197 Responses to START THE WEEK OPEN THREAD….

  1. Pounce says:

    The bBC starts the week off with a bang by interviewing the leader of the Pakistani Terrorist outfit whom both the Americans and Indians say was behind the murderous attack on Mumbai in 2008 when Armed Pakistani terrorists came ashore and rampaged to the death murdering 154:
    Pakistan ‘charity’ head condemns US
    The head of a Pakistani charity group whom the US and India accuse of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks has dismissed new US sanctions.
    Strange how the bBC can interview any terrorist it wants, whenever it wants. Oh and BTW, the death toll of 166 the bBC posts, includes the dead terrorists.
    The bBC, the propaganda mouth piece for Islamic terrorism, paid for by you.

       86 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      If William Joyce had simply claimed he was only explaining his hosts’ motivations.
      “BBC calling… BBC calling…”
      Lord Hall Hall must be so proud.

         52 likes

    • deegee says:

      BBC journalists are obliged by commission guidelines to seek (internal) legal advice before interviewing criminals or terrorists. Apparently that only applies within Britain because the BBC never seems to hesitate outside.

      Once I asked under F.O.I. what advice was given before interviewing Maoist rebels considered terrorist by the Indian Government. Unsurprisingly they used the purposes of journalism exemption to avoid answering. My strong suspicion an honest answer would be none.

      Related. The BBC refuses to release information about whether they honour censorship regulations in the countries they report from. They also refuse to answer about whether legal advice is sought.

         24 likes

      • Roland Deschain says:

        Is it only the BBC that can use this figleaf of “purposes of journalism”? Wikipedia indicates that to be the case and if correct, the newspapers (particularly the Murdoch ones) should be making more of it as it’s being abused.

           12 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        ‘asked under F.O.I. what advice was given before interviewing Maoist rebels considered terrorist by the Indian Government. Unsurprisingly they used the purposes of journalism exemption to avoid answering.
        The BBC’s exclusions to legitimate FOI requests are beyond the pale.
        This is surely critical information the public has a right to know?
        ‘My strong suspicion an honest answer would be none.’
        Especially if it is as you suspect. Given the staff dare not take any action on firing up a microwave to bake a spud without a full H&S report first being prepared, I’d be keen to know what ‘guides’ them on the difficult path between ‘reporting’ and offering propaganda services to terrorists.
        On the subject of FOI and overseas activity, this just popped in my in-box:
        https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/bbc_media_action?
        The progress of Mr. Wilmore’s request may be interesting.

           11 likes

      • Thatcher Revolutionary says:

        Get the drones on the fucker

           7 likes

  2. Pounce says:

    The bBC, comes out with a Hijab wearing Muslims to defend the intolerance woven into Islamic DNA:
    Myriam Francois-Cerrah on extremists and conservatism
    Note how, the bBC have started replacing Muslims with conservative in which to blindside the British public.

       55 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      and to associate the word with a party they don’t like !

         51 likes

      • Wild says:

        They did the same with the USSR. Pre-1989 the Communist Party in the Soviet Union was described by the BBC as the “conservatives”.

        Ah yes, like Thatcher.

           25 likes

  3. Pounce says:

    The bbC comes out with another survey:
    One in five black children feel prospects limited – survey
    A survey carried out for CBBC’s Newsround suggests that one in five black children feel that their skin colour would negatively affect their job prospects more than any other ethnic group.

    F-ing hell, I wonder why they interviewed Film Director Steve MeQueen in which to send the message that young blacks feel that the rest of the country judges them.
    Hang on thou, the bBC also reported this about that survey:
    “Newsround commissioned a survey from Childwise of 1,627 children aged 8-14, from all ethnic backgrounds, to find out about their aspirations and hopes for the future.”
    So why have only the blacks been allowed to voice their concerns, what about the Chinese, Asians, Eastern Europeans , South Americans etc.. why aren’t they complaining, could it be they actually study for their future, this negating the Racism is rife in the UK angle the bBC is trying to promote.

    The bBC, the not fit for purpose news org in the UK

       75 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      They have rather painted themselves into a corner with this highlight. It will be interesting where they go next… or quietly drop things as the consequences of such racist emphasis sinks in.

         34 likes

    • Invicta 1066 says:

      I listened to the discussion at 7.30 this morning with Davis and, Steve McQueen (black film director) and another successful black man. They went over the usual ground about prejudice against black boys by teachers and how they should be encouraged to excel in activities other than sport.
      At the end the throwaway comparison was made. between a child from Chelsea, coached all his/her life, attending public school as against the kid with one grade A and two Bs living in a council flat in high rise block with six brothers and sisters and probably a single mum!
      Ah! seven children family, absent father which I am afraid is so normal. Why didn’t they cite and develop that? After all last week it was the underperforming white kids that were the subject of a report that blamed in part a school curriculum that pandered to ethnic history culture etc. but put most of the blame for poor performance, quite rightly, on couldn’t care less parents and large families without dads in the circle.

