68 Responses to FRIDAY OPEN THREAD…

  1. As I See It says:
    November 9, 2012 at 11:35 am

    Whilst BBC Radio Salford (5 Live) staff merrily give wholehearted unquestioning support to campaigners who want us all to give up alcohol in January (ah but who will be there to check up on them?), I’m getting impatient for this….

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/01/bbc-inquiry-jimmy-savile-film

    “BBC inquiry into axed Jimmy Savile film to begin interviews next week”

    “There had been complaints that Pollard, a former head of Sky News, had been slow in getting his independent inquiry moving but several BBC insiders say that has changed dramatically this week, with his team actively demanding information.”

    Incurious George at the Commons Select Committee on 23rd October promised MPs a report in 4 to 6 weeks .

    My Christmas celebrations will be incomplete without the resignations of :

    Peter Rippon
    George Entwistle
    David Jordan
    Helen Boaden
    Lord Patten

       44 likes

    • uncle bup says:
      November 9, 2012 at 3:22 pm

      Would you settle for ‘stepped aside?

      Also you forgot to mention the uncurious Mark Thompson. NYT being a listed company there is a degree of disquiet in the Wall St analysts community about Thompson starting on his ‘due date’ Nov 12 while the whole Savile issue rumbles on.

      NYT being a nest of softie leftie, libby-wibby, hopey-changeys will of course do the honourable thing won’t they.

         15 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      November 9, 2012 at 3:43 pm

      ‘but several BBC insiders say that has changed dramatically this week, with his team actively demanding information’
      In the Graun.
      Now those are the kind of facts you can rely on, ‘cos they say so.

         6 likes

  2. Dinsdale says:
    November 9, 2012 at 11:43 am

    Here is a little gem.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20263423

    The best bit is Just under the subheading tax avoidance.

    “Postponing the planned 3p rise until at least April could be paid for, he believes, by clamping down on tax avoidance schemes used by employment agencies.
    “There is a growing problem with some employment agencies forcing workers to become employees of an umbrella company,” he wrote.

    “They then falsely inflate the worker’s travel and food expense claims, reducing tax and national insurance, and pocket the avoided tax as profits.

    I can not think of an istitution which does that, Can you?

       41 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:
      November 9, 2012 at 2:04 pm

      Falsely inflating travel and food expense claims is not tax avoidance. It’s tax evasion and against the law. I trust Mr Balls has evidence for this claim?

         15 likes

      • Dinsdale says:
        November 9, 2012 at 3:22 pm

        depends how its done.

        Only travelling 10 miles but filling out an expense form claiming you done 20 is both theft, and would fall under tax evasion too.

        going somewhere you do not need to go, and your employer paying you very high rates to do so, well that’s perfectly legal.

           6 likes

      • Guest Who says:
        November 9, 2012 at 3:46 pm

        ‘I trust Mr Balls has evidence for this claim?’
        Why… on earth would he need it?
        Facts are for wimps, and those the MSM doesn’t like.

           11 likes

  3. Sinniberg says:
    November 9, 2012 at 11:51 am

    I saw this the other day and although the main page with headline has gone I still found the page itself.

    The main page headline was appalling and when I first saw it I thought that the officer in question had committed murder or something.

    Even the article headline below is little better. It’s only when you read down through the article that the truth about the previous two “killings” becomes(a little) clearer.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20219124

       14 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      November 9, 2012 at 3:49 pm

      ‘It’s only when you read down through the article that the truth about the previous two “killings” becomes(a little) clearer.’
      What is important is that little bit of clearance was at least in there at the bit that everyone really reads rather than, say, the headline.

         4 likes

    • Chop says:
      November 9, 2012 at 3:55 pm

      Love the way that the story is so skewed, that you would find it hard to notice, unless you read the entire article, that the occupants of the car may NOT have had a sub machine gun, but they DID in fact, have other firearms.

         9 likes

  4. Phil Space says:
    November 9, 2012 at 11:53 am

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jakewallissimons/100188661/dont-like-the-licence-fee-simple-dont-pay-it/

    I expect this sentiment is being echoed across the country right now.

