278 Responses to WEEKEND OPEN THREAD…

  1. Pounce says:

    I see the bBC continues to promote its CC and cutzs to the EA as the reason why flooding occurred (despite the fact that less rain fell these past 2 months than in 2007 and 2000)
    UK floods: Damage ‘could have been prevented’
    Booms the bBC headline, yet what’s this directly underneath:
    Some of the damage caused by the recent floods could have been prevented if the correct water management techniques had been used, says a group of leading environmental and planning experts.

    The optimum words here being, some ,could and has.
    So it seems that this isn’t the fact based story the bBC is screaming out about, but rather one of…supposition.

    Isn’t it amazing how the bBC can fill any studio with so many experts in which attack the Tory Government, The Christian church (unless of course they are attacking the government) But never ones in which to even debate the causes the left champion:
    Islamic paedophiles
    Labour paedophiles
    bBC paedophiles
    bBC drug taking
    CC
    bBC expenses

       81 likes

    • DickMart says:

      They could have saved themselves £40k by looking at this website.

         37 likes

      • stewart says:

        ‘fake complaints!’ commissioned by hte BBC themselves.
        Now we know were the accusation of right wing bias comes from.

           16 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      The BBC Trust Press release on this is interesting:
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/2014/mystery_shopping_2014.html
      Especially given those who lurk ready to deny any complaint is worthy of even being addressed… excuse me, ‘responded to’ (presuming ‘we are comfy in the belief that you can’t face taking this further’ counts, positively, as a response? Detail doutbtless FoI exempted if requested? The stats provided seem worthy of deeper analysis).
      Had to admire how satisfied the BBC’s researched audience were with the BBC.
      Along with the obligatory ‘BBC’s programmes and services are loved by millions’ from a trusty Trustee.

         20 likes

  2. DICK R says:

    By water management techniques do they mean dredging?

       31 likes

    • Pounce says:

      Here’s the actual letter, it seems they want to do what the EA was doing all along:
      As landscape architects, architects, engineers, hydrologists, ecologists and other specialists with the experience necessary to tackle flooding, we would like the Government to be aware that the expertise of our professions is available and, we believe, urgently required.

      While we are pleased to hear that the Prime Minister will provide leadership and funding, it is essential that government actions are based on best practice developed over many years.

      Water management techniques could have helped prevent the effect of flooding on villages, towns and over surrounding land seen recently. Emergency measures are in order for the immediate crisis. But in the long term, the management of water requires a clear strategy.
      We need to look at how forestry, land management and soft-engineered flood alleviation schemes can hold back water in the upper reaches of rivers, and how dredging may assist in the lower reaches.

      We need to fit sustainable drainage systems comprehensively for existing buildings and all new buildings. Buildings and land that cannot be properly protected should be made resilient to withstand flooding. All new housing on flood plains must be resilient when built.

      Co-operation is needed between the professions, the water companies, internal drainage boards, local authorities, the Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales. They must all work with landowners and residents to be effective.

      In the Environment Agency are people experienced in addressing these problems, as there are among the members of all our organisations. We need to mobilise that joint expertise.

      We are asking David Cameron to convene without delay a cross-departmental conference, including the professions, with the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Communities, the Environment Agency and National Resources Wales, similar to the one convened to address the problem of ash dieback.

         23 likes

      • Ember2013 says:

        Yes, the BBC article and “Breaking News” gives two impressions:
        1)It was Cameron’s fault
        2)There should be more funding

        When it is clear that better management (aka competency at the EA) was needed.

           61 likes

      • Pounce says:

        Nothing more than an attempt in which to get their hands on the (now inflated) public purse in which to fill their own pockets. Think I am kidding here are the experts who wrote the above:
        S E Illman
        President, Landscape Institute

        George Adams
        President, Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers

        Heather Barrett-Mold
        Chair, Institution of Environmental Sciences

        Martin Baxter
        Executive director – policy, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

        Shireen Chambers
        Chief executive, Institute of Chartered Foresters

        Adam Donnan
        Chief executive officer, Institution of Environmental Science

        Michael Doran
        Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

        John Gregory
        Institute of Fisheries Management

        Sally Hayns
        Chief executive officer, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management

        Louise Kingham
        Chief executive, Energy Institute

        Steve Lee
        Chief executive officer, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management

        Karen Martin
        Chief executive, Arboricultural Association

        Dr Peter Spillett
        President, Institute of Fisheries Management

        Alastair Taylor
        Chief Executive, Institution of Agricultural Engineers

        Professor William Pope
        Chairman, Environmental Policy Forum

        Mike Summersgill
        President, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management

           34 likes

        • Richard Pinder says:

          The government should abolish the environment agency, and give back the powers to the internal drainage boards.

          I would not think that the left-wing morons at the BBC would do any research on this, but I would say that the bureaucracy and left-wing ideology imposed by the agency on these organisations, must costs five times more than the practical costs of drainage.

          Also I think that the experts who run these boards would not want all these parasites and hangers on to push them around, just because the idiot Cameron has given them buckets and wheelbarrows full of cash.

             47 likes

      • Deborah says:

        thanks Pounce, so the Today interview this morning was using the BBC to promote a bid for carrying out some work.

           17 likes

  3. John Smith says:

    I watched Dreaming the Impossible: Unbuilt Britain. I like architecture and have been cautiously dipping into the BBC4’s season on the subject. Don’t know what to say about it really. I remember when the BBC could have got all that content into a half hour with a bit more punch and style. Perhaps it was because every second word out of Dr Turner’s mouth seemed to be XENOPHOBIA. I am used to academics living in their own sandboxes and only knowing a smattering about related topics but it was poor. During the long 19th century Britain was no more xenophobic than any other European nation. Indeed I am sure we actually governed a good deal of the planet more through skilled diplomacy, guile, and dare I say an appreciation of other cultures that would shame one of today’s so called diversity worker? I know academics have a problem with the idea of the nation state within Europe. I feel many of them would love to return to the 15th century where Europe was virtually a Catholic commonwealth. For supposedly progressive thinkers many academics, especially in the humanities and arts, aren’t very progressive. They are hostages to the past, or should that be there own version of the past? And like all long term hostages suffer from Stockholm Syndrome it appears. If it wasn’t for Reformation, Treaty of Westphalia, and a number of other incremental events that brought about the modern world Dr Turner wouldn’t be lecturing us on XENOPHOBIA but would be at home looking after her husband’s house! The programme was just so anti-British. If anything it didn’t champion Britain’s civil engineering efforts but belittle them.

       58 likes

    • blinkbox says:

      Indeed I am sure we actually governed a good deal of the planet more through skilled diplomacy, guile, and dare I say an appreciation of other cultures that would shame one of today’s so called diversity worker?

      You are sure?

      Just two examples of our glorious past:
      1. The wiping out of ALL the Tasmanian aborigines
      2. The utter and complete failure to take action in the Irish Famine.

      They thought that the rest of the world was inferior to their god given rights. Letting a million starve to death was of no consequence. A million of their own subjects. Wonder why Ireland was the first country to escape being an exploited country.

      Thought not.

         5 likes

      • Hampstead Bulk Lubricants Ltd says:

        You seem terribly guilt ridden. May I suggest suicide?

           59 likes

      • Pounce says:

        Well, here something the bBC is more than happy to promote this vision that the UK is multicultural , that actually the UK has no indigenous population.

        To that end, how can you attribute the actions of yesteryear onto the (in the eyes of the left) the transient population of the Uk. Of which while I am a British born citizen , my parent s were born in India, so how the hell can you try to heap all the sins of yesteryear onto me and my own.
        BTW as sad as the demise of the Tasmanian aborigines was (is) the fact remains they themselves were transients themselves and did themselves kill off the original peoples there?

           29 likes

        • Pounce says:

          Should read as:
          BTW as sad as the demise of the Tasmanian aborigines was (is) the fact remains they themselves were transients themselves and did they themselves, kill off the original peoples there?

             10 likes

          • Abel Tasman says:

            Probably not. It’s thought they were from the mainland but were dispossessed and annihilated by the Australian aborigines in neolithic times. That’s life.

               18 likes

      • Richard Pinder says:

        I owe my existence to the Irish famine, thank you, Granddad’s Mother’s Granddad left Bantry Bay because of the famine, some others went to Tasmania, by that time the indigenous population had gone the same way that the indigenous Neanderthal population of Europe went, mainly by infectious diseases, brought in by immigrants.

        A bit like the indigenous population, in Labour inner-city, NHS Hospitals.

           35 likes

      • Alan Larocka says:

        Yeah why not just forget anything good and focus on your lefty obsessions. Keep taking the medication and don’t go outside.

