The top BBC story of the day?
Man loses temper and shouts some angry abuse at copper who refuses to open a gate for him.
Man apologises. Copper accepts apology. Done and dusted.
Yes? No.
Can there ever have been a day in which the BBC proves itself more totally irrelevant and highly politicised?
A complete non-story is whipped up into a maelstrom of pseudo political significance by an ever more desperate Labour Party and a Police Federation with a grudge, and all egged on by a gleeful BBC who have spent, what, hundreds of thousands of license payer’s (the Plebs) hard earned pounds today reporting what must be the world’s least earth shattering story.
Nick Robinson must be hanging his head in shame somewhere in embarrassment.
But seeing as we’re on the subject let’s look at what the BBC considers the crux of the matter…..the ‘fact’ that Mitchell dared to call a police officer a ‘pleb’.
Did he? Might he not of called him ‘Plod’ or ‘F’ing plod’? Rather more likely perhaps.
The BBC have the evidence…it tells us the Sun has the police report which states that the word ‘pleb’ did arise in the course of the little contretemps.
The BBC presenter said that this is ‘proof” then that Mitchell did say ‘pleb’. It’s in the Sun, so that’s OK then. Except when it’s about Liverpool football fans.
However is the police officer telling porkies…or did he just mishear Mitchell?
Why is the use of ‘Pleb’ of such interest to the BBC? Nicky Campbell claimed there was ‘an ugliness about the word’. It smacks of arrogance, a born to rule attitude, a flashman type character that we all really suspect is, at heart, what every Tory is like, grinding the face of the poor into their own poverty at every opportunity.
The BBC are not so ready to condemn similar class catcalls when indulged in by Labour…..only recently in PMQs Miliband was accusing Cameron and Co of being ‘rich poshboys’…and apparently it is acceptable to bash the ‘Tory Toffs’…or to claim Cameron is unfit to govern due to his Eton background.
Why is that a rather odd stance? Which school did Labour’s economic hero Keynes go to? Eton. Which school did the US’s aristocratic but democratic President Roosevelt go to? The US equivalent of Eton…Groton….and yet he introduced the Left’s iconic ‘New Deal.’
The BBC had little to say when the police federation accused Cameron of ‘hollow sympathies’ when the two police officers were shot recently. Is that not far more insulting and out of order?
The BBC have no hesitation in denouncing the ‘plebs’ which they disagree with…they just call them by a different name….. ‘populists’, or Daily Mail readers, or evangelical Christians or climate change ‘deniers’, or Tories or Republicans, or UKIP voters.
The big difference is that Mitchell spoke in anger, a flash of temper, rude and obnoxious perhaps but in the heat of the moment. Perhaps forgiveable.
The BBC however speak in cool, considered tones which they have had time to think about and alter if they wish.
The trouble is they don’t wish and are quite prepared to ridicule and deride anyone they consider less educated or intelligent or cultured as what they are.
There is no difference between their own character and the image they portray of the Tory lording it over the common man. They are every bit the arrogant Flashman they affect to despise.
You say pleb; I say chav.
That should get dim shouty Owen Jones another fat fee from the bBBC.
Unfortunately for viewers, Sky News beat the Beeb to the punch by having Shouty on giving us his wisdom about the incident the day after the story broke.
On Breakfast this morning they said “This just won’t go away, will it?”
I thought “No it won’t, because of YOU.”
And they don’t want it to go away either. They want his head, Cameron’s too.
Yes, best thing would be to only print the story in the Guardian, which would limit the circulation to those who are interested in it……. all those left wing media types and politicians whose sole cultural references come from that rag.
So what do you call a thick policeman who considers a cabinet minister on a bicycle to be a threat to security ?
Maybe that “thick policeman” was thinking about what could come in through the open gate whilst the ‘snobby twat’ politician was riding out of it?
I doubt he thought that far ahead…
Remember when the BBC would dismiss stories as being merely a frenzy whipped up by the Sun over nothing?
Yep, strange bedfellows…only a few months ago the BBC was trying to eradicate the Murdoch empire and now apparently they are comrades in arms against a common enemy.
It would seem that there ARE some instances of ‘ghastly tabloid populism’ that BBC journalists will cover – when they suit their purposes.
Quite agree. This is the most non story I can remember. But it is not just the BBC, the Daily Mail are obsessed with it – it was front page on the Mail on Sunday. Compare that with how they treated the accounts – from numerous sources of the appalling bullying behaviour of Gordon Brown. The private office were a bunch of wimps not fit for political life. Is the British media the worst in the world? Discuss.
As Mitchell seems to be one of the Cameroons most hated by Tory backbenchers, I don’t doubt they are doing their best to keep the story in the headlines.