       22 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      November 9, 2012 at 3:52 pm

      Seems to have garnered a fair few comments too.
      Not too sure the author’s gig is likely that secure, having lifted such a lid…
      ‘a broadcaster for BBC Radio 4’

         5 likes

  5. pounce says:
    November 9, 2012 at 1:21 pm

    I see the bBC have succeeded in getting another story to replace the one about how they harboured Jimmy Saville peccadilloes.
    Tory peer says abuse claims false
    The problem for the bbC, is in this childish attempt in which to move the spotlight they have left themselves open not only for criticism but for court action. Blogs like this should now keep the fire going in how the bBC should be disbanded.

       25 likes

    • joshaw says:
      November 9, 2012 at 1:29 pm

      Full statement here.

         7 likes

    • Marsh says:
      November 9, 2012 at 3:51 pm

      Gameshow earlier this week was interviewing a victim and was pursuing the evil Tory line with glee. Victim mentioned a 2nd MP and Gameshow immediately jumped to “which party, which party” completely exposing where he was coming from and what was important to him. Thought he had snagged another evil Tory. It’s a real shame, as when he stays impartial, he can be quite a good broadcaster.

         9 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      November 9, 2012 at 3:58 pm

      Sadly, though grotesque, the ‘when did you last stop beating your wife’ school of ‘reporting’ is totally pervasive and near impossible to prove legally.
      That the media also keeps having ‘accidents’ when it suits, and apologises when hauled up, trying to tie a clear smear campaign on tribal grounds would now be like pinning jelly to the wall.
      And any attempt will be flipped to censorship of the press before you can say ‘unique FoI exemption’.

         12 likes

  6. +james says:
    November 9, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    Surprisingly good piece from the Guardian.

    ‘Mistaken identity’ led to top Tory abuse claim

    Local councillor who was victim of abuse at Welsh care home says he does not believe Lord McAlpine was involved

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/08/mistaken-identity-tory-abuse-claim

    So it now looks like the Beeb were out to smear and divert.

       29 likes

    • Wild says:
      November 9, 2012 at 2:00 pm

      In comparison with the BBC The Guardian is a model of good journalism and political balance.

      The BBC is a byword for shoddy journalism and pro-Leftist bias.

         15 likes

      • Invicta 1066 says:
        November 9, 2012 at 2:21 pm

        Is this the same Guardian that campaigns so vigorously against tax avoidance by large companies, encouraging sometimes-violent protests? The Guardian that itself practices the same offshore swindles and now accepts £35K from Vodafone for a full page advertising spread despite the fact Vodafone pays no corporation tax in the UK?
        More principled left wing hypocrisy!

           26 likes

  7. uncle bup says:
    November 9, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    Jeremy *unt was being ‘interviewed’ about something or other by the clown princess of breakfast radio, Gameshow Nikk, and of course there followed the usual ‘ wile yer on’.

    ‘Worrabou Nadine Dorries losing the whip? Wywosin Andrew Mitchell sacked strayaway for calling a pleesman a pleb? Are you calling the pleesman a liar?’

    Jeremy *unt gave him a mild admonishment along the lines of…

    ‘Do you want me to rehash the same argument we had a month ago?’

    Gameshow Nikk, yerjescanmoveon, can yer.

    worra*unt.

       16 likes

  8. George R says:
    November 9, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    INBBC, Middle East and America.

    In Bowen’s pontificating piece on this, he concludes:-

    “Compliant, reliable, authoritarian allies have been deposed. And a new generation that sees America as an adversary, not a friend, is being empowered.” -Bowen could have added, but didn’t:- ‘thanks, in some measure, to political role of Islam Not BBC (INBBC)’.

    “Jeremy Bowen: Obama faces second-term Middle East challenges”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20241088

       4 likes

  9. johnnythefish says:
    November 9, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Last night on the local BBC news a small feature on the police commissioner elections, introduced without any agenda-setting, of course, apart from how the successful candidate will face a huge challenge managing the impact of the massive cuts.

    Cue mini-speeches by the candidates, all of whom apart from one were political party candidates.

    Labour candidate: ‘I will fight the Tory government cuts all the way’.