         47 likes

      • Doyle says:

        My mates sister worked in one of those inner London schools and she said the black kids were a waste of space, a constant disruptive presence. There’s a reason they don’t do well. They seem to want everything handed on a plate to them … well, they could always apply for a job at the beeb … they don’t seem to be bothered if you have the talent, so long as you have the right skin colour.

           41 likes

        • Deborah says:

          Thirty years ago when I did teacher training we were told that we should not give homework to a class if there were Caribbean children because we should consider their ethnic sensibilities. If we were to try to get the children to do the homework we would have to deal with aggressive parents who would support the child because it was not their culture for homework to be done out of school.

          I decided teaching was not for me.

             44 likes

          • Joshaw says:

            30 years ago! Can’t blame the last Labour government for that.

            Admittedly, Labour was probably the worst, but we’ve been badly governed for decades. The Tories have simply managed our decline marginally better.

               14 likes

            • RJ says:

              LAMBS – Less Academically Motivated Brothers and Sisters.

              I to gave up on teaching.

                 22 likes

              • Wild says:

                What are they doing in school in the first place?

                School should be for those benefit from an education – and this does not include those who earn their living giving their compulsory pupils the benefit of their taxpayer funded “education” in whatever crap the Marxist Teacher Training Colleges are churning out these days.

                   21 likes

              • Kiwi says:

                Probably just as well.

                   2 likes

          • Philip says:

            Having worked in secondary education (some years ago) a lot of state aid goes into the quickly establishing a SEN child (of Special Educational Needs) a syndrome where the school can instantly claim extra state funding, (not that it makes much difference to serious behavior issues). Blacks do suffer disproportionately because they often have struggling single mums and a lack of a responsible Father figure. I am told (by many black parents) that schools ‘back home’ in their own home countries are fiercely strict and modeled on old British empire discipline. This is something we cannot possibly recreate in England – as we are not allowed any discipline of that sort at all. Disruptive behavior is now an endemic feature of the UK state school system and the bane of most (new) Teachers (who usually leave at that point of despair). Many of the minority children Chinese, Indian and even Polish are comparatively easy to teach English without any special needs. There was a recent report (this weekend Times) showed that English children also do less well when you take their English identity away and impose ‘multicultural’ onto an area that has seen the worst of ‘multiculturalism’. This includes some young British blacks who then become local role models for the disenfranchised English kids on the local council estate who are deemed ‘dysfunctional’ in the new foreigner ‘state school’ system so proscribed by Labour’s loony former education ignoramus Ed Balls (the former Education Minister (DCSF) who despised parents in Education and ruined state Education for many.
            http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education/article4132655.ece

               24 likes

          • ROBERT JONES says:

            This also happens in the USA. Aggressive black parents supported by the ‘system’ result in warped exam results.

               5 likes

        • Pat says:

          ‘the right skin colour’. I was briefly listening to Broadcasting House on Sunday (Radio 4 from 9 a.m.) At about 21 minutes in the next item was announced, ‘Celebrations are planned this week to commemorate the life of a strong, successful business woman from the 19th Century, it’s not Jane Austen or Mary Seacole, it’s Ann Lister a trail blazing lesbian business woman, etc.’. Mary Seacole !! – it now seems that poor old Florence (too white) N. has been consigned to history.

             18 likes

  4. Thoughtful says:

    This morning the ISIS group in Syria & Iraq have announced they have formed an Islamic state and are calling it a new Caliphate.
    They have appointed a new Caliph who they say has authority over all Muslims.

    It was barely two weeks ago that I was telling those who would listen that this was the objective of ISIS and what the BBC has been so keen not to mention until it had to. Even now there is a bare minimum of an explanation as to what this implies, and I expect that this will continue. The only elaboration they have made is that this is something desired by Hizbut al Tahrir, which tells the listener nothing !

       51 likes

  5. JohnM says:

    Tonight on Radio 4. “TORIES: NASTY OR NICE. Robin Aitkin explores why the Tories have struggled with the label ‘The Nasty Party'”.

    I suppose that next week there will be a programme about the Labour Party; “The Financial Incompetent Party”.

    And the following week; The Liberal-democratic Party, “The Unprincipled Party”.

    Perhaps not.

       86 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      The claim will be they are only reflecting what ‘some people say’, details probably FoI-excluded.
      Still they have set the precedent.
      Next up… BBC – Astounding Uncuriosity or Simply Normal Car Park Perks? Steve Hewlett explores why the BBC have struggled with the label ‘The Nonce Broadcaster’
      See, others can ask questions too.

