You would need a heart of stone not to laugh at the BBC’s horrified reaction to Greek PM Papandreo’s decision to hold a referendum on the alleged “austerity measures.” Could it be that even Greece has no confidence in the EU? Heaven forbid. Anyway, the BBC wheeled on Vicky Pryce, former head of the government’s economic service, to tell us that the Greek people were “suffering terribly” because of the horrendous austerity imposed upon them (e.g paying taxes) and that perhaps Papandreo could win the referendum because, after all, the Greek people desperately want to stay in the EU (BBC meme alert) (BTW Ms Pryce is the former wife of Chris Huhne, and came to her office care of Labour, a few details the BBC conspicuously forgot to mention).
THE PRYCE IS NOT RIGHT!
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One look at Greece should be enough to tell anyone that we need to slash public sector jobs in this country (particularly those with ‘diversity’, ‘climate’ or ‘equality’ in their title).
The problems in Greece are caused by the whole country adopting the public sector work ethic.
MS, I agree, and can we add all jobs with ‘social’ in them, to your list?
And “facilitator”. Not a particularly-PC word but it means sod all. If a job title has no real function then scrap the job.
Oh thank god they picked a trustful and strong person, I mean they could have got some one who is tied up in a police investigation and may face at least a perverting the course of the law charge for lying for her adulterous ex to police !
Now that would be foolish .
At least one leader has the strength of mind to give his people the referendum he promised…
Has everyone decided not to keep asking our Vicky about Huhnes speeding ticket then?…I used to like that!
Rather like the Beeb used to scoff at Bush saying that the French have no word for “entrepreneur”…so the BBC rather think that the Greeks don`t quite know what the word democracy means in dynamic equivalence!
Maybe the Beeb can tell me why this Greek word seems to be so loved when Tunisia or a Kabul nailbar uses it…but it`s not a nice thing when the Greeks themselves ask their own people what THEY want to do about the Eurocrisis!
As I`ve said…after last weeks cosy stitch up by the political elite to stop US having a referendum…it`s a delight to see that scary vampire come back to life to haunt them after only one weeek…in the land that gave us the concept of democracy….and on Hallowee`en too!
Marvellous sense of humour our God has…maybe the BBC need to change their Ariel…what would Jesus do my metropolitan munchkins?
Turn every news bulletin into a church magazine apparently…they`ll be offering to do the flowers next!
I didn’t hear the fair Vicky but, later in the programme, we got a real debate when Greek MEP Anni Podimata and the Athens Chamber of Commerce’s Constantine Michalos got stuck in. Anni completely avoided the issue and suddenly became a convert to democracy (Greece/the euro must be in trouble if an MEP’s last line of defence is to appeal to the voters). Michalos uttered a few home truths about Greece and Greek politicians (well politicians generally) and noted that, as it happens, holding such a referendum is unconstitutional.
BTW I like the idea of a referendum. This way – assuming the Greek public votes to reject the bailout – Greece will go officially bust, will re-adopt the euro and start afresh. I couldn’t think of a better outcome for Greece. Meanwhile the EU politicians will get egg on their faces and the caravan will move on to Portugal. As usual Tim Worstall says it much more elegantly than I can http://timworstall.com/2011/11/01/oh-yes-this-is-a-fabulous-move/
“will readopt the drachma”
Actually that “Euro” re-adoptin would be fun too!
Would love to hear the negotiations!
The referendum is good news on all fronts. Assuming the Greeks reject the bailout, the pressure is on the EU to kick them out of the Euro. Hopefully, it will start a domino effect and the whole idiotic house of cards will collapse.
Maybe it will be the Greeks who save us instead of the other way round.
Bring it on !!!!
Vicky amazed me with her doulble-think skills – the Greeks would reject the euro bail out but were desperate not to go back to the Drachma.