           28 likes

      • Andy S. says:

        Another leftie piece of myth-making masquerading as history. Shocking as the potato famine was, there WERE attempts by the British Government to alleviate the suffering. Even Queen Victoria ordered relief work to be undertaken. Admittedly the attempts were not wholly successful, but to say the famine and its effects were aggravated by an uncaring British Government is a total lie. Check the historical record instead of Nationalist propaganda.

           44 likes

        • stewart says:

          I dont think the Irish still subcribe to that ‘all the fault of the english’ myth any more.
          In addition to the state (still recovering from a post war economic depression) doing what it could,millions of pounds were raised through public appeal .
          I read a piece some time ago, by an Irish historian, that laid the blame for the suffering at the feet of the Irish middle class.
          I’m not qualified to know how true that is. He was a leftist so it may have been just a bit of class war revisionism
          I dont blame blinkbox though , he clearly gets his history from the BBC

             23 likes

      • Joshaw says:

        Which is why so many former colonies chose to join the British Commonwealth, as it used to be known, on gaining independence.

        No Spanish, French or Belgian equivalents, as far as I’m aware.

           36 likes

      • John Smith says:

        The Irish famine was a serious situation but I suggest you do your own research and not just believe the myth promulgated by left wing academia because there were attempts to fight the crisis. First to leave really? How’s independence within the EU suiting them? How come we had to give £7billion to prop them during the financial crisis because their economy is so dependent on ours? Tasmanian aborigines? How does that counter what I said about the empire being a product of politics and clever diplomacy and not armed might? Go look how many white Europeans were India during the Raj and then tell me it was all down to military power. How the heck do you come up with Tasmanian aboriginals? Obscure. Really, really obscure.

           28 likes

      • haddock says:

        If you had read history of the English poor you will have read about the ;Hungry Forties’ and starvation among the rural poor in England, especially in the southern counties; a great many emigrated or were sent abroad rather than have them as a drain on parish rates, Rich landowners were not just beastly to the poor poor Irish, they were pretty beastly to all poor people.

           16 likes

      • Frank Words says:

        First to escape eh?

        Ever heard of the United States of America.

        If you cannot get a simple fact like that right it rather undermine the rest of your juvenile leftist diatribe.

           11 likes

      • johnnythefish says:

        What a coincidence. A bile-filled Brit-hater who also happens to be a defender of the BBC.

           16 likes

      • mo says:

        blinkbox. Some of what you say is partialy true. What you fail to state about Britain is a lie by ommission. Truly. Attempt to think about what you write in an overall context.

           4 likes

    • Richard Pinder says:

      In the 19th century, British Liberals wanted to end poverty and civilise Afghanistan, by invasion.

      In the 21st Century, British Liberals wanted to end poverty and civilise Afghanistan, by invasion.

      I think the difference is that naked imperialism was honest because they flew the flag, but today they use puppet leaders and tax payers money to bribe them to do temporary PR stunts around imposing modern western imperialist ideals on things like women’s education and gay expression.

         27 likes

  4. Phil Ford says:

    So, last night’s Question Time, then. A pretty mouldy, tepid pile of insubstantial nonsense, even by its own p*sspoor standards, at least we were treated to the not unsurprising spectacle of die-hard lefty writer Jeanette ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’ Winterson bleating on about the ‘urgency of a global response to climate change’ which will (she assured us) ‘destroy the planet’ if we ‘fail to do anything about it’.

    She was asked about the recent floods, not that you’d know it, since she ignored all that and instead launched into a fierce pro-CAGW propaganda piece. Nobody felt the need to point out to the misguided woman that even the Met Office, by their own admission, can’t identify any connection between so-called CAGW and the recent flooding. Still, she was permitted, untroubled by the ever willing Dimbles, to deliver her sermon in deferential silence from her fellow panellists, none of whom apparently felt obliged to take her to task for making a fool of herself (again).

    Never mind, this piffling lack of evidence (not that she was ever asked to provide any, course) to back up any of her nonsensical, unscientific ramblings wasn’t going to stop our fearless champion of Agenda 21 from evangelising the usual discredited, tired, climate hyperbole we are by now so accustomed to having to endure every week on QT, all of which, no doubt, allows the BBC to tick its pro-CAGW compliance box, but it really does begin to sound more shrill and less convincing than ever, the longer this witless comedy goes on.

    Your license fee at work, folks.

       89 likes

    • Ember2013 says:

      Nobody felt the need to point out to the misguided woman that even the Met Office, by their own admission, can’t identify any connection between so-called CAGW and the recent flooding

      I’m afraid there were only two people on the panel who could have said that. One was a philosopher who clearly doesn’t understand the science (or more likely doesn’t care) whilst the other: Hammond, gave in to the climate change meme some time ago and didn’t want to appear as a “denier” by nuancing his reply with recourse to the phrase: “not man made” – and suffering some brow-beating from Winterson.

         49 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      Dreadful, no, how none of our quote leaders have the cojones or even intelligence to speak out against globalwarmingsorryclimatechange.

      I put ‘almost’ before the ‘none’ their and then thought the better of it.

      Votes, taxes, and extra- and or post- parliamentary earnings for them.

      Desperate.

         33 likes

    • John says:

      Not to mention
      A) Her whole hearted support for bishops attacking the Tory welfare reforms, from their massive bling filled palaces run by small armies of servants. Amazing what can be ignored by an experienced ranter.

      B) even better, attacking the open outcry that is PMQs by interrupting and talking (shouting!) over everyone else throughout the program. A delicious irony.

         38 likes

  5. Onesideofthestory says:

    Reggie Yates’ Extreme South Africa – The White Slums
    So many errors and bias’ to mention; here is a start:
    Before even meeting the white people at the camp Yates presumes that he will be treated differently due to the colour of his skin, already implanting the viewers’ minds that all white South Africans are racist.
    Yates implies that all urban blacks lived in compounds during the apartheid years. Apartheid treated people differently based on race but the implication was incorrect. Whilst single black miners’ did live in compounds, the majority lived in brick family dwellings in ’black’ areas, Mine or Rail houses or single ‘servant quarters’ in ‘white’ areas. Often when more people illegally moved to the urban areas in the hope of a better future demand outstripped supply leading to squatter camps. Many black people had better homes than the bottom tier of white South Africans, particularly those not in government jobs.
    When driving through an affluent area the commentator fails to point out that there is no distinction as to who owns the homes, these houses might well be populated by black affluent families.
    When commentating at the prison the commentator does not say that both black and white prisoners were subjected to the same degrading treatment. It is possible that the commentator does not know this but surely the BBC should balance this with facts?
    Not all white people treated their fellow South Africans badly, nor were all black people badly treated.
    Affirmative Action is not Reverse Racism, racism is racism: there cannot be reverse racism. Affirmation Action is just as unfair and unjust as Apartheid.

       45 likes

    • David Brims says:

      South Africa was the only functioning nation on the continent of the dysfunctional basketcase that is Africa. Is it because South Africa was full of British and Dutch people ? In 1967 they performed the first heart transplant, now they couldn’t make an aspirin.

      Blacks stoning a fellow black in Port Elizabeth, warning, it’s graphic.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoEviIcjWkM

         39 likes

      • David Brims says:

        European Liberals threw our fellow kinsmen in South Africa under a bus, I can identify with South Africans but I really can’t identify with Pakistan, Syria or the Congo. Different people, religion and ” civilisation” and I use that term loosely.

        http://www.southafricaproject.info

        whitelocust.wordpress.com/morality-and-abstract-thinking-how-africans-may-differ-from-westerners/

           25 likes

  6. Pounce says:

    How the bBC inserts its own brand of impartiality into any story about Gaza, which as usual is riddled with inaccurate facts:
    The Apollo of Gaza: One fisherman’s amazing catch
    A statue thought to be an ancient bronze of Apollo, Greek God of poetry and love, has dropped off the radar after being found in the sea off Gaza last summer and surfacing briefly on eBay. It is 2,500 years old and priceless. Jawdat Abu Ghurab used to be a builder but in 2007 Israel restricted the delivery of building materials to the Gaza strip, so he became a fisherman like his father.