    Job done.

       13 likes

  10. johnnythefish says:
    November 9, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    Local BBC lunchtime news had to get a savagetorycutz theme going for Remembrance Sunday, and included a feature on a local ex-servicemans’ support charity in danger of closing down due to funding cuts. I did not catch the details as I was concentrating on keeping my balance on the static exercise bike at the gym, but my ears pricked up as soon as Div 2 manager soundalike Andy Burnham appeared on the screen.

    Guess what: he would be fighting the Tory government to stop the cuts.

    Nobody will argue with the work these charities do, and the invaluable support they provide, but do you ever hear the question: ‘Where would you get the money from, Andy?’

    Nope, because it’s back to the land of milk n’ honey with Labour, innit?

       15 likes

  11. George R says:
    November 9, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    U.S. post-election analysis:

    1.) ‘Daily Mail’

    “The slow death of white America: How will the great melting pot adapt to the millions of black and Hispanic voters who swept Obama back to power, asks TOM LEONARD”

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2230215/The-slow-death-white-America.html

    2.) BBC-Democrat:-

    “US election: A vote for the status quo”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/20216166

       2 likes

  12. Louis Robinson says:
    November 9, 2012 at 4:48 pm

    The BBC says “Barack Obama won re-election with a similar coalition that carried him to the presidency in 2008: women, young voters, African Americans and Latinos.”

    It’s their narrative that “white America” is dead.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20240375

    I disagree with this. Obama won because 3 million Republican/Tea Party/Libertarians didn’t show up. A stunning own goal. I see the Tea Party getting active again.

    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/11/08/the_case_of_the_missing_white_voters_116106-2.html

    Percentages are misleading. It’s the real numbers that count. Their hero is not the all conquering demi-God they portray him to be. Obama doesn’t have an overwhelming mandate as we shall see. Of course the BBC will translate this opposition into white rage.

    The fact is that Romney/Ryan got fewer votes than McCain/Palin in 2008.

    While Obama?Biden got fewer votes than Bush/Cheney in 2004.

    On the Hispanic point: following the media’s narrative that everything must be done to placate my lawn guy’s wife, Republican contender for 2016 Marco Rubio is in Ohio today. Does this US election cycle ever stop?!

       9 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      November 9, 2012 at 4:58 pm

      The BBC seems to studiously avoiding the fact that the people who voted for the President because “He cares about people like me” are the same as the non-whites who voted for Him. The supposedly post-racial President has made us more divided than ever, thanks in large part to the racialist agenda of the Democrat Party and mostly due to the complaint media. This obsession with race over values is going to harm the country more than anything else.

      Having said that, the Tea Party needs to clean house and get back to fundamental values and ditch the religion-first crowd. It sure didn’t start out that way, but some hijacking took place over time, which allowed the Democrat operatives with bylines to scare the horses over and over.

         10 likes

  13. David Preiser (USA) says:
    November 9, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    Still looking for a BBC mention of this:

    Merkel calls Christianity world’s ‘most persecuted’ religion

    Opposition lawmakers and human rights groups are criticizing German Chancellor Angela Merkel for claiming that Christianity is “the most persecuted religion worldwide.”

    Lawmaker Jerzy Montag of the opposition Greens party on Tuesday described Merkel’s comments as “mistaken” and “not very helpful.”

    Rights campaigners said ranking faiths according to how persecuted they are is pointless.

    Human Rights Watch noted that Muslims in Myanmar, members of Falun Gong in China and Jews in many countries worldwide also face persecution.

    Surely the BBC should be highlighting Merkel’s “error”? Perhaps they’ll lead “The 10” with it? I note also how the Human Rights Watch rebuttal inadvertently exposes the BBC’s silence on Jews facing persecution.

       11 likes

  14. As I See It says:
    November 9, 2012 at 5:09 pm

    Something rotten in the state of Newsnight?

    The Beeb are oblidged to report this today

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20267832

    ‘Lord McAlpine said: “I have never been to the children’s home in Wrexham, nor have I ever visited any children’s home, reform school or any other institution of a similar nature.

