Here’s something that should get the hearts all aflutter in the corridors of the BBC:
The warning was sounded amid growing calls from Conservative MPs for Britain to have an “in-out” referendum on the country’s ongoing membership of the European Union.
The disclosure that Mr Sands is concerned about the prospect of Britain leaving the EU underlines how the growing political speculation over the issue may be alarming the City. Such warnings may lead to senior ministers publicly being forced to rule out such a referendum.
The BBC don’t seem to have picked up on this story yet but my bet is that it will grab the headlines tomorrow and reserve itself a place on the Today programme.
Strange though when you think how often the BBC indicated the contacts between Murdoch and politicians were somehow illicit and ill advised…Murdoch clearly making them jump on command to further his commercial interests.
Not so long ago somebody said this:
Rupert Murdoch warned John Major to switch policy on Europe or his papers would not support him, the ex-prime minister has told the Leveson Inquiry.
Sir John recalled the exchange from a private meeting in 1997, which he said he had not spoken about before.
He said the discussion was one he was unlikely to forget. “It is not often someone sits in front of a prime minister and says to a prime minister ‘I would like you to change your policy or my organisation cannot support you’,”
So here we have one of the ‘evil’ bankers having a cosy breakfast with Cameron and saying ‘don’t leave Europe or we’re ruined’ and no one turns a hair?
Suddenly the BBC’s opinion of bankers will change and the vested interests being pushed at a private meeting with the PM will be an essential lubricant for the free flowing successful continuity of the economy…ie growth…no doubt.
This is a fine illustration of the hypocrisy surrounding Murdoch…we all know there are meetings with all sorts of ‘lobbyists’ from all types of organisation with politicians…business, charity, media and very occasionally us the People get a look in. The whole Leveson saga might have looked very different if the BBC had stood back and not used the opportunity to damage Murdoch as much as possible for its own commercial and ideological ends.
And as Guido points out the ‘outraged’ Steve Coogan seems to have got over it and gone to work for Sky taking ‘The Murdoch shilling’…guess cash wins over principles.
Funny old world.
The Beeb wont call them banks . It will be Leading Financiers ; The City ; Top Businessmen , or some other appellation , “have warned , are warning , are alarmed “etc
Im not sure whether to bet on the BBC spin saying its leaving the EU outright or not being enthusiastic about the EU that causes Mammon such trepidation .
Somewhat different situation I think. Murdoch had little to lose or gain by trying to persuade John Major to switch policy on Europe. The Bankers, however, are warning David Cameron that they, and as a result no doubt OUR entire financial system and dependency will be at risk of collapse if we were to leave Europe.
How the hell have we allowed ourselves become so dependant on the viability of the Banks ? And how the hell have we allowed our political masters to make us dependant on a group of countries with which we have little or nothing in common financially or culturally.
Agreed. Like it or not, the welfare of the banks is the welfare of our economy. Whereas Murdoch’s interests are largely his own. Paying attention to the leaders of the industry that generates so much revenue makes more sense than listening to the views of somebody who employs a few thousand and has other motives than the well-being of our most important commercial sector.
General I don’t think that the British Financial Institutions are as financially tied to Europe as you think they are.
They have always been fairly diversified throughout the World. Commercial export trade has been pretty much focused on the EU because of proximity but London as an International financial trading centre has changed little.
I think this is the typical spoof foisted by the likes of the BBC to intimidate the populace into really believing that we are joined at the hip to the EU.
The real trial will be our exposure to EU debt when the Euro starts to unravel either later this year or next.
Of course its all merely the new ‘political presentation’ game beloved of the new political class.
Cameron wants to reinforce his own position which is? Yes of course we all know what his position is, he believes our place is in the new greater Europa, what he needs is a supposed impartial opinion former on his side and hey presto a bankster turns up to confirm what Cameron has been claiming all along.
This is how these scumbags operate today, its dishonest at a molecular level and its nothing more than manipulation and it is how the political class get their message across. So an insider stooge bankster is asked to confirm and support the current political narrative even though their is more than enough evidence to show that the UK would be far better off outside the gangrenous EU.
Now that is something the BBC can get behind isnt it? This is a vehicle for them to showcase their corporate impartiality which as we all know is in their jeans(which of course are in the wash and have been for quite some time).
I’m glad the banks get to have a say, me a citizen certainly doesn’t.
It was quite gratifying to see Paxman showing some spine for once last night. Towards the end of the show he obviously had had enough of the Italian woman blaming the USA for the Euro crisis. I am sure he said “utter tosh” directly to her. There seemed to be an awkward moment and then the show ended soon after.
