Yes, it’s one of those stories the BBC seems rather averse to covering. B-bbc contributor Alan says…
“One of the major contenders for election as Mayor of London has been caught out, red eyed and red handed, faking tears for the camera….tears are not the only things being faked…it seems the ‘genuine” Labour supporters clammering for another Livingstone term of office were in fact actors.
How do I know this? Guido Fawkes and Harry\’s Place reveal all.
http://hurryupharry.org/2012/04/13/yes-i-faked-it-admits-ken/#comment-738809
However the BBC seem so choked with emotion and excitement that Ken could be back that they can’t quite get round to reporting this chicanery. Wouldn’t do to publish anything that might lose a Labour candidate votes eh? If only Spitting Image were on our screens again….Looks like Gazza wouldn’t be the only dummy spurting tears for the camera.”
Is there nothing real about politics any more? The obly things you can count on: hypocrisy, lies and pandering to some minority vested interest.
We need a Spitting Image, though I fear things have gone too far to allow such grounding ridicule.
What what you say, not what they do.
Yes, Fluck and Law two nicely balanced communists.
No, we don’t need any more lefties on the TV thanks.
‘Political-Reality’ – it’s an oxymoron.
Watch what you say, not what they do.
BBC version:
“Boris Johnson defends against charges of campaign fraud.”
See, they are on the case. Mind you, on the subject of ‘rather averse to covering” I do note the cherry vultures more by their absence here.
Doubtless when the BBC wakes up to the fact that steering clear of any such a mention rather stuffs the pretence of competence and integrity and slips in an update, we will be graced with a snappy comment and URL.
Until then…
They’ve not got round to asking Livingstone to declare his full earnings, either (as he promised on Newsnight).
They seem satified that a) Ken has only declared part of his income, b) Boris earned an awful lot of money and c) to use their words, ‘Boris would no doubt be pleased that the 50% rate was reduced’
There’s balance fo you.
Imagine how much fun the BBC would be having had Boris done a Livingstone – we would not be hearing the end of it…
yes some
brainless droid signed off her news report a couple of nights ago with,
‘All candidates in the London mayoral election have been asked to provide their income tax details’.
The half truth, a little bit of the truth, and nothing but a smidgin of the truth.
Dopey mare.
If the BBC doesn’t deem a story fit for publishing/reporting then it will be conveniently ignored -if this was Boris chicanery it would definitely have been news and high on the list for the usual Newsnight self-congratulatory idle chit chat so revered by the lefty metro-trendies. These days, I can predict with confidence what the daily BBC headlines will orbit around: Syria, public sector strikes of some sort, NHS reforms or Liebour criticism of Tory economic plans; that’s pretty much it. If we are lucky we might get some banker-bashing from the mono-tone Stepford Husbands lookalike Robert ‘the’ Peston.
The BBC should not be allowed to call any broadcast that they do as the “News”. Most of it now is one reporter giving their views and opinions to another reporter and, there I go again calling them reporters, I really must stop that. They are not reporters they are “Opinion Presenters” or “Topical Performers” and the truth is a side issue which must not get in the way of the “The Cause”.
So, what is “The Cause” I hear you cry? It is self-preservation of course and any organisation, person or government that threatens or questions their monopoly or grotesque income, which they get from us on pain of imprisonment, must therefore be the enemy. They are not and do not want to be a capitalistic or profit making organisation that understands the need for fiscal control and at heart must therefore believe in the opposite, which is of course socialism. They will always therefore support socialists, even hypocritical ones with dodgy tax affairs. Do not bite the hand that feeds you is the rule of the law.
We may pay the piper but the piper is not working for us. The “British” and the “British Broadcasting Corporation” are two very different entities.
This ‘story’ is a none story, spun by partisan players beyond its import. It would be remiss of the BBC to report it. The initial story was it was actors, which isn’t true.
I think Livingspart is an arse, but it’s right the BBC should leave this alone.
They played it as real tears on HIGNFY, so at least some Beeboids thought it was real. But that doesn’t count, I know.
Didn’t see it. I assume they took the piss?
Not about the crying scene, more laughing at the campaign stuff in general. They also showed his shirtless “Vladimir Putin” pic for a quick laugh. No specific comments from Hislop or anyone else.
A non-story? One of the leading candidates for one of the most prestigious roles in UK politics is exposed as a complete hypocrite, who also is shown to have faked a key element of his political campaign?
As they (once used to ) say down Lambeth way – you’re ‘avin’ a larf, ain’t ya?
In what way was it faked?
Read the ‘Guardian’ and you’ll find out.
Poor JD – selective amnesia must be so hard to live with.
Still, perhaps Ken might be able to help him? They could form a mutual support group for sufferers.
‘This ‘story’ is a none story’
Much of your certainty in posting seems based, at best, on poor factual grasp, a near miraculous ability to notice nothing that doesn’t suit (‘In what way?’… Bless) whilst having access to all else when it does or, indeed, reliance on what is wished rather than what is observed…
‘Didn’t see it’
If not in BBC employ, the CV is pretty much bang on should this be an ambition.
‘but it’s right the BBC should leave this alone’
Even down to ‘getting it about right’ level.
Which is pretty low, so takes some digging. Kudos.
Jim,
But as has already been pointed out, would the BBC have left this story alone if Boris had behaved like Ken did? I think not.
Ken Livingstone cries at Labour Party supporters reading words from a script Ken Livingstone’s campaign wrote for them.
No, no story there at all. I’m sure the BBC would have left it alone as much as if it would have been Boris.
And the Today crew would have covered the story with their trademark background hooting – not to mention the Humphreys’ lip-curling snidery – when they think they’ve unearthed yet another Tory balls-up.
Even the Independent gives it some quite respectable coverage:-
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/his-campaign-broadcast-starred-actors-not-real-londoners–so-was-ken-livingstone-crying-crocodile-tears-7644000.html
Apparently they’re not actors……They’re just ardent “Ken” supporters doing their bit…..Nothing to see or report here, just move right along remembering to vote for Mayor elect Livingstone……I wouldn’t be surprised if the BBC are behind “Ken Livingstone T.V”…
i wonder how many of those ‘actors’ are gay
It is yet another confirmation of why the political class is so despised. Whether or not the ordinary Londoners were actors no longer matters. So used are we to lies, evasions and naked self interest that “so what” is the only possible response.
Politicians have lost the trust of the people and this is very dangerous for our democracy.
It make the likelihood of a sudden rise to power of a demagogue all the more likely. If he or she can win the trust of the electorate then he or she will be unstoppable.
They asked for it and the supine media is complicit.
They can all go to hell as far as I am concerned.
Just the thought of having that hopeless old fraud Livingstone back in charge of London has had me in tears…
I love Jim Dandy’s comment that the BBC should leave this alone. Just as they would if George Osborne presented as evidence of his budget’s popularity a couple of septuagenarian Conservative Party members chatting away in the queue at Greggs about how the budget was a huge boon for Cornish-pastie addicted pensioners all across the land, and reassuring each other that their favourite charities wouldn’t be suffering, as their innate philanthropy in giving away millions each year wasn’t dependent on getting a tax break for it anyway.
‘I love Jim Dandy’s comment that the BBC should leave this alone.’
The calls for watertight oversight are as selective as the threads and topics avoided here when it doesn’t suit.
And like the dog who barked in the night, often as telling.
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