         41 likes

    • regag says:

      Could one of the reasons why the Conservative party have struggled with the label ‘The Nasty Party’ have anything to do with the BBC’s linking of the phrase to the Tories? I think that, ever the would-be mind and control specialists, they enjoy the conflation between the sound of the words ‘nasty’ and ‘nazi’.
      Perhaps the BBC would point out, as their original source, Theresa May’s 2002 statement that “You know what some people call us – the Nasty Party.” but, considering the millions of pounds in grants that the BBC have received from the Germany-controlled EU, there’s an ironic link to an earlier source. In Richmal Crompton’s ‘Just William’ stories ‘Nasty’ was William’s mispronunciation of ‘Nazi’ (William the Detective). As explained by slambangbookreview: ‘One of the more notorious stories involving William and his friends forming a “Nasty” party and kidnapping local [Jewish] shopkeeper Mr Isaacs. Though it seems likely that Richmal Crompton was satirising the Nazis, this was regarded as one of William’s more tasteless adventures – and is unlikely to feature in the new BBC series. http://slambangbookreview.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/whats-coming-up-just-william.html
      The BBC don’t do satire anymore, they might be offended.

         27 likes

      • regag says:

        Above should have read: ‘ever the would-be mind and culture control specialists’

           7 likes

  6. Dave666 says:

    The Democratic peoples broadcasting unit aka north west start me off with a promotional spot for shareramadam. I somehow suspect that won’t be happening in this house.

       26 likes

    • WiganCookie says:

      I saw this.

      “Lets us all fast all day and then join the feast after dark” and share in the enrichment.

      Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated

         42 likes

      • Pounce says:

        Wigan wrote|:
        ““Lets us all fast all day and then join the feast after dark” and share in the enrichment.”
        This fast is rigorous myth is a joke and so easy to debunk, You get up at dawn, stuff your face, don’t eat during the day and then stuff your face at night-time. That is why Muslims as a whole put on weight during Ramadan. But there’s more, watch your local Muslims:
        1) Do they smoke
        2) Do they take sips of water
        3) Do they snack?
        A lot do, without informing their relgious bedmates and when you ask them why, they say they can. Really?
        Then there’s this bBC article about footballers , the Worldcup and…Ramadan:
        Algeria coach angry at Ramadan questions
        Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic refused to divulge which of his Muslim players are observing Ramadan ahead of Monday’s World Cup last-16 meeting with Germany…”This is a private matter and when you ask this you lack respect and ethics,” said the Bosnian.
        Private matter ? yet I get this ram a dam a ding dong shoved down my throat every year from the bBC. mind you loved this list of exceptions:
        Ramadan is mandatory for Muslims and one of the five pillars of Islam, although there are exemptions for the sick, pregnant, infirm or elderly. Individuals who are travelling or going to war are also permitted to avoid it and this is the provision under which most athletes will delay the fast until a more suitable time.

        I take it, lots of Welsh Muslims travelling to Iraq won’t be going hungry then.

           40 likes

        • Thoughtful says:

          “Ramadan is mandatory for Muslims and one of the five pillars of Islam”

          And Jihad is the sixth pillar and is also mandatory, although the BBC don’t seem too keen on telling people that!

             34 likes

          • Chop says:

            According to the BBC, a third meaning of jihad is the struggle to build a good society.

            Bwahahahahaahahahahahahahaha.

            (I know I pulled this from Wikepedia, and i cannot verify a source…..but….well…..ffs!)

               15 likes

    • dave666 says:

      The Democratic Islamic broadcast unit still running shareramadam at the mid day news. I’ve just stuffed my face with Jaffa cakes and in a minute I’m having sausage and chips so f**k you north west. Oh and a nice cup of tea with my usual 3 sugars.

         30 likes

      • dave666 says:

        Ok so it’s the out of schedule 18:30 North west tonight and they are still running the shareramadam story . Strange however I thought I’d watch Granada and surprise no mention of joining in the practices of a medieval cult. So ITV didn’t see fit to run the story but BBc north west has run it all day, what a surprise, not!

           18 likes

        • Chop says:

          Has it really gotten that bad up there?

          I left Atherton in about 2008, horribly white town, doncha know, but the surrounding areas were infested (Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale….and so on)…it seems the further West you lived in the Greater Manchester area, the less “Diverse” the town…not sure about now though.

             13 likes

  7. Thoughtful says:

    Evan Davies on the Today program, and the Centre for Social Justice, a think tank we are repeatedly told set up by Iain Duncan Smith.

    They have come up with a policy suggestion that if people are offered a job more than 90 minutes away from where they live, they will be offered help with the costs of moving should they wish to do so.

    Cue the distortion and the lies.

    There is constant mention of the ‘fact’ that Norman Tebbit ‘told’ the unemployed to get on their bikes & look for work. This is of course a lie, and he never said that !
    Tebbit said:
    “I grew up in the ’30s with an unemployed father. He didn’t riot. He got on his bike and looked for work, and he kept looking till he found it.”
    It was a speech made after Fascist activists had rioted on the pretext of unemployment – funny how they didn’t when it was just as high under a Labour government.

