The hand of Mandy is all over the concerted attack on Andy Coulson and the BBC continued to LEAD it’s prime time 8am news headline with the latest “update” on this non-story. My take on it is that whilst I have no time for the most of the media, including NOTW, the greater danger here lies with how the State broadcaster becomes a willing accomplice in Labour’s games. Clearly the comments by Met Asst Commissioner Yates have popped their bubble but already the narrative has shifted to suggest that Yates spoke too quickly and may be forced to eat his words. It’s a disgrace the way this sudden attack on the Conservatives – for that is what it is – has been so clearly advanced by the BBC. Some impartiality!
OPERATION – GET COULSON, part two!
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Toenails is getting a superb drubbing from his blog commentators. (the ones the BBC let through) the real disgust of his bias must be far higher
They are calling in all favours all over the place, Steve Richards of the Independent wrote in his article 'BBC Afraid to Appear Anti-Tory' , the man has no shame.
Liebour arse licker Robinson is being destroyed in blog today !
I mentioned this in the previous Coulson thread, but it possibly bears repeating here, as I wasn't at the time sure I'd heard correctly. However others have confirmed that Nick Robinson did actually say on last night's 10 O'Clock News that Alex Ferguson might have some questions to ask of the Tories if his phone had been tapped.
To me it was a clear attempt to associate in people's minds that the Tories were in some way responsible for the phone tapping. Fortunately, he is getting a pretty good kicking in his blog.
There's also the fact that this is all being whipped up in advance of a commons committee meeting which will interview Coulsen. The pitch is being prepared for bouncers.
Plus- I agree with RD above; a definite attempt has been made to implicate the Tories even though the tapping was non-political (the NotW being, if anything, traditionally left-leaning).
Plus- basically all this was known 2 years ago and more. The only reason for raising it now is to embarrass Cameron.
Finally, I think this is actually a dirty trick played against the Tories; I hope the public can see that this is more a continuation of McBride's tactics by Labour than an adoption of them by the Conservatives.
If I were a Labour supporter, I'd be ashamed of my party. I am far more convinced of my voting intention now, and it ain't for Peter and friends.
@Ed T
I hope the public can see that this is more a continuation of McBride's tactics by Labour than an adoption of them by the Conservatives.
Are we sure?
Nick Davies, who wrote all of yesterday's main Guadrian stories has strong form for revealing the appalling behaviour of British journalism. His recent book Flat Earth News is an excoriating account of broadsheet and tabloid malpractice.
One whole chapter attacks his own newspaper's stablemate, the Observer, for allowing its former political editor to get too close to Alastair Campbell. He also accuses the BBC of sacrificing depth for speed on its web pages.
Not, in short, a man who happily plays patsy to a Labour/BBC stitch-up.
Sometimes a worldview such as Biased BBC's is valuable in shaping our understanding.
And sometimes it's not.
And yet again our Beeboid insider neatly sidesteps the key complaint: the BBC's disproportionate interest in a story which can only harm its sole media rival.
Well… and the political party it loathes. There is that, too.
@GCooper
the key complaint: the BBC's disproportionate interest in a story which can only harm its sole media rival.
Christ on a bike!
What happened to ITN, Channel 4, Five, the Telegraph, the Independent, the Mirror Group, the Mail Group, the Standard and everyone else?
Now that would be a big story….
Story part 1: Scumbag hacks rake dirt on celebs and fat ugly stupid politico shagging his secretary on the taxpayers tab.
Story part 2: Peelers have a look and decide there is not too much to it.
Story part 3: Man who may have been involved and who has already taken the fall has moved to a new job where he has done well.
BBC take – TORIES ARE EVIL – PUSH THIS STORY FOR ALL IT IS WORTH – DON'T LET THE FACTS GET IN THE WAY – TORIES ARE EVIL.
I think this whole yarn is becoming another huge laugh-in at Labours expense. Lets look at the facts:-
1] Most people haven't the faintest idea of who Coulson is.
2] Most people haven't the faintest idea of Coulson's relationship to the Tory party
3] Most people don't care about [2] or [3].