    “I have never stayed in a hotel in or near Wrexham, I did not own a Rolls-Royce, have never had a ‘Gold card’ or ‘Harrods card’ and never wear aftershave, all of which have been alleged.’

    Peter Allen meanwhile asks whether listeners to BBC 5 Live have any stories about haunted toilets and bathrooms (oh the whimsy, bye bye Aasmah Mir).

    The BBC on line try to blame ITV, the internet – in fact anyone and everyone except Newsnight

    ‘On Thursday, the prime minister said he feared a “witch-hunt” by those commenting online about child abuse allegations.

    He was commenting on ITV1’s This Morning programme after being unexpectedly handed a list of names of people whom the show’s presenter said were being mentioned online as paedophiles’

    I say all power to the lawyers on this one.

    Looks like Paxo and co are stuffed for Xmas

       17 likes

  15. Shirk says:
    November 9, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    Oh dear, it gets even worse for Newsnight. It’s rats-in-a-sack time as the Guardian sticks the boot in:

    Lord McAlpine given no right of reply on Newsnight film about abuse claims

    “Newsnight chose not to contact peer ahead of film that appears to have wrongly accused a ‘leading politician of Thatcher years'”
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/09/newsnight-lord-mcalpine-abuse-allegations

    “More follows…” they promise.

    Goodbye Newsnight, with any luck!

       15 likes

    • Sir Arthur Strebe-Grebling says:
      November 9, 2012 at 6:12 pm

      Giving those criticised a right of reply is a staple of journalism – and required by broadcasting regulations. Ofcom’s broadcasting code, which regulates the BBC when it comes to fairness and privacy, says that if a programme “alleges wrongdoing or incompetence or makes other significant allegations [against an individual], those concerned should normally be given an appropriate and timely opportunity to respond”.
      So, this should be another nail in the bBBC’s coffin. But watch them wriggle and squirm and throw more mud at innocent others.

         12 likes

    • Bodo says:
      November 9, 2012 at 6:39 pm

      Not just bad for Newsnight… The entire BBC was involved in this smear.

         13 likes

    • It's all too much says:
      November 9, 2012 at 7:04 pm

      “A former resident of a north Wales care home has apologised for making false allegations of sexual abuse against a Conservative politician.

      Steve Messham said a case of mistaken identity had led to peer Lord McAlpine being linked to the historical claims.”

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20269114

      So the whole Tory-cabinet-minister-pervet meme is completely FALSE, and could have been dispelled in seconds by the BBC had they questioned their informant or carried out some basic journalistic checking. This is apparent incompetence on such a scale that one has to suspect ulterior motives in light of SaVile.

      What will the BBC do now? They have smeared shit all over the Tories’ “Thatcher era Cabinet Minister”, and more broadly over conservatives in general.

      Any chance that they will recognise just how damaging and partisan this attack has been? Looks like they have jumped at the chance divert the Government for SaVile and put the boot in. It has backfired in the most spectacular way, but the faeces has stuck.

      I hope that Lord McA humiliates them comprehensively in the courts and really shows just how shoddy, incompetent, partisan, self serving and politically biased the BBC is all the time. On the upside (and apologies for the scatalogical theme to this post) the BBC now appears to be fouling itself collectively as they have a glimpse of the abyss they were hoping to ‘dump’ the Thatcher era cabinet minister’….

      Lets hope that after the court case the BBC’s “watertight” editorial oversight is savagely dismantled in a hugely embarrassing public exposition (a la the News of the World). Remember folks, the BBC is an organisation that has chosen, based on the assertions of strongly partisan charities/pressure groups and perhaps some genuine scientific ‘believers’ whom it declines to name (having spent 400K in court to prevent the publication of the names/organisations), to abandon even the pretence of impartial reporting on Warmism as a fundamental principle of its Editorial Guidelines.

      How many other editorial policies has the BBC “settled” in this manner – by getting 25 advocates of X socialist policy or single issue Caridees into a room and agree that dialectical materialism is an established scientific fact, because they would like it to be so…..