    Ah poor Jawdat, he left his life’s calling of being a builder in which to become a fisherman in 2007 because the nasty Israelis imposed a blockade. But hang on why did Israel close the door to Gaza in 2007. Could it be because Hamas by the use of the bullet ,bomb and roof top carried out a coup and took power in Gaza? You know that same Hamas which the year before invaded Israel via tunnel killed 2 soldiers and kidnapped another (Gilad Shalit).
    So because of the Israeli blockade, no building materials could get into Gaza, which is for years now the media has been replete of stories of a building boom in…Gaza. Even the bBC reported that salient fact in 2011 , 2 years before Jawdat found the statue. Another News Agency reported the same in 2009.
    Then, there’s how Jawdat only took up fishing because he couldn’t continue building? Well while the bBC reports him as 29 years of age, everybody else quote him as 26 So in 2007 he would have been either 19 or 20. Must have spent a long time learning his trade, so in order to feed his family he took up his families trade of fishing which he would have no doubt leant helping his father as all small boys do.
    Then there’s how the bBC kind of refuses to state just who took it. Well thankfully due to the internet we find out that:
    A local armed brigade took control of the statue, and someone listed it for sale on the online auction site eBay, with a starting price of about $500,000, according to authorities. The posting raised suspicions among officials in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Interior Ministry in Gaza, which is governed by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The antiquities authority and the Interior Ministry opened an investigation into what they said they suspected was an illegal attempt to sell the work of art.”It is against the law to sell an artifact found in the Palestinian territories and Gaza in an illegal manner,” Ahmad Al-Burch, head of the antiquities department at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Gaza, told CNN.
    The bBC then report:
    ”Hamas police refused my request to see it.”
    But at the Guardian we find out:
    ”Officials at Gaza’s tourism ministry told Reuters the statue would not be shown to the public until a criminal investigation into who tried to sell it was completed.
    And as for Jawdat and his pay day:
    “The people who took the statue said they would send me a handsome reward after they sell it, but we have not got anything yet,” he says.
    Yet again over at the Guardian we read:
    ”However, Ahmed al-Bursh, the ministry’s director of archaeology, said he had seen it and promised that Ghrab would receive a reward once the issue had been resolved.

    Anybody else think that the bBC, just can’t report any story from the region truthfully?

       30 likes

  7. Pounce says:

    The bBC tries to reinvent a despot as the New Mandela:
    Mugabe turns 90: Nine things you may not know
    Robert Mugabe is turning 90 and a weekend of celebrations is planned in Zimbabwe to celebrate the president’s long life. Born in the village of Kutama, south-west of the capital, he was educated by Jesuits and went on to become a teacher before joining the liberation struggle, spending 11 years in prison and becoming Zimbabwe’s first leader in 1980. Here are nine things you may not know about him – and which may hold the key to his longevity.
    Look up how many times the article informs you He was a prisoner and then contrast that with how he has the blood of thoudsands of his own people on his hands. I wonder why the bBC didn’t mention that or this little snippet for that matter which I read in the guardian the other day, an article i should add doesn’t make him out to be some kind of victim of …whitey, but rather a blood thirsty despot who has brought misery to Zimbabwe for over 40 years.
    Robert Mugabe’s lavish 90th birthday plans decried as Zimbabwe struggles
    Plans for a lavish $1m (£600,000) celebration of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s 90th birthday have been condemned as the country lurches towards another financial crisis. The tribute to Africa’s oldest head of state – and second oldest in the world after Israel’s Shimon Peres – is expected to surpass last year’s party, when special gold coins were minted and Mugabe was presented with a cake said to weigh 89kg. But the costly event will come amid heavy job losses, slowing economic growth and what the central bank describes as a “severe and persistent liquidity crunch”, reviving memories of the disastrous meltdown five years ago. Mugabe, who continues to defy the march of time and constant health speculation, travelled to Singapore this week for cataract surgery on his left eye, according to his spokesman.

    The bBC, which continues to defend the truly, evil out here because they hate.. White people.

       45 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      The bBC tries to reinvent a despot as the New Mandela:
      ————————————————————————-

      Yep, and the Old Mandela wasn’t all that and a bowl of frosties either

         32 likes

  8. Thoughtful says:

    Take a look at this map and see the true extent on the winter rainfall on the UK. We are being told that ‘we’ have had the wettest winter on record, this is a lie! The South East of England (which the London centric BBC believes is all of the UK) has had a record rainfall, but the rest of the country has not.
    In fact most areas have seen a slightly above average or in some cases less than average amount, yet the headless chickens of the Climate Change alarmist brigade would have you believe that the entire planet is about to implode because the South East is a bit wet !

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564358/Could-Met-Office-wrong-Just-floods-secret-report-told-councils-Winter-drier-normal-especially-West-Country.html

       37 likes

    • CCE says:

      An average of 486.8mm (19.16 inches) has fallen across the UK since November beating the previous record of 485.1mm (19.01 inches) set in 1995

      Cripes, that extra 1mm has been responsible for all that flooding. Who would have thought it.

         21 likes

  9. George R says:

    As this article is in ‘Daily Mail’, Beeboids won’t have seen it:-

    ” How can Harriet call herself a feminist after this?”
    By JAN MOIR

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564409/JAN-MOIR-How-Harriet-call-feminist-this.html#ixzz2ty1U5qYb

       40 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      I think that this story is a good example of how powerful and unscrupulous the BBC is. A major national newspaper has a story of interest about senior politicians and runs it for three days, but as far as I know, the BBC has made no mention of it. Clearly their intention is to ignore it and hope it goes away. And, as they control the news agenda of the country, they have a good chance of getting away with it. The politicians concerned have very likely been told what the BBC editorial policy will be, and so they are able just keep their heads down in the certain knowledge that large sections of the population will never even know that they have these embarrassing skeletons in their past.
      Of course, we all know that, as the spoof article in the Mail points out, if the politicians had been Tories the BBC would have led with the story every day until they had forced the resignation of the three concerned.
      This is a clear case of the BBC abusing its state funded, near monopoly position, in order to suppress a newsworthy story that doesn’t fit with its own views and of course one which would damage Labour.
      In a democracy having any one provider of news and current affairs content as dominant as the BBC is a thoroughly bad thing. The BBC were right to be worried about Mr Murdoch having too large a share of the market but for the wrong reasons. And what was true for Murdoch is four times as true for the BBC. It must be closed down or broken up into at least four separate organisations which receive no state funding for their news and current affairs output.

         52 likes

      • LurkerDroneNumber141 says:

        The BBC (via Gameshow Nikki) have used the excuse that the story can never be mentioned because of legal ramifications. Yet, if that were true (that the Mail are breaking some law or other), then surely there should be a story about “the story”? Something along the lines of “The Daily Mail today defended its decision to publish controversial allegations about, blah, blah……etc”
        But there is nothing. An absolute prima facie example of BBC left-wing political bias by admission of a story of great public interest.
        Of course, they are “chomping at the bit” (©Gameshow Nikki), just waiting for the OK from the lawyers – which will probably be around about the same time that they release the Balen Report.

           42 likes

  10. Pounce says:

    So how many people know what all the trouble in the Ukraine is about. Its not as if the bBC have bothered their arse in telling you why, Thankfully the Economist reported why a few weeks ago a lot clearer than the bBC has done:
    “WE ARE not in a bidding war with Russia” is the refrain of senior Europeans whenever they talk about the turmoil in Ukraine. In fact, they sometimes are. Now events in Kiev, particularly cack-handed attempts to suppress its protests by force, have given the European Union an unexpected chance to try again with the offer that went spectacularly wrong two months ago. Indeed, the EU could yet help to pull Ukraine back from civil strife and salvage its battered European ideals.

    November’s Vilnius summit with the EU’s eastern neighbours was meant to be crowned by the signing of an association agreement and all-encompassing trade deal with Ukraine. It would have extended to it most of the EU’s single-market rules. But President Viktor Yanukovych unexpectedly rejected the deal and turned instead to Russia, which had threatened to squeeze out imports and also offered a $15 billion loan and cheaper gas—all in hopes of luring Ukraine into its own Eurasian customs union.

    Outraged Ukrainians took over Kiev’s Independence Square (Maidan), rather as in the Orange revolution in 2004 (also directed at Mr Yanukovych). The president’s attempts to deal with the challenge with violence only made things worse. In January Mr Yanukovych pushed through repressive legislation, copied from Russian laws, and tried to clear the streets by force. This led to bigger protests, the death of several demonstrators, concerted pressure (rather more effectively from America than from the EU) and a semi-revolt by oligarchs. Taken aback, Mr Yanukovych sacked his prime minister, offered a conditional amnesty and is now seeking a deal with his foes.

    Thanks to this, the EU is back in the game. Its foreign-policy chief, Catherine Ashton, went to Kiev this week to encourage a deal between Mr Yanukovych and the opposition. So did Victoria Nuland, America’s assistant secretary of state for European affairs. The two weeks of the Sochi Olympics hosted by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, may offer a window for diplomacy to pull Ukraine back from what Leonid Kravchuk, a former president, has called “the brink of civil war”. Thereafter, Mr Yanukovych may feel less restrained from more violent tactic.

    The Europeans disagree over what went wrong. To some, Mr Yanukovych played them as fools, using the EU deal to improve Russia’s offer. To others, the EU was wrong to insist on the release of Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister jailed by Mr Yanukovych. A third theory holds that the EU offer lacked a crucial element: the promise of eventual EU membership. A fourth says the very notion of an “eastern partnership” was misconceived. It was born out of the failure in 2008 to put Ukraine and Georgia on the road to NATO membership. Extending the EU’s economic border, as opposed to NATO’s military one, was seen as less provocative. But Russia came to treat it as equally objectionable.