As I have said on another website earlier today, Mr Prescott punched a voter. That behaviour is far more unacceptable (in fact criminal) than someone losing their temper and using a few words. But I don’t recall anyone taking any action against Mr Prescott; no calling for him to be sacked, no agitation to have him prosecuted. In fact, I don’t think the low IQ pugilist was even reprimanded by the HoC disciplinary committees. And Mr Blair dismissed it as ‘john being john’. The bbc, the socialist claque that infests all areas of public life turn a blind eye to every breach of manners if it’s one of their own but can’t contain themselves if it’s one of their enemies.
And as you say, if this is what this lot consider to be news then God help us.
Remember when John Prescott was hounded from office for punching a heckler…
…neither do I.
Well, he was more than just a heckler wasn’t he.
But ” Hey that’s john, john is john ya know?”
Of course, if there is a time when the BBC is going to trust plod it is when it’s their word against a Tory MP’s.
When it comes to the case of the man whose death provoked the 2011 London riots the police are not to be trusted so quickly and totally with their side of the story.
Or when they shoot a black gangster who is pointing a loaded gun at them.
Until it comes out in court that the black gangster was pointing a loaded gun at them. Then the Beeb just drop the story.
‘A complete non-story… ‘ – sorry Alan, have to disagree here mate. This man is an arrogant, upper class prat with a history of treating those ‘below’ him in contempt; if Mitchell had his way he’d take us back to the 18th century and would have you and me cleaning his boots and carrying away his bedpan. Calling someone a pleb in this day and age, especially an officer doing his duty, is an utter disgrace and tells us all we need to know about these useless posh toffs running the country who see themselves as socially superior. All the parties are now run by upper-class posh boys who’ve never done a day’s work in the real world – Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Ed Miliband being notable examples. Until we have proper businessmen and real people from industry running government we will continue to plummet into the doldrums of despair. But Liebour and Limp Dumbs whining about the whole Mitchell episode is a little hypocritical as they are all Eton posh boys/girls as well!
“if Mitchell had his way he’d take us back to the 18th century and would have you and me cleaning his boots and carrying away his bedpan”
…you can tell all that from his ALLEGED use of one word?
Yes, and by the way he speaks and what other ministers IN HIS OWN PARTY have stated about him; oh and his neighbours have also stated that he is an arrogant and nasty bit of work. Oh, and it was as a result of his arrogant largesse that we see THIS COALITION GIVING AWAY 11 BILLION IN FOREIGN AID WHILST WE HAVE OUR OWN PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS. You only had to have listened to his ‘apology’ this morning to realise what an arrogant egotist he is. And, going on our politician’s track record of not being totally honest I would tend to believe a police officer’s word against this man.
I agree with Alex. My issue with the Beeb is the bias. Whether I agree with the bias is not the point.
So ‘pleb’ is a no-no, but you feel quite free to chuck around “useless posh toffs”, “upper class prats” and the like as terms of abuse. Ho ho, no hypocritical little flies on you are there ?
“if Mitchell had his way he’d take us back to the 18th century and would have you and me cleaning his boots and carrying away his bedpan. “
Maybe you, old chum, but the Bugs have always been super duper operators in the higher reaches of ye olde realme here, far above the parvenu Camerons of the world. Now then: fetch my slippers sharpish, or it’ll be the taste of the lash for you ! Oh, and send along your good lady wife while you’re at it for a quick game of “hide the sausage.”
Your post is amusing but you misunderstand the crucial point: I am a political nobody, a normal person… so I can say whatever I like as I haven’t been elected on the backs of normal people to represent all and act at all times as a person who has been invested with trust. Andrew Mitchell is in public office and is there to work for all social classes; if he said this in the pub as a normal person I wouldn’t care (although, if he said it to me I’d stick the head in him and use his head to exit the nearest door!) There endeth the lesson.
I was thinking the same. Labour politicians, and even our former Prime Minister, can cast class-based aspersions with as much venom as they can muster without the faux-outrage and affected shock from the assembled media luvvies.
Dennis Skinner has made a career out of espousing virulent class hatred, but we’re obliged to find the old bastard charming. I don’t.
If this was a Liebour pleb, it would be a no news story.
This is an ideal story for them – it gives them the opportunity to dust of their ‘Tory Toff/ aloof snob” scripts and repolish their ‘Flashman’ labels ready to re-apply to any passing Conservative MP.
Unfortunately, this is just the way it goes – there are some things that Conservative MPs simply cannot say and get away with to the same degree as those of other parties. It might not be fair, but they need to learn these unwritten rules. It still remains a complete non-story, though. MP loses temper, says something ill-advised to police officer, apologises….and that’s apparently the biggest story in our nation at the moment. Pathetic…no wonder journalists are almost as loathed as politicians.