    Then there were the constant lies that people would be forced to move, in every single interview with a commuter, there was a suggestion that the government would force them to move, although it was conveniently never explained how this would happen.

    They chose the commute from Merthyr to Cardiff, because that was also a quote from the Thatcher era. Even though the commute by public transport was only 70 minutes and would not qualify for the scheme it didn’t matter to the biased corporation, they wanted to use it to draw negative parallels with the past.

    Pure bias !

       57 likes

    • Pounce says:

      Mind you if you worked for the bBC, they would pay your mortgage for 2 years, and fly you to work (daily) if you had to move work places from London to Manchester and you didn’t want to move home.

         52 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        ‘fly you to work (daily) if you had to move work places’
        Possibly explaining the BBC being a bit coy on going large on Greenpeace’s latest little PR difficulty.
        It’s a wonder all these eco-advocates don’t hire a signwriter from Irony Airways and Airwaves to post their latest ‘thou shalt not’ edict in the skies…
        http://media.salon.com/2013/05/942041_10151702703669416_1118846963_n.jpg
        If you are from the blessed ones, it will be on your feet at least. Always.

           14 likes

    • Colonel Blimp says:

      70 minutes seemed to long to me – according to Google maps the bus from Merthyr to Cardiff takes 55 minutes, and the train ten minutes longer.

      Such utter balls the BBC spouts

         32 likes

    • AsISeeIt says:

      The Norman Tebbit ‘quote’ from the 1980s is constantly and deliberately missquoted by BBC types.

      In those 1days the Left and their alternative comedy allies deliberatley conflated Tebbit’s phrase with the slang term ‘on yer bike!’ meaning simply “‘f’ off!”.

      http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=on%20your%20bike

      “Norman Tebbit told the unemployed to get on their bike…. nasty Tories…. nur-nur nur-nur-nur!”

      Of course the current crop of Beeboids are all Ben Elton’s children; all wannabe alternative comedians.

         42 likes

      • Mark says:

        These days an “alternative” comedian would be a non-Leftie !

           26 likes

        • Wild says:

          “Alternative Comedy” was mainstream middle class Leftist comedians hating (and pushing out of their jobs at for example the BBC) what were once mainstream working class comedians.

          As usual the middle class Left dress up their intolerance and snobbery as open mindedness and supporting the working class.

             31 likes

  8. Llareggub says:

    BBC assures us that the extremists in ISIS are only a minority. As for the rest, they are the landless impoverished proletariat, who are revolting in accordance with Marxist Leninist theory.

    From the BBC ‘
    It is a more general uprising by large groupings of disaffected communities throughout north-western Iraq and a product of years of social exclusion, poor governance and corruption by the Iraqi government’.

    Workers of the Middle East arise.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27945954

       30 likes

    • deegee says:

      They may be right. They may also be irrelevant if ISIS is the only minority with weapons and no hesitation in using them. You could argue that the NAZIs never gained more than 37.27% of the vote but so what?

         22 likes

  9. Jeff Waters says:

    Scottish independence: Hundreds protest over ‘BBC bias’ – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-28079812

    I’m re-posting this as I think it’s a significant development. Hopefully, this protest will be the first of many, and they will ultimately result in the scrapping of the compulsory license fee.

       31 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      In fairness, they’ve got together and gathered outside BBC headquarters to make their point. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of their book.

      Having said that, I’d be very interested to know how this was organised since they’ve all got their flags and banners. Clearly there has been input from the usual lefty rent-a-mobs who are very good at organising such gatherings of people with little else to do, with collusion I’d guess from the SNP. I suspect if there was ever such a gathering against left-wing BBC bias there would be counter demonstrations by the usual crowd intent on causing trouble.

      You have to love the BBC response.

      However, the BBC said its referendum coverage was “fair and accurate”.
      A spokeswoman for BBC Scotland said: “Our coverage of the referendum story is fair and impartial in line with the editorial guidelines.”

      I make no comment on whether that’s true. I haven’t noticed much one way or the other, in all honesty, as I’ve done my best to avoid it. But I find it interesting that no-one seems to have been allowed to ask them their basis for these assertions. Saying so appears to be enough in BBC-land.

         22 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        ‘Saying so appears to be enough in BBC-land.’
        Internally, yes. Still.
        And as many are noting, even if pushed, FOI exclusions are ready in full force to ensure no more is teased out.
        But the era of ‘some BBC (non)entity who can’t be held to account further says the BBC is either great or not going to say anything’ must surely be teetering on the edge of its own hypocrisy?
        What does surprise is how many other media politely allow them their case-closing anonymous brush-offs.
        At the very least rephrase these patronising navel gazing non-answers as ‘the BBC was asked to clarify and would not go on record with any reply… draw your own conclusions’.
        Though of course in this case it was ‘the BBC’ pos-faced ‘interviewing’… ‘the BBC’.
        Draw your own conclusions.
        And they wonder why they are likened to the Borg.