         17 likes

  16. Sinniberg says:
    November 9, 2012 at 6:13 pm

    Sorry to go off thread and for another topic but I see that the publicity for Children In Need has started but I’m wondering just how “succesful” it will be this year in light of the Jimmy Savile/BBC issue.

    Indeed, the very thought of it makes me feel uneasy.

    Could there be a backlash from the public this year?.

       11 likes

  17. Bodo says:
    November 9, 2012 at 6:37 pm

    So after a week of BBC headlines full of allegations of child abuse against “leading Tory politician of the Thatcher era’, it now turns out that they are totally without foundation. The accuser (mesham?) admits he was wrong.

    This looks like it has been nothing more than a calculated smear against the tories and an attempt to divert attention from the BBC savile scandal.

    Tories needa Rottweiler backbencher to grab hold of this story and punish the BBC. Heads should roll.If they don’tcrucify the BBC over this then they don’t deserve to be in power.

       14 likes

    • returned emus says:
      November 9, 2012 at 7:03 pm

      Will papers like the mirror and the star be forced to publicly retract, on front pages, their ‘Tory paedo’ headlines. Will that smug Eddie Mair be forced to confirm that there is no evidence whatsoever that any conservative politician was Ever involved and apologize for all the hurt, fear and intimidation they have caused. CLOSE DOWN NEWSNIGHT.

         15 likes

    • It's all too much says:
      November 9, 2012 at 7:11 pm

      I wonder if there will be any examination by back bench MPs and a baying press corps of the “fit and proper” status of the BBC given the magnitude of this debacle. Come on Mr Watson, you did a bang up job on News International – now you need to clean out this augean stable as well.

      ***tumbleweed***

         16 likes

    • Wild says:
      November 9, 2012 at 7:42 pm

      It is OK, the BBC have just said it was “in the public interest” for Newsnight to run an item which declared that a top Tory politician is a child rapist. So that’s alright then. What a relief. I thought for a moment that the BBC were Anti-Tory smear merchants.

         20 likes

  18. Idontpaythebbc says:
    November 9, 2012 at 7:13 pm

    BBC You And Yours subject ; longer lorries .
    Kimberley Klark a MANUFACTURER has commisioned a study by Huddersfield University into whether longer lorries are feasible in the UK .
    The talking heads were a Doctor from the university and a green eco lady from Sustainable Transport pressure group .
    Lots of misinformation , the main one being that the eco woman blaming the road haulage industry for wanting bigger , heavier ,longer trucks .
    WE DONT . The BBC journo never corrected her that it was a MANUFACTURER who is pushing for this . Outside the RHA and FTA and Denby Transport , drivers and hauliers have no desire for bigger trucks . Why would they ?

       9 likes

  19. Neil Turner says:
    November 9, 2012 at 7:43 pm

    Just heard the BBC 7pm News say that “we asked the BBC for a statement” about (the McAlpine debacle) “but there was no-one available to comment”

    Night have paraphrased this a little, but you’ve got the gist.

    You couldn’t make it up !

    The BBC reports on itself, investigates itself “independently”. What’s next ?

       10 likes

    • George R says:
      November 9, 2012 at 7:47 pm

      One section of the publicly owned broadcasting monopoly playing poker-faced games with another section.
      What a sick joke.

         11 likes

  20. Neil Turner says:
    November 9, 2012 at 7:44 pm

    Just heard the BBC 7pm News say that “we asked the BBC for a statement” about (the McAlpine debacle) “but there was no-one available to comment”

    Might have paraphrased this a little, but you’ve got the gist.

    You couldn’t make it up !

    The BBC reports on itself, investigates itself “independently”. What’s next ?

       7 likes

  21. David Preiser (USA) says:
    November 9, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    Doh!

    Human Carbon Emissions Seen by Researchers Holding Back Ice Age

    Human emissions of fossil carbon into the atmosphere and the resulting increase in temperatures may be holding off the next ice age, according to research from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg.

    “We are probably entering a new ice age right now,” Lars Franzen, a professor of physical geography at the university, was cited as saying in an online statement today. “However, we’re not noticing it due to the effects of carbon dioxide.”