For once the BBC gave a voice to the anti EU people including Farage. Little attempt was made to counter the charge that the EU is fundamentally anti democratic. Maybe even our pro EU BBC has begun to realise that the English ( I assume the Scots think differently) have just had enough of it and have made up their minds.
As for the bankers. They have no credibility left and can huff and puff all they want. The latest computer failures only serve to highlight their incompetence.
And then later on BBC4 I watched a programme on the Common Law. Quite sound and informative. Of course our legal system is directly threatened by EU empire building. It did highlight just how very differently this country has evolved it’s institutions and how unsuited we always were to a political union with Europe.
What is going on at the BBC?
Well for those who saw it (and for those who didn’t, watch it here.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01k9ptk/Newsnight_25_06_2012/ ..and consider such Al-Beeb funding reports as this.. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9055183/BBC-admits-receiving-millions-in-grants-from-EU-and-councils.html ), last nights Newsnight couldn’t have been too comfortable for EU-adoring Al-Beeb bosses. UKIP’s Farage was on it (only reason I turned over to watch) and, as usual, the top bloke was absolutely firing on all cylinders…especially against pathetic Pantsdown and useless as ever Hain.
If Damian Green and the Conservatives don’t now seriously get their arses in gear and get cracking at clearly delivering what they promised they would in cutting immigration levels right down to just “tens of thousands” rather than the utterly crazily high rate immigration’s yet still running at and that there’s simply no chance in hell the UK can keep coping with then…NO excuses…i’ll probably be voting UKIP next time round.
The Commons needs the huge bollocked brilliant likes of Farage in there!
” i’ll probably be voting UKIP next time round.”
only probably?..
http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/what-what-you-see-with-david-cameron-really-is-what-you-get-5/
Once in a million the BBC gets it right: this time it was the selection of Niall Ferguson to give the Reith Lecture. This morning in the Times [paywall] Ferguson wrote a summary of today’s lecture to be repeated on Saturday at 10:15 on Radio4.
In connection with Cameron’s “scare” briefing by the CEO of Standard Chartered, you can infer from Ferguson that it’s not more regulation that the City needs (which it’ll get sooner or later if we remain in the EU) or the crap regulation brought in by the well-known financial genius Gordon Brown. Rather, our banks and the City require a dose of “Darwinism” or as Schumpeter called it, creative destruction. In other words, we don’t need any particular bank or banks we need the system. Standard Chartered can go bust (as could Northern Rock, HBOS and RBS) or migrate to Hong Kong but the important thing is the survival of the system.
Ferguson recommends a simpler, clearer regulatory system (based on Bagehot’s first principles). However, with such regulation should go condign punishment (prison says Fergusson) of those who fall foul of the regulations (rather than a resignation, a pay-off, a generous pension and, in due course, another comfortable over-rewarded sinecure).
Accordingly, the “threat” from Standard Chartered (as putative spokesman for the City) can be ignored. Anyway the “threat” was not to Cameron – it was a threat by Cameron to EUsceptics. I can’t predict how the BBC will play this but I suspect it will try to avoid a bollocking of its own Reith Lecture appointee.
Despite the assertions by the BBC rep on this thread, the fact is that Murdoch/NI is more important to this country – despite his employees here only numbering in their thousands – than Standard Chartered or any particular bank. A press (warts and all) which – from time to time (but not often enough) – gives our rulers a going-over is more valuable than a City and big business establishment which is in bed with the political class. Unfortunately, the press that now and again cuts up rough does not include the BBC. On the contrary, the BBC colludes with the political class in everything it wishes to promote (more EU, more multi-culti, more “settled science” . . . . ) because, in the end, that’s where the continuation and size of its income is decided although its you and me who are forced to write the cheques.
BBC-NUJ is not interested that RBS (owned by British state), sacked thousands of British workers so that RBS could be incompetently operated from INDIA.
Don’t mention ‘British jobs and taxes to INDIA.’
‘Telegraph’:-
“RBS computer failure ’caused by inexperienced operative in India'”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/9358252/RBS-computer-failure-caused-by-inexperienced-operative-in-India.html
Will Peston and RBS advocate a ‘U-turn’ so that British taxpayers can see at least some of their money goes on British jobs for British workers, NOT to India?
“Indian IT support team behind UK’s Natwest bank meltdown?”
http://zeenews.india.com/business/news/technology/indian-it-support-team-behind-uk-s-natwest-bank-meltdown_54449.html