           10 likes

      • TheHighlandRebel says:

        To be fair to BBC Scotland they don’t seem to be under the same rules as Al Beeb south of the border.
        Anti Israel lies and propaganda seems to be non existent and Muslims and Islam gets a dressing down when Muslims and islam deserve a dressing down.
        Maybe that’s why the SNP are upset with them. Being fanatical anti Semites and supporters of every Islamic terrorist group on the planet BBC Scotland is on Alex Salmonds radar as part of his Jihad against the Scottish people.

           16 likes

  10. joeb says:

    Some may be interested to read this piece from ‘Der Spiegel’ (don’t worry, it’s in English) from August ’05. Effectively correspondence with a high ranking Al Qaeda bloke. Cut to the chase, and scroll down to ‘An Islamic Caliphate in Seven Easy Steps’

    In it, the predictions made from ’05 to date have all happened. We now appear to be in phase 5. Phases 6 and 7 are of interest. Perhaps the BBC may like to put this on one of their news programmes?

    http://www.spiegel.de/international/the-future-of-terrorism-what-al-qaida-really-wants-a-369448.html

       27 likes

    • IsItMe? says:

      I would urge people to read the Spiegel article in the above link. Scarily prescient, given that it was written in 2005 and predicted much that has come to pass already – e.g. the Arab Spring and the conflict in Syria.

         20 likes

      • Kiwi says:

        Frightening, isn’t it? And still our leftie govts. turn a blind eye – cowards the lot of them.

           7 likes

    • Simon says:

      is actually quite scary how those predictions have come true!

         15 likes

      • Wild says:

        What about the Shia v Sunni civil war? Plus the clampdown in Egypt, and the failure to undermine Israel. The Assad regime seems to be winning the civil war in Syria.

           13 likes

    • chrisH says:

      Thanks joeb-a real eye opener.
      Can I also recommend Chris Parrys article from 2006 about how immigration, piracy and technology will soften the West up for easy pickings by the demographic time bomb that is Islam.
      We can`t say that we`ve not been warned…

      http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/20362/From-2006-Chris-Parrys-Warning-Does-Not-Date

         18 likes

      • Simon says:

        I hate to go all doom and gloom, over the top but I really think we are going to see the end of our way of life within our lifetimes

        The new superpower will be the Chinese who will rule the world with a ruthless hand and we will be Balkanised in some way and beyond return. Thanks Blair and liberal media for this unnecessary fate

           15 likes

      • joeb says:

        I found that about a year ago, and I was fairly astonished at how accurate it is.

        There are a few economists about who study war/economic cycles through history, which is very interesting. Don’t be tempted to dismiss it as bollocks. I suggest having a look at Martin Armstrong, a hugely respected economist. In this piece from Jan ’13, he says:

        “Consequently, we are looking at 2014 for the beginning of a rise in separatism and civil unrest around the west. Then we see 2016 and the start of a nasty economic decline. We could see things get real bad during the 2016-2020 phase. That may actually be the bottom in the European economic meltdown.”

        http://armstrongeconomics.com/cycle-of-war-political-economy/

           7 likes

  11. regag says:

    ‘Laughing Stock Met Office…2007 “Peer-Reviewed” Global Temperature Forecast A Staggering Failure’
    http://antigreen.blogspot.co.uk
    I wonder what the BBC had to say at the time: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6939347.stm
    ‘recent improvements in data collection from satellites and in-situ instruments have allowed climatologists to improve their understanding of how ocean dynamics influence the climate system.’ … oh dear!

       23 likes

  12. Bangernofski says:

    BBC Radio London now is is full on Ramadam mode. I really do despair.

       22 likes

    • noggin says:

      already 100 dead 78 injured in 15 separate attacks!
      … Ramadan Bombathon 2014 Scorecard

      Lying about fasting, lying about so called “piety”
      Islam – most deranged dangerous ideology on this planet.
      BOOM! … the religion of piece(s).
      Last years scorecard

         30 likes

      • joeb says:

        “Lying about fasting”.

        Yes, I’ve just been in my local McDonald’s and there are plenty of bearded men and hijabbed women happily eating away. No Ramadan going on there…

           6 likes

  13. Jeff Waters says:

    ‘The mighty Muslim leader Ahmed The Left-Handed led some fierce campaigns from here in the 16th Century.’ – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28054464

    A take on this mighty leader from another source:

    ‘Ahmad Grāñ installed his half-brother as a puppet Sultan and, in retaliation for continued raids by Ethiopia, he launched a jihad (Islamic holy war) against Emperor Dawit II and his Christian followers.’

