parties, or plays up the Tory angle, the moooooat, the duck pond, etc.
I see Bill Cash is next in the queue. I’m suprised a Sun headline writer hasn’t yet written about the “questions for Cash” scandal