Off topic but this will cheer most of you up, apart from Dez, Nicked emus and Dim Dandy…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19706404
Yes indeed!
http://tinyurl.com/286uqyj
Far from it. I am delighted. I have every confidence in the US legal system will give him a fair trial and if found guilty he will be sent to jail.
What made you think I wouldn’t welcome the law taking its course?
I dont know what Mitchell said, but his version of what he said rings far more true than the alleged version which seems designed to be as unpleasant and arrogant as possible. Would he really be so obliging to enemies of the Tories?
Mike, I tend to agree, it’s a very public place, these are offices on duty and always there, the language written down just doesn’t ring true (even though plodette has it in her log book), if something like those words were used I suspect it was muttering under his breath (like Mutley) as he did as he was told…he is many things but not stupid and all this seems very, very stupid.
I for one hope the BBC double down on this over tomorrow, the next day, and until Mitchell eventually goes.
Maybe then the Tories will get into their THICK FUCKING HEADS what they are up against.
Good grief even the Grauniad agrees that it is a non story:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2012/sep/24/andrew-mitchell-police-row-move-along
One of the comments…
Self :
Agree with M White.
Mitchell has added to the gaiety of the nation, while revealing himself to be a bit of a knob.
Most sickening is the BBC (as usual). Their attitude to, for instance, small business owners opposed to high taxes and the EU, is no different to Mitchell’s attitude towards the policemen.
Mitchell earned brownie points with the liberal elite by cranking up the amount of money we squander on foreign aid. The BBC probably think taking a top Tory scalp trumps his good work in money squandering.
The fact remains that he is an arrogant snob, and his view of the people he serves as plebs makes him unsuitable for the position he holds.
Perhaps the BBC are doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
It’s not just the BBC though. Sky has been all over it too. And Channel 4. You have to think they will pursue anything but have to cover the bloody LibDems annual gobfest in jolly green Brighton, home of the kaleidoscope nation.
Love this tweet about the LibDems conference…
Odd thing Lib Dem conference. It’s about discussing all the policies they would pursue if only they didn’t have power.
Let me get this straight, Mr Prescott (during his time as Deputy Prime Minister) can lash out and physically punch someone in the face and can ‘tup’ a civil servant over his ministerial desk; Gordon Brown (during his period as Prime Minister) can terrrorise any number of civil servants by throwing a ‘Nokia fit’ twice or three times a week and even a desk printer (reportedly); the central political press team for Prime Minister Gordon Brown can collude right under his watchful eye to smear and spread malicious lies about Tory opponents and their families; anyone in the shadow cabinet can, and does, call Tory ministers anything they like, anywhere they like….. and the Labour Party can still trot out, one after the other, day after day, half the shadow cabinet, without one scintilla of a blush in shame, to call for the resignation of someone who REPORTEDLY called a policeman a name, and swore at him ?
And, of course, none of the same Labour Party echelons will ever have been on a march or protest and used foul language to a police-person, will they ?
And the BBC falls in line with this bunch of hypocrites ?
Sorry – what am I thinking about – of course they do – it’s in the genes.
expect to see Prescott in the SCD audience
Worse he ruined that civil servant’s career as her behaviour was outwith civil service rules and regulations but the Beeb never remarked on that aspect.
It was classic droit de seigneur by Lord Prescott.
Surely it`s Andrew just being Andrew!
Aren`t the Tories absolute shit?
Anyone remember this toothy bitch?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2015202/MP-letter-blast-blind-man-Out-way-Labour-whip-shouts-reporter.html
An apology and it was all over and it was probably more serious. What about Labour thug Eric Joyce headbutting a fellow MP?
The beeb are very selective when it comes to the misdemenours of MP’s, did they ever make such a fuss over the Labour MP’s above? Err … no is the answer to that.
I don’t remember that incident at all and it only happened last year (and I’m not yet senile). It is far worse than anything Mitchell said even according to the Police’s own claims.
The BBC obviously kept it as low key as possible, and there can be only one reason for so doing. Would one of Helen Boaden’s little supporters on here please supply a coherent answer as to why the BBC treat these two stories so very differently.
I only remember this because Guido (I think) covered it. I don’t think it made it to the main news bulletins, and it certainly didn’t lead the news for days in a row. Considering that the target of the abuse was a disabled person, it would seem to be a much more unpleasant instance of insulting arrogance.