    Franzen and three other researchers calculated how much of Sweden might be covered by peat lands during an interglacial, the period between two ice ages. Peat absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, and the study found that the country’s carbon-sink potential could increase six- to 10-fold, which theoretically might cause a drop in temperatures.

       5 likes

  22. George R says:
    November 9, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    BBC-NUJ: what no Islamic Pakistan and Afghanistan reporting now?

    BBC-NUJ seems to have decided to cut back reporting on Pakistan and Afghanistan. It has dropped its news webpage on ‘South Asia’, substituting its ‘News Asia’ page, which is more about China now.

    So BBC-NUJ avoids this:

    “Pakistan: Muslims chanting ‘Kill the Hindus’ attack Hindu temple, assault women”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/11/pakistan-muslims-chanting-kill-the-hindus-attack-hindu-temple-assault-women.html

       4 likes

  23. George R says:
    November 9, 2012 at 8:07 pm

    HSBC: another banking scandal; but al least Shariah law out of favour.

    BBC-NUJ has this:

    “HSBC’s Islamic closures highlight dilemma”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20265125

    -but BBC-NUJ doesn’t have this:-

    “HSBC’s Islamic closures highlight dilemma”

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bdb5f212-0f1c-11e2-9343-00144feabdc0.html

       1 likes

  24. George R says:
    November 9, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    Correct headline for BBC-NUJ report above should be:

    “HSBC investigating claims of criminal account holders”

       1 likes

  25. Deborah says:
    November 9, 2012 at 8:21 pm

    According to Crick on the Channel 4 News nobody from Newsnight even showed Messham a photo of McAlpine. I don’t know who did but thank goodness that it must have happened in front of sufficient number of people today that Messham wasn’t able to recognise ‘the accused’ that Newsnight couldn’t cover up their incompetence.

    By the way from the Channel 4 News tonight I could have believed that Crick had never worked at the BBC, certainly not Newnight. A rat who has already left the sinking ship?

       9 likes

  26. Phil Ford says:
    November 10, 2012 at 12:35 am

    If you missed tonight’s edition of Newsnight I’d stronly suggest watching it on iPlayer when its available; truly, a most surreal experience. Oddly, none of the regulars around, so Eddy Mair was parachuted in, as he was when the Savile scandal broke, to front the show. And, boy, was he not impressed. 😆 It has to have been one of the strangest BBC broadcasts and a true nadir for the flagship programme. Highly recommended viewing. A study of a once mighty beast, publicly felled and wounded – by its own shoddy journalism. Gotta laugh.

       11 likes

  27. George R says:
    November 10, 2012 at 12:40 am

    The following must go now (not necessarily in this order):-

    – Entwistle;

    -Patten;

    -‘Newsnight’.

       6 likes

    • Reed says:
      November 10, 2012 at 3:58 am

      BBC News standards in journalism – part 1 :

      Genuine sex abuse claims against BBC employee – Can it! It’ll damage us.

      Spurious (now proven false) claims against Tory – Run it! It’ll damage them.

      Feel free to add further parts…

         5 likes

  28. wallygreeninker says:
    November 10, 2012 at 9:20 am

    A classic case of ‘the truth -you can’t handle the truth’ occurred on 5 live last night when ‘wake up to money’ Andy Verity, standing in for Nolan, conducted a phone interview with Michael Schearer, ex-CIA intelligence officer and Professor of security at Georgetown University, about Petraeus’ resignation.

    Schearer said he was too old and cynical to believe in coincidences and thought it may well have been brought about by Petraeus’ wishing to avoid giving testimony under oath, which he was due to do in five days time, about the events in Benghazi. He has already said that it was not the CIA who held back the cavalry from going to the rescue, there, but did not want to have to accuse the White House directly, of being responsible. Schearer then went on to roundly condemn as fiction, Obama’s narrative about the nature and growth of the Islamic (although the One will not even allow the word Islam to be used in connection with it) threat to Europe and America. Both Panetta and Petraeus had gone because they couldn’t go along with it: no doubt Obama would now find a yes-man to run the CIA
    It was up to one of the guests to point out to Verity that he had just had a scoop – the security services calling their president a liar. But Verity was having none of it – he moved swiftly on.
    at 2hrs 6mins in:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nphf6