I was pretty sure that they were rioting in the streets because they wanted to return to the Drachma, indulge in a nice bit of devaluation and then go back to making olive oil and retsina and earning good money from tourists. Still, if the BBC are asking her opinion it MUST be beause she knows what she is talking about.
mark,
Of course, except I don’t remember her being interviewed much before the Huhne speeding scandal. Beeboids just can’t forgive the Lib Dems for going into coalition with the Tories.
Taking a small detour from the topic…
I’d like to congratulate David Vance on his headline.
You’re wasted in politics, my friend. A job at the Sun beckons… 😎
What a joke. The Greeks don’t want the austerity measures required to get bailed out by the Euro countries, but neither do they want to leave the Euro.
Humphrys is deeply troubled by people “begging on the streets” in Greece now, but clearly believes that getting bailed out without any austerity measures will help. “What we really need for Greece is growth,” says Vicki Pryce. How? There is only economic madness available from the BBC these days.
I wonder if we could read the entrails of Ned Flanders economically illiterate popsie to see how the Euro will fare without the Greeks.
She seems to get everything else right after all.
Be nice to see the BBC adopt a multiculti tradition like human sacrifice to honour indigenous and previously-denigrated customs…and her selfless sacrifice for the nation would save we hard pressed licence fee payers a few quid( as well as lots of child benefit from assorted well-heeled types like Randy Andy Marr!).
How about it Steph…your European Dream deserves nothing less?
David P
You are right.
It is hilarious watching the EU “leaders” and their lickspittles, the BBC running around like headless chickens the first time in their sad little lives when they are confronted with reality.
Well, it would be funny if the rest of us didn’t have to suffer as a result of their stupidity.
An absolute joy to hear the same kazoo being played all over the BBC regarding this Greek unpleasantness.
From last nights “World Tonight” through to Eddie Mairs rush-hour gobfest just now, it`s a privilege to see that the BBC scriptwriters can say one thing in …oh, three ways!
1. This is not the time (The Cameron defence)
2. The markets are all eggy( as if they wouldn`t be anyway sometime soon!)
3. And here is one of the five Greeks that we have on speed dial who are NOT happy to have a say in how their country is to be run!
Politicians, financiers and the BBC…all one and the same and not seeming to like this outbreak of people power to come.
Maybe if the Greeks were to sit pointlessly in tents by the Acropolis, then that would assuage this Troika that want democracy anywhere but where it might have an effect…very dangerous to the fops at the BBC for sure!
Our turn soon then?…
Tory MP Graham Stuart voted No to his constituents having a say in a referendum, because he wanted to “support democracy and the British people“. The same kind of insane reasoning existed when
I was growing up. Countries in Europe with the word “Democatic” in their names, where all dictatorships. That is what the political class in the EU also thinks of democracy. Confusing their selfish interest with the democratic interest.
But, Richard, surely they know what is best for us ?
Could the BBC be worried what would happen if a referendum was held in Britain?
I note that Vicky Pryce might not have enough homes to go back too,now that Huhnes electric cars don`t seem to go as fast as his other ones!
Why else would “Brains in Drag”…or was it Mitch Mercury…have been in Prescotts codpiece( a BBC hammock) at Bush House and waiting to the rounds of the studios there all day.
Up down …all day and night …from floor to floor, radio to telly and back again…poor lamb!
At least it keeps her from crashing the economies of Europe by actually working and not punditry…a la Flanders!
The BBC would get far more sense out of Nana Mouskouri than Vicky Pryce…even Vincent Price for that matter!
When the Greeks vote “no”, the BBC won’t be able to blame the Greeks because, just like the corporation, they too like to overspend. It can’t blame mean Germans because that would be europhobic. It can’t blame Cameron for not coughing up either, because that is the only government policy that we all agree with.
The only country the BBC can blame is the US for not bailing out Greece through the IMF. Or to be more precise, it can blame Goldman Sachs and other Jewish banks for leaving the Obamessiah so short of cash that he can’t help out his gentile socialist friends in Athens.