    All these debates have now been overtaken by events. The brutishness of Mr Yanukovych and the feistiness of the protesters (despite less savoury radicals in their midst) means the key question is no longer the terms of any deal with the EU but the nature of government in Ukraine. Is Mr Yanukovych a man the EU can do business with? Little matter. Lady Ashton is focusing on a constitutional settlement to reduce the president’s authority, and possibly early elections. Was it a mistake to stake all on the flawed Mrs Tymoshenko? She is now a sideshow. The immediate issue is the proposed amnesty for jailed protesters. Did the EU make the right offer? Irrelevant for now. The association agreement has been set on one side.

    Attention is now on a new economic package from the EU and the IMF. This is not necessarily dependent on the association agreement, but rather on a new government undertaking economic reform. “Our offer is easier,” says one European minister. “Our condition is that Ukraine should start fixing its economy. Russia’s condition is that Ukraine should become a vassal.”

    http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21595957-how-europe-nearly-lost-ukrainebut-may-yet-regain-it-keep-door-open

       17 likes

    • Alan Larocka says:

      Brilliant camera angle on the EU press conference teh otehr night – the card underneath her read ‘C.ASHTON’ How appropriate.

         26 likes

    • chrisH says:

      Two of my favourite historians-John Laughland and Michael Burleigh-have both written on the Ukraine-and with wildly different arguments.
      I`m with Laughland-and therefore Putin in the main-but if Burleigh is on the side of the EU, its probably more nuanced than that.
      In fact, I listen to R.T…which at least gives some context, as opposed to the BBC and its perpetual sniffing of wherever Baroness Ashton chose to sit…

         23 likes

      • stewart says:

        That’s the problem with the BBC’s coverage
        Just as with Iran,Egypt and Turkey they seem to have sided with the protesters without any clue of who they are what they want or whether they represent a consensus
        A bit of journalism with that agit-prop wouldn’t go amiss

        Though in fairness I read the first 3 page of the torygraph this morning without having any of those questions answered.

           15 likes

        • flexdream says:

          No one has questioned the election of Yanukovych as Ukraine’s President so I assume it’s agreed he won that election, a bit like with Egypt’s Morsi. How would we feel if armed protesters occupied Trafalgar Square and demanded the government change policy. I suspect the picture in Ukraine, like Syria, is murky and not goodies vs baddies.

             15 likes

          • Guest Who says:

            ‘How would we feel if armed protesters occupied Trafalgar Square and demanded the government change policy’
            —-
            It’s as if the spirit of Paul Mason never left the building. Never met a violent protestor he didn’t need to spend the evening with, understanding their motivations.
            These things are invariably complex, but the BBC’s default support position is getting predictable.
            I recall a World News FaceBook where they started out by asking if the Thai PM should resign, which appalled Thai posters who pointed out the government was elected whilst the rock throwers (and worse) were not.
            Propagandising for any ‘side’ is dubious enough, but the BBC seeming to err on propagandising for those keen on armed insurrection will get them a bad reputation. So not getting a beer may be the least of their worries.

               19 likes

            • stewart says:

              “but the BBC seeming to err on propagandising for those keen on armed insurrection”

              Vicariously living out their adolescent fantasies perhaps?

                 12 likes

            • zoid says:

              “Propagandising for any ‘side’ is dubious enough, but the BBC seeming to err on propagandising for those keen on armed insurrection…”

              Unless of course they’re protesting about a socialist government, as in Venezuela, in which case the Beeb will try its best to do the journalistic equivalent of shutting its eyes and sticking its fingers in its ears.

                 13 likes

    • feargal the cat says:

      A game changer? Or just a flashback to 2004? http://news.sky.com/story/1215658/tymoshenko-freed-as-ukraine-dictatorship-ends

         2 likes

    • mo says:

      nicely written piece Pounce

         3 likes

  11. George R says:

    An article which BBC- ‘Open Borders’- NUJ would never support:

    “The Folly of Open Borders”

    [Excerpt]-

    “We Europeans do not have an obligation to destroy ourselves. Africans, Muslims and others are adults and should be able to fix their own problems. Moreover, Europe and the wider Western world simply don’t have the strength to fix all of the problems of Africa, the Islamic countries and the rest of the developing world, even if we wanted to.”

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/fjordman/the-folly-of-open-borders/

       35 likes

    • George R says:

      “UK GOVERNMENT ‘POWERLESS’ OVER IMMIGRATION, CLAIMS EXPERT”

      http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/02/21/uk-govt-powerless-over-immigration

         27 likes

    • Dave s says:

      The liberal would say that the Europeans are so uniquely sinful that only their extermination can appease the great God of empathy,non discrimination and correct thinking.
      They have been taught to hate themselves so well. The disfunctional failed states of Africa and the ME are thus the Europeans fault.
      Unreal rubbish but that is what they believe. Now it would not matter if liberalism was a small ignored cult but it dominates in key areas of our culture.
      The why is for the historians of the future. For now it is time to end their overlordship.
      At stake is our grandchildren’s future. So never argue with them. Never discuss and turn your back.

         17 likes

  12. George R says:

    Will Islam Not BBC (INBBC) criticise Muslim groups for demanding censorship of ‘Daily Mail,’ and Richard Littlejohn?

    (Only kidding.)

    ‘Breitbart’ has:-

    “MUSLIM GROUPS SEEK CENSORSHIP OF ANTI-ISLAMIST SATIRE AT DAILY MAIL”

    http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/02/21/Muslims-groups-seek-to-censor-satire-at-Daily-Mail

       27 likes

    • noggin says:

      Meanwhile … as demands and calls censorship go on and on.
      Robin Hood would turn in his grave, as the ahem “enrichment” of minarets hit Nottingham.
      http://www.nottinghampost.com/Nottingham-s-minaret-set-installed-new-Sneinton/story-20670575-detail/story.html

      “It creates a multicultural society so we are all living happily together. It’s very important because unity is strength.” … errrrrr! right.
      … bit like all those church spires in Mecca eh! Imam
      care to explain how “multiculturism” works for non muslims there.

      “how do you know a Muslim is lying? …
      his mouth is movi … awwww! … I ll let you finish it”

         30 likes

  13. George R says:

    INBBC does not seem to be aware of what’s going on currently in, e.g. Islamic Indonesia; but, if it were, would it agree with this principle of ‘reciprocity’?:-

    As Christians are not allowed to build Churches in Islamic countries, Muslims should not be allowed to build Mosques in Christian countries, such as Britain.

    “Indonesia: Armed Muslim mob blocks construction of church”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/02/indonesia-armed-muslim-mob-blocks-construction-of-church

       34 likes

    • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

      ” As Christians are not allowed to build Churches in Islamic countries, Muslims should not be allowed to build Mosques in Christian countries, such as Britain.”
      Errr..no, that would be racist, and as a certain fat lesbian comedienne has told us, it only works in one direction.

         30 likes

  14. stuart says:

    i think the bbc and radio 5 live need a good slap across the legs at the biased way they have covered this uprising by the decent folk in the ukraine against this communist pro putin gangster goverment that has been oppressing and murdering there people for years with impunity,to smear the decent ordinary working class people of ukraine who stood up to these stalinist bullys and murderers as far right extremists just sickens me to the teeth.you expect the russia media and rt on freeview to smear the people of ukraine because they are communists,for the bbc to smear these freedom fighters who have died and many injured fighting injustice and opppresion as far right groups and extremists just confirms to me that the bbc are just another propaganda branch of the russian media,lets hope now that the people of ukraine have gained there freedom from these communist thugs and never again do innocent civilians including those policemen have to lose there lifes because of the vanity of these communist leaders who dont care about there people,next stop north korea,lets rid the earth of these stalinist mass murderers from the face of the earth.

       12 likes

  15. GCooper says:

    Meanwhile, with events in the Ukraine commanding the BBC’s attention, of the situation in Venezuela, where one of its favoured communist murderers is slaughtering people left, right and centre, little is being reported.

    Indeed, at 5pm on the BBC’s laughably titled ‘news’ website (they mean ‘news we want you to know about’) there is not a single word about Venezuela.

    Surely, it couldn’t be because of the BBC’s deep embarrassment at its open support for Hugo Chavez and his successor’s monumentally failed ‘experiment’, could it?

    Yes., it could. And it is.

       43 likes

    • Beeboidal says:

      I watched the BBC 1 Ten O’clock News just now. Quite a long piece about the Ukraine, which is fair enough. Nothing about Venezuela.

         22 likes

      • Beeboidal says:

        Switched over to Newsnight in the vain hope that Newsnight might want to be a little bit different from the rest of the BBC. No chance. Ukraine covered and nothing about Venezuela.