    In 1531 Ahmad Grāñ initiated a full scale invasion of Ethiopia. … He had left a path of destruction in his wake … Christians of the conquered lands were converted to Islam.

    From http://africanhistory.about.com/od/djibouti/a/Ahmad-Gran.htm

    Wikipedia quotes Ethiopia’s former emperor Haile Selassie as saying:

    “I have often had villagers in northern Ethiopia point out sites of towns, forts, churches and monasteries destroyed by Gragn as if these catastrophes had occurred only yesterday.”

    He sounds like someone who the ISIS leaders would look up to. Buy hey, if the BBC say he’s mighty rather than (say) barbaric, that’s good enough for me…

       17 likes

  14. Umbongo says:

    Jeff Waters/Roland Deschain
    .
    The BBC is on a difficult one here. If Scotland goes independent one of the consequences would probably be that Labour could lose significant representation at Westminster. (BTW that’s not a certainty. Even if Wee ‘Eck wins, the terms of independence would still have to be negotiated and I wouldn’t put it past our rulers to engineer a compromise allowing Scotland a continued say at Westminster in return for some meaningless Scotish concession.) Accordingly, bias in favour of independence has serious consequences for the BBC’s favourite political claque.
    OTOH a manifest bias against independence has consequences for the BBC post the referendum where its position (particularly as the state broadcaster) in Scotland – win or lose – would be compromised. I suspect that, insofar as it has “impartiality” in its genes, the BBC is covering the referendum campaign without particular bias either way.
    However, this whole question of BBC bias north of the border ignores, in the Chomskeyan way we have come to expect, the basic question here which is why the matter of BBC coverage – biased or not – is so important. The answer is that the BBC’s political coverage infects all UK politics like a particularly severe and nasty rash. If the BBC is against you, unless you have almost overwhelming support in the country, you’re done for: if the BBC supports you, your importance and influence in the UK scheme of things is assured. You only have to look at, for instance, the CAGW fraud to recognise that without the BBC ‘s constant lies propaganda, this issue would have died out years ago as a credible force in British politics. Accordingly, the independence rent-a-mob demonstrating in Glasgow is highlighting – albeit unconciously – something of even more importance to the UK than Scotland’s future.

       17 likes

  15. George R says:

    Islam Not BBC (INBBC)’s sympathetic preview on Islamic jihadist, Samantha Lewthwaite-

    “The White Widow: Searching For Samantha”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048pc4b

    Alternative:-

    ‘Jihadwatch’-

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/search_gcse?q=lewthwaite

       18 likes

  16. Llareggub says:

    Woman stabbed in Portsmouth. No bias in the report which says that the man was white. But had he not been white he would have been described as a man.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-28085919

       28 likes

    • IsItMe? says:

      Given that the popluation is still around 90% white, the default “man” should imply a white man. However, it usually seems to go the other way round – i.e. if the race is not mentioned, then the “man” is usually non-white. (This rule does not apply when decribing victims of crime, when race may be freely mentioned- unless the suspects/perpetrators are also non-white in which case race should not be mentioned).

         16 likes

  17. George R says:

    A political, pro-Islamic, inevitable propaganda broadcast by INBBC this lunchtime (‘wato’ Radio 4, circa 1:30 pm)-

    Who did dhimmi Beeboids get on to explain away the significance of the Caliphate to we mere non-Islamic licencepayers, but its Islamic chum, Mr Tariq Ramadan.

    ‘Jihadwatch’-

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/search_gcse?q=tariq%20ramadan

       20 likes

    • chrisH says:

      But who else?
      He`s an Oxford lecturer!
      No further questions…that word taqqiya isn`t really worth worrying about now is it?
      Mint tea anyone?

         22 likes

  18. Roland Deschain says:

    Breaking news from the Worse Than We Thought files.

    Climate change is likely to cut Antarctica’s 600,000-strong emperor penguin population by at least a fifth by 2100, a study suggests.

    Oh, won’t somebody think of the pennnnnnnguins?

       21 likes

  19. AsISeeIt says:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28051930

    ‘Facebook is facing criticism after it emerged it had conducted a psychology experiment on nearly 700,000 users without their knowledge.’

    ‘The test saw Facebook “manipulate” news feeds to control which emotional expressions the users were exposed to.’

    What a naughty thing to do. Who would have thought a corporation could stoop to manipulating news so as to elicite an emotional response?

    ‘Bedroom Tax’ anyone?