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/leftwatch/2011/07/should-further-action-be-taken-to-discipline-labour-mp-lyn-brown.html
There’s also this from a few years back. Again, Labour MPs reminding us all who the real nasty party is…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354323/Mocking-disabled-MP-feel-physically-sick-says-equalities-chief.html
Tory MP Paul Maynard, who has cerebral palsy, complained that he was openly jeered by Labour MPs while he was making a speech in the Commons.
He said his tormentors stretched their faces in a grotesque attempt to mimic his condition and tried to put him off his argument.
Disgraceful! I think this one got a little more coverage, but again the perpetrators were not subject to the trial by media that Mitchell is undergoing – and the ‘victim’ was a police officer, not exactly a ‘vulnerable member of society’.
Not that any of this excuses his behaviour (if true), but others have done far worse and slipped under the radar.
As far as Paul Maynard goes, the BBC reported it as being mocked by his colleagues (presumably as in fellow MPs) but implying, completely dishonestly, that it was fellow Conservatives.
Damn, spelled misdemeanor wrong. Looks like I won’t be winning this years Biased BBC spelling bee.
There is one paragraph in the leaked police report that, for me, stands out.
“There were several members of public present as is the norm opposite the pedestrian gate and as we neared it, Mr MITCHELL said: “Best you learn your f—— place…you don’t run this f—— government…You’re f—— plebs.” The members of public looked visibly shocked…”
So where are these shocked members of the public? Not one has yet come forward to say that the heinous word “pleb” was used and Mr Mitchell is lying? The BBC (and, come to that, everyone else) seems less than curious.
Seems like our noble Bobbies are suddenly blessed with ‘sources say’ abilities in projection that would score them an Editor’s slot chez Aunty before you can say ‘enhance the narrative’.
And lack of curiosity, when it suits, is surely a mandatory all round?
If you asked for this handful of “shocked members of the public” to come forward you will probably find more than 200 who will confess to being there and hearing it. All 200 will, purely coincidentally, be carrying Labour Party membership cards or BBC employee passes.
Also isn’t it far more likely he called a policeman “Plod” rather than “Pleb”. By pretending to hear the latter the “offended” copper is playing at inverted snobbery for the benefit of Labour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19716941
BBC apology to Queen over Abu Hamza disclosure
I’m not sure an apology is enough; they should resign, surely? That’s how it works, right?
Unleash…. The Prescott!!!!!!
In some parts of the world, this seems defined as a BIG story…
http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/anti-us-protests-middle-east/story/pakistan-minister-stands-film-maker-bounty-20120925
Maybe Mr. Mitchell’s problem was weakening under pressure? Those who stay resolute seem to be able to scare off those who claim to hold others to high standards, and account, with ease.
“Andrew Mitchell, gate-gate, and what a ridiculous row over the word ‘pleb’ reveals about Britain
Is this what politics in Britain is reduced to? Endless blather and chatter about what Andrew Mitchell did or didn’t say? Pathetic! Grow up and get serious, people.”
by Amol Rajan.
[Excerpt]:
“Around the world there is brutal oppression, vast joblessness, plague, famine, war and suffering, and in this sodden country we devote vast acres of newsprint to whether or not an elected official uses patronising language after leaving work. This is pathetic, and perhaps the inevitable consequence of a tired, sterile culture in which common affluence and intellectual docility produces disputes that fundamentally do not matter.
“It was particularly dispiriting, when the story broke last week, that senior Labour figures and representatives of the police should be wheeled out to demand that Mitchell be relieved of his duties. Dispiriting – but predictable. ”
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/andrew-mitchell-gategate-and-what-a-ridiculous-row-over-the-word-pleb-reveals-about-britain-8167384.html
Some more common sense here…
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2012/09/shane-stone-obsessed-with-andrew-mitchell-the-british-media-is-neglecting-the-police-story-that-real.html
PLEBISCITE.*
Let’s have a plebiscite on whether the police is outstripping its authority in demanding that a Government minister is sacked for using the word ‘pleb’.
*
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plebiscite
The Tory party has very powerful enemies on the left says the Daily Telegraph and it would appear to be true. They are the polar opposite of lefty Labour who are supposed to be socialist philanthropists but in actual fact are Union ridden, money grabbers whoNEED the poor or they wouldn’t have a job. The BBC then wouldn’t have anyone to complain about to perpetrate their constant miserable bad news (even if it is good they turn it into a negative). The disgraceful story of Andrew Mitchell is all the more low because they are all working on speculation, nobody knows what was really said but the BBC prefer to believe a story in the Sun tabloid rather than the Tory party. Watch the Labour party conference and the BBC fawning, then watch the Tory party conference where the BBC will be negative and derisive. This is certainly not democracy at work more like a State broadcaster who think they can shape the country themselves. I wonder why we all pay a license fee when they do not represent the whole country.