           17 likes

        • chrisH says:

          Funny too that the “compromise” earnestly and painfully achieved yesterday can be ripped open within 18 hours-by the Opposition_and this is not condemned by the BBC.
          Had the Ukrainian Government done this-there would be uproar from the Government and the BBC.
          But no-“people power” and celebrity sportsmen makes for a “populist/popular” brew that should be very exciting-nay glamorous-to film…and so it`s preferred by the media…gives good pictures, shouldn`t last too long either.
          Disgraceful slurring, and will store up a lot of trouble soon-we may well have another Syria or Egypt on our hands, but these populist idiots who give us our “analysis” won`t mind that as long as it`s grim and doesn`t involve too much risk for themselves.
          After the Arab Springs you`d think they`d be careful-but no, they rather seem to like these recurring terrors to fill up slow days.
          About time the BBC got neutered once and for all-they are inciting violence, and Putin will hopefully deal with them for us very soon….

             11 likes

  16. bob says:

    patricia hewit,harriet harman,jack dromey,complete silence on there connections to p.i.e.no bbc interest why ?.you would think they would want to clear there names

       52 likes

    • Pounce says:

      All those so called intelligent people and not one asked why a group of paedophiles advocating under-age sex with children would call their group:
      PIE
      Anybody with half a braincell would not only have refused to have anything to do with, but also would have reported them to the Police..

         34 likes

    • Lobster says:

      Let’s face it, if these three had been members of UKIP the BBC would have gone into hyperdrive.

      Incidentally, what has happened to the usual suspects on this site regarding this? Are they awaiting instructions from the hive? Come on Scotty, Dezzie, Albie & co, put us out of our misery, let us know your thoughts – the suspense is killing me.

         52 likes

      • GCooper says:

        Yes, and wasn’t one of those clowns only last weekend claiming he had yet to find a single justification for the claims of BBC bias on this site?

        I can’t remember which if the little toads it was, but it was one of the usual suspects.

           34 likes

      • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

        The answer is obvious to me.
        Scott etc have all been given tne same advice from tne albeeba legal team that gameshow has mentioned.
        So therefore, they cant comment.

           5 likes

  17. Geoff says:

    “Muslim solicitor’s career in ruins after she lied to cover up her father’s speeding points”

    Can’t find this story on the BBC News website, fair play to the Mail for getting reporting restrictions lifted. Of course it begs the question how many cases do we not get to hear about because of ‘Cultural reasons’ ? I don’t suppose the story will be on Look North tonight either…..

       55 likes

    • mikef says:

      Quentin’s article is a brilliant pastiche of how the BBC would indeed cover this if there was a remote possibility of incriminating any Tory MP. It just shows what a load of this (anag) stirrers the BBC are.

         37 likes

  18. Peter says:

    BBC accused of spending £40k of licence fee cash on fake complaints about itself.
    <a href="http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/reality-tv/bbc-fire-spending-40k-fake-complaints-real-ones-free-well-heres-one/
    Apparently they were testing out a new complaint management system.
    Has anyone got the heart to tell them that it doesn’t work?!

       24 likes

  19. Reed says:

    Fake Tory paedo scandal – BBC trumpets and loudhailers

    Real Labour paedo scandal – BBC zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    Surprise, surprise, the BBC has ignored our expose of Labour’s links to a child sex scandal. QUENTIN LETTS imagines its reaction if those involved were Tory

    For three days the Mail has published shocking details about how leading Labour politicians once supported a vile group that campaigned to legalise child sex. They include Labour’s current deputy leader, Harriet Harman. Yet, astonishingly, the BBC has not touched the story — presumably because those involved are from the Left. But what if the three politicians had been Tories? QUENTIN LETTS imagines how things would have been so very different.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2564334/QUENTIN-LETTS-From-Today-Newsnight-Beebs-frenzy-Can-evil-Tories-survive-scandal.html

       36 likes

    • Reed says:

      Oops – frk has already posted.

      Never mind – it needs repeating as often as possible. 😉

         22 likes

  20. sirus says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xu7hu5OOvE…the best prime minister we never had = peter hitchens

       8 likes

  21. DB says:

    Katty Kay was in Rio this week doing some background reports relating to the World Cup. As a major news figure she was ideally placed to go to Venezuela and give the protests the serious international focus they deserve. Instead she flew back to Washington. Pathetic.

    Imagine if Matt Frei was likewise on assignment in Rio doing colour pieces for a future sports event – would Channel 4 tell him to skip a major protest movement in Venezuela, finish what he was doing, and go home? I don’t think so – Channel 4 may have some of the most stridently left-wing hacks in UK broadcast journalism (and thus sympathetic to the Venezuelan government) but even they wouldn’t miss the opportunity of sending a nearby big player to cover events there.

    I see Kay is planning the release of her second book co-written with the wife of Obama’s press secretary, so perhaps she has more pressing engagements in Washington. I wonder how much the BBC pays her.

       30 likes

  22. Dave666 says:

    Situation normal at the peoples republic of North west tonight. First we have a representative of plod being given a (sheep like) mauling by the presenter. Allegedly they have been naughty to the rent a mobs at the fracking camp, yes those people who represent virtually no one apart from themselves. Then on to “What critics call the bedroom tax” oh no how sad they lost their case, wonder if it was funded by legal aid, another question never asked.

       33 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      “What critics call the bedroom tax”
      ————————————————————

      Yes, followed by…

      ‘on those deemed to have a spare room’.

      Gotta lurve that ‘deemed’.

      Droids, let me see if this helps. If in the normal course of events a bedroom has no-one from the household sleeping in it then that is ‘a spare room’. That is just a fact – no-one needs to ‘deem’ anything. Not difficult is it.

      I know you got your bunnies to do a nationwide trawl and managed to find someone who keeps their iron lung in the spare room, but we can maybe cut them some slack.

      However for the rest of it the government is trying to do something sensible by matching up publicly owned bedrooms and people in desperate need of publicly owned bedrooms (to sleep in).

      Hope that helps, thanks me later, and give up the shrieking, the howling, and the wailing.

         7 likes

  23. George R says:

    An example of how Beeboids politically grovelled for decades at the feet of Jamaican, Stuart Hall, as he set up his project for ‘multiculturalism’ and black Britain, which has been adopted by Beeboids as their political mantra.

    “Stuart Hall came to the rescue of a BBC Open Space studio debate”

    By Giles Oakley.

    http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/feb/21/stuart-hall-obituary-letter?

       21 likes

  24. George R says:

    SOMALIA.

    Islam Not BBC (INBBC), and its politically filtered ‘reports’ by e.g. INBBC’s ‘Somalia analyst,’ named Mohamed Mohamed…

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26288846

    ‘Jihadwatch’:-

    “Somalia: Islamic jihadists explode huge car bomb at gate of presidential palace”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/02/somalia-islamic-jihadists-explode-huge-car-bomb-at-gate-of-presidential-palace

       18 likes

  25. BongoBongo says:

    I don’t know how many Six Nations Rugby fans there are on here, but when was the last time on BBC, you saw three Englishmen, Scotsmen, Irishmen, Italians, or Frenchmen commentating on a game involving their respective nations? “Never” I hear you say.

    Well tonight we were entertained by biased BBC Wales to a commentary by THREE former Welsh rugby international players Eddie Butler, Jonathan Davis, and Martyn Williams, on the Wales v France game. We were treated to a veritable feast of extreme pro Welsh bias, particularly from Butler & Davis.
    Not content with that, we also had Shane Williams another former Welsh International, in the studio representing a Welsh view of the game at half time.

       19 likes

    • nofanofpoliticians says:

      I was going to comment on this too, but you got there first BB.

      IMHO, this was not a great viewing spectacle, it wasn’t a great performance by the Welsh, and Thomas Castagneide got it right when he said the welsh were average made to look good by a poor French performance but you would never have known that from the commentary or punditry offered by this group.

      Lets not also forget that Brian Moore, the sole English representative on the commentary/ punditry panel has been given a yellow card (albeit some years ago) for his perceived bias during a game involving England. His punishment ever since has been to sit alongside Eddie Butler in the gantry, and chaperoned by either Martin Williams (if Wales are the opposition) or Andy Nicholl if the game involves Scotland.

         11 likes

      • nofanofpoliticians says:

        Given a yellow card i.e. a warning by the BBC, I should have said…

           5 likes

        • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

          Do you realise we get equally pissed off having to listen to John Inverdale, or perhaps In previous times Steve Ryder telling us” what a shame they cant spell Awstralia” on the scoreboard at a touring sides Welsh Club game.
          And previous to that, we had to endure the likes of Peter West.
          It’s payback time I reckon:

          Over to you lot now:

          Fire away guys !