       22 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Interesting one.
      At least there are comments and they are still open… for now. Certainly a few climbing happily on the outrage bus. Maybe with reason.
      Top:
      21. Disco Dad
      By every standard of psychological/sociological research, this was an unethical study. They didn’t get informed consent, weren’t able to monitor the impact it was having on the subjects, didn’t debrief subjects afterwards and didn’t know whether some subjects were minors (and therefore didn’t get parental consent). Ethics demand that Facebook inform users now if they were a subject of this study.
      But… isn’t the BBC very much in bed with Mark and his merry social medium?
      Odd, given:
      * unethical study.
      * didn”t get informed consent,
      * weren’t able to monitor the impact it was having on the subjects
      * didn’t debrief subjects afterwards
      * didn’t know whether some subjects were minors
      Then again, that sounds pretty much like a BBC investigative report, so one can see how they’d not want to delve too far.

         10 likes

  20. George R says:

    For Beeboids: ‘Diversity’ in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan-

    “Children forced to watch as Pakistani couple who married for love were ‘murdered as an example'”

    By Rob Crilly.

    ‘Telegraph’ (£).

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/10933481/Children-forced-to-watch-as-Pakistani-couple-who-married-for-love-were-murdered-as-an-example.html

       20 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      If the BBC get round to it, will it at best be an ‘Asian’ thing?
      Mostly ‘Men’ involved (a few shrieking harpies on the side to keep Danny’s quotas up)?
      Really, really hope that any establishment response or reporting here will clarify for new guests to our shores that there is no honour in murder, and bringing such notions over here… best not.

         16 likes

  21. Colonel Blimp says:

    so Rolf Harris has been found guilty and will be sentenced on Friday – fair play to the Beeb for not glossing over his long career presenting shows for Auntie in this biography (too much, anyway)

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22216075

       8 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      Another part of my childhood comes crashing down!

      I have to say that of all the celebrities fingered, he was the one I was hoping was innocent.

         24 likes

      • joeb says:

        There is one other big entertainment name who will be exposed for his behaviour, but only when he passes away. This is because, like Savile, he’s too juiced in, too powerful to expose right now. Rolf clearly didn’t have the right friends in high places.
        Having said that, this celebrity’s proclivities are not unacceptable by today’s standards, but would have been back in the day. Nevertheless, many will be shocked.

           1 likes

    • Bernard from Bucks says:

      BBC News:
      A man of “Australasian appearance” has been convicted on 12 charges of indecent assault.
      Not really, but they should have!

         12 likes

      • joeb says:

        “Australasian appearance”

        So we know he was wearing shorts, flip flops, a vest, and those horrible ‘modern’ sunglasses like cricketers wear.

           0 likes

  22. Grimer says:

    So, the BBC report Harris’ guilt with a 1 month old story. Is that libellous – i.e. they wrote about his guilt a month before he was found guilty?

    rolfharris_zps2ffb7e93.png

       4 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      I presume they had it ready, but only put it online now.

         2 likes

    • joeb says:

      That’s good, but I love this. Cilla and Ronnie Corbett react. I love old celebs’ reactions when one of them gets jailed for being a nonce. Really, Cilla? Just “disappointed…”? Wonderful…

      http://tinyurl.com/ou6ceza

         0 likes

  23. +james says:

    Yet more childhood memories ruined…..

       3 likes

  24. bogtrott says:

    why hasn’t anyone from the BBC been charged regarding savile,hall,harris etc they knew but did nothing.
    All for the sake of viewing figures.
    Why no independant or police investigations into the BBC,the church,the hospitals, have been looked at but not the BBC.
    It all to do with a “common purpose”…….

       32 likes

    • DJ says:

      Maybe not charged, but you know if it was almost anyone else, the BBC would be running whole segments talking about a ‘culture of corruption’ complete with sinister background music, a dark filter on the camera lens and interviews with every disgruntled loser and whacko who’s ever been fired by the company concerned.

      And no, just because any time a BBC drama includes a priest he turns out to be a paedophile that’s no reason for their crappy little shows to start featuring paedophile celebrities.

      And most of all, a thousand times no, no matter how many programs they produced asking if there was a connection between paedophilia and the – supposedly – repressed attitudes to sex of the Catholic Church, they will NEVER run one asking if the BBC’s contempt for traditional values had anything to do with it becoming Pervert Central.

         32 likes

      • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:

        Albeeba just has to be : institutionally paedophilic!

           19 likes

        • Leha says:

          who were/are the enablers, thats what I would really like to know.

             11 likes

          • Ken says:

            I now call the BBC the Buggering Boys Club!

               6 likes

            • Ken says:

              And forget all that Dear Aunty Beeb rubbish, it’a now nasty pervy uncle Beeb… You know, that relative you would never ever let your kids visit unattended.

                 9 likes

    • Philip says:

      Nice to know the BBC/Rolf Harris link can be excused for sexual impropriety and paedophilic behaviour – in this report the BBC appear to be taking advice from Mi5. (read Janet’s piece). Its the Whitehall establishment at fault behind the BBC ignoring Mi5 security risks. Politicians have to protect their vested interests, blame it on the NHS or RSPCA is easier.
      http://tompride.co.uk/2012/10/14/mi5-vetted-savile-and-decided-paedophilia-was-nothing-to-worry-about/

         10 likes

      • Ken says:

        So, Murdoch closed the News of the World when the scope of listening to unsecured voicemails over a few years, was uncovered.