4] Those that do know about [1] and [2] also know that this is basically an old story
5] Most people in group [4] know that Coulson resigned over this story, despite the fact that a police investigation (no less) showed no culpability on his part.
6] Most people aware of [5] will probably consider that Coulson behaved with considerably more honour over this story than Labour MPs like Hazel Blears over expenses.
7] Most people realise that Cameron laready knew about Coulsons past because it was widely published – but nobody took issue with it at the time
8] Most people are now aware that the phones were not "tapped". The voice mailboxes (owned by the service provider and not the phone owner, and not private under the terms of the phones contract) were wide open for anyone to listen to if they so wished. The equivalent of having a highly personal argument in front of an open window, I would say. Not quite sure why people went to gaol for it but we live in NuLabour's Britain…
9] The whole thing is so obviously a tit-fot-tat reprisal over the McBride affair it's unbelievable that Labour could be so childish. They must be sticking their tongues out in the Westminster playground…
Its so juvenile it can't help but backfire on Labour, so the BBC can run itself ragged over this one. The more they publicise it the more ridiculous they look. The population have moved on. They have long ago given up on Labour. The BBC and Labour look more and more like the ranting maniacs in the street that everyone passes by.
Anon love the post well put!.
Anon 12.01
Sums it up well. Should end the discussion here and everywhere else. Send Nick Robinson a copy.
@Anon 12.01
The equivalent of having a highly personal argument in front of an open window, I would say.
You might if you honestly thought that people's voicemail was public property.
Which it isn't.
Not quite sure why people went to gaol for it
Possibly because they broke the criminal law.
but we live in NuLabour's Britain…
Indeed. But what's that got to do with a global media organisation turning a blind eye to its journalists employing dodgy private eyes to break the criminal law and tap into people's private communications?
I see Peston has seen fit to wade in on this. Given that his closeness to Brown et al leaves his role in precipitating-by-leaks the disastrous Lloyds HBOS merger still probably likely to end his career after Liberation Day, I'd have thought he'd have not wanted to play up his role as Labour stooge. But he just can't help himself.
I would think that failing to change your voicemail PIN was akin to leaving your car unlocked with the keys in the ignition. You'll get little sympathy from the police or your insurers but it is an offence for which the scroats can be sent to jail if caught.
But does anyone here believe that only the News of the World uses private investigators? Or cares too much how they get the information?
Not that I care what happens to the News of the World. I just resent the fact that the BBC appears to be cheerleading an attempt to make the Tories responsible for what the newspaper did.
Anonymous writes: "What happened to ITN, Channel 4, Five, the Telegraph, the Independent, the Mirror Group, the Mail Group, the Standard and everyone else?"
Most either losing money, on the edge of oblivion, or struggling against the BBC's hegemony.
The Corporation is bigging this one up for all the worst reasons.
Anon 12.48
Yes – why was Peston whining about this ? What the hell has it to do with economics ?
His piece makes it look even more like a put-up job by the Guardian and the BBC.
JohnA writes: "His piece makes it look even more like a put-up job by the Guardian and the BBC."
Don't forget Mandelson.
But yes – what the hell has this to do with Gordon Brown's biographer and representative on Earth, Robert Peston?
Oh, but wait…
BBC News at 1 today had a piece about News of the World hacking into Rebekah Wade's ( Editor of the Sun ) mobile.
Then some Beeboid, ( can't remember his name, they seem to breed like rabbits) launched into the Andy Coulson angle.
It is really so utterly pathetic. The agenda is so blatant. Do the BBC really think that we are all so stupid that we don't know what they are up to ? And who the hell are they to do this with my TV tax ?
I still want Peston prosecuted for his role in the Lloyds/HBOS scandal.If only to confirm the corrupt relationship I suspect exists between himself and Brown's little circle of jerks.
The BBC to excuse their salivating over Coulsongate are dishonestly claiming a scoop, starting their reports with "The BBC have learnt that Rebekeh Wade is among those etc",
whereas her name featured in a Guardian article from the 26th January 2007.
The video report homes straight in on the Tory link, with Cameron being doorstepped by Charles Clarke. Clarke wants Coulson sacked, Cameron is too soft to suggest that if Coulson should be sacked because the NOTW crimes happened "on his watch", then Brown should go for being McBrides boss.