             7 likes

          • BongoBongo says:

            “It’s payback time I reckon”

            Grow Up and go and watch S4C, you know the subsidised channel, where you get more than your fair share of rygbi.
            Despite your obvious age you haven’t learned much ‘Welsh learner’

               6 likes

          • BongoBongo says:

            It’s typical of someone, who suffers with’Small nation Syndrome’ with a big chip on their shoulder, to answer a case of absolute bias (on a biased BBC website), with the childish response they have done.
            I always find it quite amusing with these welsh language zealots, that when you visit their S4C channel, 50% can only speak English, and nearly all the adverts are in English. Tell me Welsh learner where else is this language spoken apart from Patagonia?

               7 likes

            • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

              And how many languages can you speak in bongobongo land me ole china?
              And talking of chips, dont forget the parable of beams and motes, my little englander?

                 3 likes

            • nofanofpoliticians says:

              I just feel that the BBC could do an awful lot better with its commentary- you never used to hear such guff from Bill McLaren. Nigel Starmer-Smith did, on his day, rise to the standard of mediocre but nowadays they just follow the football format which is in itself dated.

              I can see that Inverdale would get on people’s nerves. I have met him on numerous occasions and he gets on mine, he is a buffoon.

                 11 likes

              • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

                Bill was indeed a true pro. A star, who thankfully came along as you rightly say when Nigel could test the nerves somewhat.

                   6 likes

          • Geoff says:

            Peter West maybe, but it was balanced with Tony Lewis!

               3 likes

      • Danny Howard says:

        Brian Moore – the most annoying man on TV. All he does is drone on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about the Scrum. We know Brian, we know.

           5 likes

        • nofanofpoliticians says:

          4 Scots commentating on the Italy v Scotland game, all trying to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.

          It is clearly part of a BBC strategy, and no doubt it will be 4 English at Twickenham a little later. Understandable I suppose, but they should really mix it up a bit to give the viewer a more objective and less biased perspective.

             3 likes

    • pah says:

      I’m not sure I understand your objection. Are you saying it is wrong for the Welsh to support their country? Or are you saying that England games rarely if ever have an all English panel?

      It’s been a while since I was last North of the Border (it’s the midges that keep me away) but the Sweaties always seem to have a full set of Scots commentating on Scotland games. And good for them.

      In England we have to put up with, for footie at least, the likes of Alan ‘Mascara’ Hansen or Roy Keane. It is rare that a England match is punditted (?) by a completely English team. I’m not sure why Celtic matches (and yes flokkers I know some won’t be) get Celtic pundits and so do English ones too.

      Is it an employment scheme?

         6 likes

      • nofanofpoliticians says:

        IMHO, commentary should be impartial. I have no problem with people supporting their own country, but it is very difficult for anyone (whoever they are) to be impartial in a match that includes one’s own country.

        Having said that, I thought that both Phil Matthews and Keith Wood (both Irish) were excellent in their assessments of the England game this afternoon, so maybe it comes down to the quality of the game that is being commented upon as both were impartial in commenting on what was an exceptional game.

           4 likes

        • pah says:

          I agree that commentary should be devoid of opinion, though I would say punditry; less so.

          But that still doesn’t address the point of nationality. Why is it important to the BBC to have at least one, and often all, the pundits who are not English for England games but for non-English games the pundits are often fully from the home nation playing?

          In fact, with football, I’m pretty certain that for matches where no home side is playing they often draft in one pundit from each country to sit alongside Hansen and Lineker. yet for England games there may only be Lineker as the token Englishman (and who tends to be neutral in that he asks the questions rather than venturing opinions) alongside Hansen (Scot), Lawrenson (Irish) and someone from the country England is playing.

          It’s almost as if the BBC is taking great steps to appear neutral for England games but not for others. Now why would they do that?

             5 likes

    • mo says:

      the English and rugby union coverage is usually overboard on their criticism if other teams when they lose. Nice to have a little bit back for ourselves for.I never forget Nigel s
      Starmer Smith and his undisguised bias against the Welsh in ppartiular.

         3 likes

  26. George R says:

    “Chris Moyles claimed to be a used car dealer in £1m tax avoidance scheme.
    “Former BBC Radio 1 DJ apologises after tribunal judge rules he ran up paper losses in effort to cut tax bill.”

    By Rupert Neate.

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/feb/21/chris-moyles-used-car-dealer-tax-avoidance

       20 likes

    • Fred Bloggs says:

      If he was paid as an employee on PAYE then he would not have had a chance to fiddle the Taxman.

         19 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      “claimed to have run up £1m of losses selling £3,731 worth of used cars”
      —-
      Crikey. Skills like that and he could be the next DG.
      But it seems he has learned a valuable lesson.
      Which may be just enough for the BBC to add this to its growing list of astoundingly uncurious reportage.
      Woe betide anyone from the wrong side of the BBC-approved tracks who strays, as the head of righteous anger they must be building up will need release as soon as a wounded foe presents.
      Mind you, the saviour of the BBC’s tax obligation is now an ‘ex’, so they may feel he can be sacrificed. If and when this happens one is sure the on station archivista will oblige.

         18 likes

    • Joshaw says:

      “Car dealers found using Chris Moyles avoidance scheme”

         5 likes

  27. Mike says:

    Chris Moyles on BBC news site but on Radio 1 newsbeat, not real news for grown-ups. The real public not fooled however, top of the “most read” though strangely not on the luvvies “shared” list

       15 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Wrong type of ‘creative tax arranger’ for the BBC spotlight to linger on for long?
      It’s not news see…. even if the public appears interested.
      Oo… look… homophobic, squirrel! Unleash the hounds of righteous indignation!

         10 likes

    • Geoff says:

      The bBC will still welcome him back with open arms a la gob on a stick Evans to become a ‘star’ of Radio 2…..

         13 likes

  28. Alex says:

    Apart from ‘Albaman’ (one among many aliases) we all know that BBC Scotland has a huge SNP bias, and seems to be populist, provocative and reactionary (the latter especially true over the highly sensible decision by the UK Treasury to notify Scotland over its loss of the currency union if it should vote ‘Yes’). The following article is a typically subtly persuasive piece that pretends to be objective but in reality the reporter has his mind made up already, and so do all of those anti-English bigots who would follow Salmond off a cliff like lemmings…

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-26158234

       15 likes

    • chrisH says:

      All three political parties down here-repeated warnings from all ends of the EU…Bank of England, City of London and pension funds?
      Nah, who cares-I believe I can fly…do you believe in life after love…Imagine…who could face Salmonds sad eyes a la Deputy Dawg if we were to crush Ossies dream, as channelled through Mel Gibson.
      Where`s your romance you lot?…
      Could be a good experiment this one…let the EU sort it.
      And no sell out either-Devo Max my arse…”all or nothing!”

         13 likes

      • Albaman says:

        “……….. all of those anti-English bigots who would follow Salmond off a cliff like lemmings…”

        Does this include the English born SNP MSP’s and all the English born, currently resident in Scotland, who are actively involved in the “Yes” campaign?

           6 likes

    • Albaman says:

      “Apart from ‘Albaman’ (one among many aliases) …………………..”

      I have used the same name and same email for all posts to this site.

      Which “many aliases” do I use Alex?

         5 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      Even Napoloeon Salmond must realise what an utter disaster (snigger) independence would mean for scotland/ west albania/ african feeding station waiting for the steam chicken.

      I can only assume he’s praying for Devomaxmaxmax.

      Which is…
      EC subsidy+ English taxpayer subsidy + borrowing (underwritten by BoE natch) with all ‘control’ devolved (read given to Wee Nappy and Wee Sturgie).

      Imagine how much ‘free’ stuff the wastrels could get then – until it all went utterly tits-up and the IMF send in their shock-troops to annexe the scorched-heather, body-strewn, post-nuclear wasteland.

         10 likes

  29. AsISeeIt says:

    I do like this idea of tax-shy Beeboid’s setting up their absurd off-set loss making sidelines.

    Moyles as a used car dealer was inevitable.

    Ditto Jonathon Ross

    How about Paxman with a window cleaning round? Shami (Chakrabiti) and Bucket in hand?

    In fact the Newsnight team would be ideal painters and decorators… anything on the Left-side of the street ‘whitewashed’ for free.

    Nicky Campbell the earnest song-writing troubadour… (sorry that one is true).

    Emily Maitless taking in laundry.

    Kirsty Wark the travelling masseuse…. wait stop there, I think I’m about to be sick.

       27 likes

  30. chrisH says:

    Anybody else notice that the BBC eulogised the Team GB women who won a bronze for curling on Thursday( squeals, so young, tears at home yada, yada)…but were rather sniffy about the Team GB man who only won a silver the next day (gave up, should have beaten the sappy Canuks etc).
    Sexist surely-do we really “celebrate” the girls that came third, because we expect less of them than those blokes of ours?