       6 likes

  29. noggin says:
    November 10, 2012 at 10:30 am

    bbc news this morning still “peddling” the narrative of this
    “a little moral slip” palava …. 3 times inside of an hour taking up nearly ten minutes …….
    now when the last time al bbc mentioned benghazi/libya
    in connection with obama eh! … beneath contempt

       4 likes

  30. capriole, peter says:
    November 10, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    I haven’t noticed anybody comment yet on the BBC bias from Thursday 8th Nov. on BBC Four , and the episode “The Year the Town Hall Shrank- 2. Power -The May local elections are looming, but will voters in Stoke look to the BNP?

    It had all the hallmarks of BBC documenting, and so reads their blurb on the prog.…..

    “The May local elections are looming. It’s judgement time. Who will voters blame? Council leader Mohammed Pervez or the government who ordered the cuts? Are they about to turn their back on conventional politics and look to a new voice – the BNP? The BNP gained a foothold in Stoke in the previous local elections and are now defending more seats there than on any other council in the UK. 33-year-old unemployed dad Mickey White is new to the party and standing for the first time. His outspoken party leader is Councillor Michael Coleman, ostracised by his family for joining the far right. He claims Islam is the most immediate threat to the people of Stoke. Stoke is the key battleground for the BNP and they choose to launch their national campaign manifesto in the city. They have to fight off a grass roots offensive from anti-fascist groups who unite to try and see off the BNP for good.”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01nrnh3/The_Year_the_Town_Hall_Shrank_Power/

    The BBC have already burnt their fingers many times with the BNP and dodgy documentaries, and one would now expect in the wake of the scandal with Newsnight, some attempt at impartiality. Given the undisputed real existence of an Islamic paedophile ring in Rochdale, we all remember Paxo when he was interviewing Nick Griffin (or others) on Newsnight (pouring his customary cold water on the paedophile story that was breaking then). But what a different approach from Newsnight when it concerns a ‘leading Conservative Thatcher era politician’ that typically turns out to be imaginary character! What lengths do they go to expose such claims.

    But do they learn? No, they just get worse. This BBC film made in 2011 before the actual confirmation of even paedophile rings in the BBC, had all the hallmarks of Pallywood made on English streets. Naturally, vivid HD coverage of the “grass roots offensive from anti-fascist groups” together with more than enough SWP placards. I got fed up with the repetitive shouting by a few of the unwashed, of “nazi scum, etc, off our streets” but the BBC doc makers obviously thought we should like to hear this ad nauseaum.

    Naturally when Milliband turned up, together with Tristram they were given the red carpet docu treatment (no protestors) just the “star” treatment, we were all bedazzled.

    One wonders if a demo outside the BBC with a few individuals shouting “paedophile scum” would have the same cringing effect on BBC staff? Apologies would no doubt ensue: The BBC is a massive organisation, maybe we have had a few paedophiles in our ranks, especially in radio, and we have apologised for this and set up enquiries, but to brand the whole of the BBC “paedophile scum” is well over the top, it sounds absurd because we know that most of us are not what you are intolerantly shouting at us.” So the argument would no doubt run, but when the shoe is on the other foot?….

    The coverage of the care home and nurses and the old people was well done but once again the questioning of the Labour Council leader Mohammed Pervez on this matter was really soft gloves. The voice of George Osborne at the beginning and coverage of violent demos as a reaction to the “Tory cuts” showed us from the very beginning of this BBC doc, the path that would be taken. BBC impartiality, particularly when it concerns political themes and coverage of parties is a complete joke!

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  31. wallygreeninker says:
    November 10, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    If you carry on listening to the radio 5 clip, in the link I give in the ‘classic case of truth you can’t handle the truth…. comment above, a few minutes after the end of the Schearer interview, you can hear Owen Jones mentioning Lord Ashcroft as being accused of being a paedophile. In the current climate this was a very silly thing to have done. I assumed it was just a slip of the tongue from a slightly flaky character, and one which he quickly corrected, but over at Guido’s there are suggestions that Ashcroft ought to sue Jones.

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