Actually, as is becoming the norm, this ludicrous bit of dark propaganda may serve as yet another classic own goal by the stinking BBC. Not only is it a boring story, but it is also overtly and obviously poropagandist and may just tilt the Murdoch empire into open war.
Bring it on!
Will this be the beeboids biggest own goal ?
By not recognising that the public have given up on nulab and by trying to coble the Coulson story together to please nulab, the beeboids not only look idiots to the public, but poke News Int in the eye ! Expect some heavy retaliatory incomming fire beeboids ! This misjudgement is seriously good news for biased-bbc fans !
Shouldn't MPs be demanding the resignation of Mandelson? After all he fiddled and lied about his mortgage and now he's in one of the most powerful positions in Government.
Funny that the Labour party is full of scumbags who have been fired only to return, yet they seem very quick to attack Coulson even though there is no evidence to link him to the original case (otherwise the Police and CPS would have prosecuted him)
At least Coluson had the decency to walk unlike that twat Piers Morgan who refused to admit his pictures were fake, despite the army doing a press conference and picking them apart. Morgan had to be escorted by security from the Daily Mirror offices, yet he now gets employed by the BBC on a regular basis.
Just watched the latest news on BBC News 24. They are still going after Coulson and showing 2 frames at a time. One is of Helena Wilkinson outside News International and the other of David Cameron speaking and then pictures of Coulson.
There you have it. Cameron and the baby eating Tories are involved in listening to private phone calls, including that of Rebekkah Wade (Labour). They also mentioned Alex Ferguson (Labour) and interviewed Vanessa Feltz (I believe Labour).
Nick Davies, who wrote all of yesterday's main Guadrian stories has strong form for revealing the appalling behaviour of British journalism. His recent book Flat Earth News is an excoriating account of broadsheet and tabloid malpractice.
<…> He also accuses the BBC of sacrificing depth for speed on its web pages.
That's his only complaint against BBC News journalism?? Easily pleased, ain't he?
@Rex Lepond
That's his only complaint against BBC News journalism?? Easily pleased, ain't he?
Possibly because he's viewing the BBC's journalism through the eyes of the ordinary citizen and not through the paranoiac belief system that passes for, erm, analysis hereabouts.
Anonymous writes: "
Possibly because he's viewing the BBC's journalism through the eyes of the ordinary citizen …."
A Guardian hack?
Now I know you are joking.
The BBC are after the Tories but it also coincides with their grudge against Murdoch.
Of course the BBC fail to mention that it was the Mail (1218 instances editor Paul Dacre – chairing one of Gordon Brown's committees) and the Mirror papers (824 instances, Labour through and through and amazing how the BBC has protected Kevin Maguire in his involvement in both the McBride scandal and the phone hacking). Murdoch papers 258 instances. And let's not forget the Guardian's sister paper, The Observer 103 instances.
Dr Michael Ross said
"Not only is it a boring story, but it is also overtly and obviously poropagandist and may just tilt the Murdoch empire into open war."
"Rupert Murdoch to back David Cameron at next general election – exclusive "
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/christopherhope/100002849/rupert-murdoch-to-back-david-cameron-at-next-general-election-exclusive/
Am I the only one who is meeting a lot of people who do not normally bother themselves with this sort of stuff who are talking about this as a BBC / Guardian / Labour political campaign.
It appears that the bias is now so blatant that the previously non aligned are starting to pick up on it.
@nrg
Am I the only one who is meeting a lot of people who do not normally bother themselves with this sort of stuff who are talking about this as a BBC / Guardian / Labour political campaign.
Yes, you are.
Well, Anonymous above, if you really think that @nrg is alone in raising the question you quote, then I advise you to get out more.
The moment in the BBC News report when Nick Robinson solemnly suggested that "Alex Ferguson may have questions for the Tories" about an alleged eavesdropping on his voice-mail, over two years ago, must have been the final absurdity.
The BBC has completely exposed itself on this issue, as any sensible person can see plainly.
Radio 4 kicked off with further attacks on Coulson before 7am this morning – an entire "Profile" piece, ie a specially-commissioned prog in its own slot.
This really stinks of bias.