       21 likes

  31. George R says:

    More for Beeboids to politically censor from ‘Daily Mail’:-

    “Apologists for paedophilia:
    “As the Mail exposes more links between senior Labour figures and a vile paedophile group, one man who was abused as a child asks them: why won’t you admit you were wrong?”
    By GUY ADAMS.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2565352/Apologists-paedophilia-As-Mail-exposes-links-senior-Labour-figures-vile-paedophile-group-one-man-abused-child-asks-wont-admit-wrong.html#ixzz2u34FMoyx

       23 likes

  32. George R says:

    Beeboids’ ‘Education & Family’ site censors out the following, even though it must be a success to them in terms of mass immigration and ‘multiculturalism.’

    “English is now second language in one in nine schools after influx of Eastern Europeans.”

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2565165/English-second-language-one-nine-schools-influx-Eastern-Europeans.html#ixzz2u36bXStV

       19 likes

  33. George R says:

    More from the ‘Daily Mail’ for Islam Not BBC (INBBC) to censor-

    ” Court prefers political correctness rather than justice in case of a Muslim solicitor and a parking fine”
    By DAILY MAIL COMMENT.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2565284/DAILY-MAIL-COMMENT-Court-prefers-political-correctness-justice-case-Muslim-solicitor-parking-fine.html#ixzz2u38igtQp

    “Muslim’s solicitor’s career in ruins after she lied to cover up her father’s speeding points then tried to have trial in secret for ‘cultural reasons’ until Daily Mail won legal challenge.
    “Asha Khan tried to cover up her father’s speeding in her car in Newcastle.
    “Mohammed Khan refused to own up after getting fixed penalty notice.
    “Ms Khan told police the driver was recovering alcoholic David Moat.
    “Moat agreed to his part in the scam for half a bottle of whisky.
    “The Daily Mail successfully challenged reporting restrictions on the case.
    “They had been put in place for ‘cultural reasons’ after family claimed they’d be shamed in their community.”

    By ELEANOR HARDING.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564641/Muslim-solicitor-failed-bid-Chris-Huhne-style-speeding-points-scam-trial-heard-secret-Daily-Mail-challenge-left-career-tatters.html#ixzz2u39YsHIH

       20 likes

    • chrisH says:

      There`s one lawyer who`ll fit right in with Anjem Choudhurys wandering minstrel circus then?
      Legal Aid to bring Abu Hamza home?…
      Sharia Blair-Booth in action.

         16 likes

    • IsItMe? says:

      I’d feel pretty ashamed, too, if I lost my job because I had been convicted of a crime.
      Isn’t that half of the point? People see what the consequences would be if they committed a crime and got caught: perhaps a fine, prison, losing their job, the humiliation of being in the newspapers and everyone knowing.
      Deterrence, in other words.

         4 likes

  34. Pounce says:

    How often do you hear the bBC opine that Muslims are not allowed to go near dogs: Be it during drug,bomb,weapon searches. Be it doing normal policing duties or even (As we have seen so many times) kicking out a blind dog out of their taxis. Muslims tell us that they are not allowed to go near dogs..

    With that in mind I wonder why the bBC have been very quiet on how the rise in dog fighting in the UK is down to…Muslims. Yes It appears that our friendly peaceful relgion have something about Pitbulls and the like and fighting them. In fact here;s a story from Birmingham which highlights how one Muslim there killed one of his pitbulls with a brick, had another shot by the Police and another taken off him and from the bBC?…Narthing.
    Smethwick man jailed for beating dog to death with a brick

       29 likes

  35. George R says:

    “Why Lord (Chris) Smith is a shoo-in as chair of the new press regulator”

    By Roy Greenslade.

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/feb/21/chris-smith-ipso?

    Of course, there are more obvious political reasons why Beeboids will lobby for Labour’s Smith.
    Tories will behave as political bystanders, as far as appointing Chairman is concerned.

       14 likes

  36. George R says:

    “Why Lord (Chris) Smith is a shoo-in as chair of the new press regulator”

    By Roy Greenslade.

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/feb/21/chris-smith-ipso?

    Of course, there are more obvious political reasons why Beeboids will lobby for Labour’s Smith.
    Tories will behave as political bystanders, as far as appointing Chairman is concerned.

       10 likes

    • George R says:

      ‘Daily Telegraph’ (£) has article on this online today:-

      ‘Chris Smith has designs on taking over as BBC chairman.’

         13 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        ‘‘Chris Smith has designs on taking over as BBC chairman.’
        Pretty well perfectly qualified at least.
        Useless diversity-ticking placeperson with a history of overseeing vast amounts of money consumed making things worse for the public.
        Shoo-in indeed.

           19 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Given this is a Guardian piece, the comments are eye-opening… even from the author in reply!

         4 likes

  37. George R says:

    Beeboids are:

    1.) PRO-Al Jazeera/ Muslim Brotherhood;

    2.) ANTI-‘Daily Mail’.

    BBC-NUJ censors ‘Daily Mail’ out of existence, especially re-Harman-Dromey-Hewitt, and NCCL;
    but BBC-NUJ continues its support for Al Jazeera, re-Muslim Brotherhood cases in Cairo.That Cairo reporting is currently by the Beeboid’s Irish correspondent, Orla Guerin, ex-Labour Party candidate in Ireland.

    Is this the location of Beeboids’ Cairo Bureau?:-

    http://webcdn.aa.com.tr/webdocs/625x424xc/content_new/556/ih-jpg20140222121503.jpg

       14 likes

  38. The BBC must be broken up says:

    A Tale of Two Presidents;

    Why does the BBC support the violent insurrection in Ukraine ( a ‘popular uprising’) against the democratically elected President Yanukovich, and why did it oppose the violent insurrection in Egypt ( a ‘popular uprising’) against the democratically elected President Morsi, and continues to criticise?

    Could the BBC explain?

       18 likes

  39. George R says:

    Of course, Beeboids don’t make the political link between the following development in Britain, and their beloved mass immigration:-

    (From 1 April… what fools we have become.)

    “Anti-slavery teams to be introduced at UK airports”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26292265

       13 likes

  40. George R says:

    -Not a Beeboid headline:-

    “Racist Muslim Jailed for Threatening to Cut Off Policeman’s Penis”

    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/racist-muslim-jailed-threatening-cut-off-policemans-penis-1437391?

       13 likes

    • Lobster says:

      They are really into this genital mutilation thing, aren’t they?

         9 likes

      • chrisH says:

        Equal Opportunity GM…they`d be GM crops now would they not?
        So…er…not what we want!
        GM=Genital Mutiltation, let`s not condemn Muslims for only wanting to nobble ladies only…the BBC will be pleased at this shaft of cultural equality for the sexes.

           6 likes

  41. Llareggub says:

    A serious controversy has broken out among the Muslim community. A fatwah has been imposed on Muslims who intend to go to Mars. We can assume that to show support for this standpoint Al bin to Eton Cameron will withdraw Britain from any cooperation in space exploration.

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/22/muslim_clerics_issue_fatwa_banning_the_devout_from_mars_one_suicide_mission/

       8 likes

  42. Englishman says:

    John Inverdale’s disappointment is plain for all to see in the wake of England’s victory over Ireland in today’s Six Nations clash. The Celtic Broadcasting Corporation can barely contain themselves when England are beaten.

       11 likes

  43. Pounce says:

    So England have beat Ireland at Rugby but where is that story on the bBC England news website. In cotrast, they scream out about Scotland beat Italy, How Wales beat france. and funny enough on the Northern Ireland bBC news website they cover the game. (Err bBC NI is Eire) and what do you find to greet you:
    Keith Wood, Former Ireland hooker on BBC One “I thought England were down and out after 15 minutes of the second half. But England played really, really well to see out the game after getting back into it. Ireland lost
    So according to the bBC, England didn’t win, but simply Ireland lost.
    The bBC, the backstabbing (in more ways than one) traitors within our Midst.

       21 likes

    • Englishman says:

      This is the same British Celtic Broadcasting Corporation that refuses to acknowledge England is a nation, instead referring to England as “the Regions”.

         15 likes

      • mo says:

        Englishman. BBC may be many things but they have lack of regard for the Celts as much as the English. we are all white you see and do have a feeling of Britishness.

           2 likes

    • Danny Howard says:

      Keith Wood; “I thought England were down and out after 15 minutes of the second half. But England played really, really well to see out the game after getting back into it. Ireland lost a bit of composure, some of their kicking was a bit loose and some of their handling was loose, but a lot of that was down to the pressure they were under. England’s defence was phenomenal.”

      That on the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/rugby-union/25948297

         8 likes

      • Pounce says:

        As I said Danny,
        The games played by Scotland and Wales have been given wide coverage on their respective news websites, For some strange reason, the England Ireland game is on the NI web page, but Englands win over Ireland is nowhere to b found o the England news web page over at the bBC. CAre to explain that snippet. I’m pretty sure if the Irish ahd won the bBC would be plastering the England website with how poor the English were.
        The bBC, the traitors within our midst.

           18 likes

        • Danny Howard says:

          The usual complaint on this site is that the BBC hides stories in “obscure” parts of its site and that is cited as evidence of bias.
          Now when they don’t that is also evidence of bias.
          Bias if they do, and bias if they don’t. It is almost as if there is an agenda here…
          If anything you might argue – and many have – that by leading the sport section with the England result is to give undue prominence to England over the other home nations. Why did Scotland’s narrow win over Italy, or Wales’ trouncing of a very mediocre France game not get the same treatment? If you want to claim bias if anything it is evidence of a pro-England bias.

          “So according to the bBC, England didn’t win, but simply Ireland lost.”
          No — according to the former captain of Ireland. I think we could forgive him for his bias, don’t you?

             7 likes

          • Guest Who says:

            ‘The usual complaint on this site is that the BBC hides stories in “obscure” parts of its site’
            It’s ‘a’ complaint on occasion, often going further (and with justification, lately, which you and others have seen fit to avoid for reasons that may only be guessed at) and noting what the BBC seems to have no space for at all when it suits them.
            Savvier posters of course know it’s best to never say never, as that does scramble an entire Staffel to the archives to show the BBC is ruthlessly impartial in what it shares, on the top of the hour news to the nation or a Magazine site read by two, or doesn’t, all the time.
            The problems start when what is claimed too often is not matched by reality.
            You might argue of course, but most of the time you seem to struggle, or disappear if things get tricky.

               8 likes

            • Danny Howard says:

              “You might argue of course, but most of the time you seem to struggle, or disappear if things get tricky.”

              I confess I struggle with this Alice in Wonderland site which, as I have pointed out on several occasions, is a prime facie example of two well established logical fallacies.

              As for disappearing. Some of us have jobs, families and lives and do not share your obsession with the output of the BBC.

              Have a very good evening.

                 7 likes

              • Guest Who says:

                “Some of us have jobs, families and lives and do not share your obsession with the output of the BBC”

                First off, thanks for the good wishes for the evening, though I do wonder if it was sincere.
                Any hoo, I did indeed, with my family, as opposed to posting on a site no one cares about at 8.30pm on a Saturday.
                I of course want to and like frequenting it, hence checking in every so often. Like now, before hitting the sack.
                So as the fallacies of logic have been raised (if promptly left unestablished) one has to wonder at the motivations and grasp of reality of those who don’t like it, yet appear so frequently, rain or shine, day or night, unless the cherry harvest looks poor or the BBC has rather soured the field by initiating another howler. Which is when you disappear, making the claim of job more credible than family in the exciting ‘life’ you clearly lead.
                Interest in the BBC’s continual inability to be accurate or objective may explain the presence of many on this site or its threads. Obsession more accurately describes those who keep coming, under various guises, to say little more than they don’t know why anyone comes here, excluding themselves of course.
                Highlighting frequency of posting may also garner dark looks at the debrief from the others. One has liked it, so you’re not alone, at least. But that quote above will be one to treasure when Albaman or Scott decide to spend the day sniping, apparently free of personal or professional concerns beyond their, and your, irony and logic-free online masochism fix.
                And with that to ponder, a very good night to you, too.

                   13 likes

              • mo says:

                Well if you don’t then why bother to spend time here trying to defend it?

                   2 likes

              • pah says:

                as I have pointed out on several occasions, is a prime facie example of two well established logical fallacies

                Haven’t you just? And you are not alone as there is a lot of it about here and elsewhere on the ‘net. A useful trick, and only that, if you want to avoid the content; taking issue with the structure – now what did your short course on logic call that I wonder?

                Perhaps you would like to address the argument for once?

                   2 likes

          • Pounce says:

            Danny,
            Answer this question?
            Why (and how) can the bBC report the Scottish and Welsh rugby games on their respective country websites, but not the English?

            Instead you divert the question by screaming out:
            “But the bBC, air the England game on their sports page.”

            Well dear. I would expect the sports page to report the England game , just as it does the other two. , but hang on, in regards to the prominence the England team have on the sports page (They are the top story) The Welsh played yesterday and the Jocks, well they played earlier on in the day. the last game out of the three was the England/Irish game. The other two can be found reported in chronological order. what’s so strange about that?
            So please spare me your sanctimonious drivel, and point out where the bBC affords equal billing (In regards the Rugby) to the English game as it does the Scottish and Welsh ones, on the respective regional bBC news web sites.
            You can’t.

               12 likes

            • Pounce says:

              One final thing you twat:
              unlike a lot of people here I have spent a good number of years living with Scottish,Irish and Welsh friends. They are my friends , yet one thing about them winds me up. I will always support England come rains,sleet and snow. However if England isn’t playing and it is one of the regional I will always support them, Yet one thing I have noticed is when England plays a foreign team, the regional’s (with the exception of the Northern Irish) all support the otherside. Haha how funny, yet the fact remains, If I openly supported the otherside, I’d be picked up for bad sportmanship.

                 19 likes

              • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

                Ydy, mae e’n digwydd pounce.

                Yes it happens pounce.

                No denying it.

                   5 likes

              • Danny Howard says:

                “One final thing you twat”

                If you want people to engage with you need get your anger problem under control. Go for a run or something.

                   7 likes

                • Pounce says:

                  DH wrote:
                  “If you want people to engage with you need get your anger problem under control. “

                  Slap on hand accepted.

                     5 likes

              • mo says:

                Pounce one of ther reasons that this happens between the home nations is that when the English are on form they make a massive song and dance about it and ( apart from their current treatment by the BBC) they are widely reported in the to the exclusion of the others.
                However, there is “the old enemy,” element about it, I’ll grant you. So I’ll meet you half way on this one

                   2 likes

        • Willie says:

          ‘Ireland lost
          So according to the bBC, England didn’t win, but simply Ireland lost.’

          You’re exposed as a liar.

             1 likes

  44. Pounce says:

    I wonder if the bBC will report this protest in Dresden about how the British should be thanked for smashing Hitler’s facists:
    article-2565463-1BB9D1C600000578-496_634x354.jpg

       11 likes

  45. Thoughtful says:

    From Fact to Fiction Radio 4

    The award-winning series in which writers create a fictional response to the week’s news. In a week which has seen debate around a possible ‘fair innings approach’ to the allocation of drugs to patients dependent on criteria of ‘wider social benefit’, and in which scientists warned that loneliness in old age is twice as bad for your health as obesity, Lucy Caldwell takes a look at the things we value most in life and how we in turn are valued.

    In a 15 minute we managed to cram in the loneliness of old people (because of the cuts); the fact she won’t get proper medical treatment (because of the cuts); and the solicitor she engages to write her will turns out to be gay (which is all lovely)

    All load of culturally Marxist crap as we’ve come to expect from the BBC.

       23 likes

    • London Calling says:

      You see the hegemony of the BBC as a commissioning monopoly at work. If you are a writer, and you want your family to eat, you write the crap you know the BBC commissioners will want to hear. Don’t be surprised at the tedious tractor-statistics infection of both fiction and non-fiction.

      The irony is the BBC’s exemption from the study of Murdoch’s dominant position in the news market. Laugh I could have cried. There is no bigger evil in the media marketplace than the BBC, and its control over “news management”

      Do we think PR-boy Cameron has the slightest understanding of the monstrosity that is the BBC? It’s much loved Auntie isn’t it.

         7 likes

  46. Pounce says:

    To silence the “the bBC is not biased crowd” here are a set of screen dumps taken around 2000hrs tonight. Spot the odd one out:
    akwj7adqj

    pi508aqyz

    bd3sk87bf

    8kal076yz

       0 likes

  47. George R says:

    Even a ‘Mirror’ opinion piece now has:

    “Senior Labour figures have serious questions to answer about past links to vile paedophile support group”

    By Carole Malone.

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/carole-malone-labours-harriet-harman-3174026#ixzz2u5G9NtUC

    But BBC-NUJ censorship of ‘the Daily Mail’ and this story, continues.

       26 likes

    • uncle bup says:

      she turns up on sky’s newspaper review – generally on the right (and right) side of things.

         9 likes

  48. George R says:

    Is the following another issue which BBC-NUJ censors out?:-

    “Booker: Somerset floods – a very European disaster”

    http://eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=84737

       16 likes

    • Big Dick says:

      Just been watching Country File , a bit more “Orwellian rewrite” ,since when have “Chinese lanterns” become “Sky lanterns” is this a dig at dear old Rupert .This is the first time , I have ever heard of them under their “new name ” & given the “Bombay ” treatment ,although one did “land “in my garden last summer, was out that evening ,But did say ,”Please return to Peking”.

         9 likes