        The BBC has been actively enabling and covering up for a number of predatory paedophiles for many decades.

        When will it be shut down?

        Murdoch, much more ethical and decent than the BBC!

           22 likes

  25. Guest Who says:

    http://bbcwatch.org/2014/06/30/massive-tel-aviv-rally-for-kidnapped-teens-ignored-by-bbc/
    BBC ignoring teens?
    Maybe if FLOTUS could see her way to doing a doodle on a piece of cardboard: Can you see what it is yet?

       14 likes

    • John Anderson says:

      85,000 people – that is a really massive rally for Tel Aviv, 20% of the population of the city – and many in Tel Aviv are Arab.

         15 likes

  26. dave1east says:

    anyone else noticed the bbc’s complete lack of interest in identifying the Tottenham players who wanted their manager to tell lies so that they could avoid playing for their country?

    any idea what the reason for this complete lack of interest might be?

       25 likes

  27. OldBloke says:

    I have been listening to the BBC news since Rolf Harris was found guilty. Strange that I have not yet heard the BBC and Rolf Harris mentioned in the same sentence.

       29 likes

    • dave1east says:

      yes, the report I saw on bbc news linked harris with the queen and itv, but oddly no mentioned whatsoever of his links with the bbc

         26 likes

    • WiganCookie says:

      Can anyone tell me what the following people have in common?

      Saville, Rolf Harris, Stuart Hall

      BBC, in situationally sex perverts

         24 likes

  28. John Anderson says:

    The BBC line for the past week has been that the Juncker vote was a huge humiliation for Cameron, the Tories look stupid, yada yada yada. All in a week when Cameron wa grievously damaged by Coulson.

    Odd, then, that the latest Ashcroft opinion poll shows a good Tory gain, of 5 points, now pushing them ahead of Labour :

    http://order-order.com/2014/06/30/tories-go-ahead-with-5-jump-giving-2-lead/

       17 likes

  29. Charlatans says:

    BBC are going big on Ed Balls big economics speech today, surprise surprise, with plenty of ‘bias by omission’ of course:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28086961

    BALLS SAID:
    “The Labour government had not foreseen the financial crisis which hit middle and lower income families very hard.”
    AN UNDERSTATEMENT OR WHAT!
    IT GETS WORSE: WITH MORE NECK THAN A GIRAFFE BALLS THEN TRIES TO PIN THE BLAME ON OSBORNE:
    “And while voices in the City and across the right, including George Osborne, argued that we were being too tough on the financial sector, we should have been much tougher still.”
    The BBC reporter writing up this Balls propaganda web page might wish to add:
    MR BALLS SHOULD KNOW SINCE HE WAS AT THE VERY HEART OF ECONOMIC DECISION MAKING IN THE LAST LABOUR GOVERNMENT THAT SO TRASHED THE ECONOMY, AS NEVER BEFORE IN PEACE TIME, IT IS GOING TO TAKE UP TO OUR GRANDCHILDREN TO RECTIFY THE DAMAGE. EVERY COALITION GOVERNMENT MEASURE TO BRING ABOUT THE RECOVERY BALLS’ PARTY HAVE VOTED AGAINST, INCLUDING EVERY SINGLE COALITION WELFARE REFORM.

       30 likes

    • Ken says:

      Additionally, every single economic prediction Ball’s has made since the last election has proven to be completely and wholly wrong. 5 million unemployed; double dip recession; tripple dip recession; inflation exploding; all wrong.

      How can anyone, for even the slightest moment ever even begin to consider the remotest possiblility of thinking about voting for someone whose economic record is 100% wrong all of the time?

         16 likes

  30. Sickofitall says:

    Another terrible (and probably racist) hate crime, this time perpetrated by the Police themselves.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-28087542

    Thousands upon thousands of sensitve and emotionally vulnerable Colombian drug lords and Nigerian fraudsters must be weeping because of these hurtful and thoughtless tweets.

    Thankfully the BBC is able to bring this to our attention.

       26 likes

  31. Charlatans says:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28086961
    Balls goes on to say:
    “Just as hundreds of thousands of Eastern Europeans have come to live and work in the UK and other developed countries across Europe, so too have millions of Mexicans and Latin Americans moved to the United States, and Indians and Chinese to the relative riches of the Middle East – a new global and mobile middle class.

    Additional competition for low-skilled jobs, and increasingly intermediate-skilled jobs, has put great pressure on communities.”
    The BBC commentator writing up this webpage, in his statutory unbiased and balanced remit, omits now to answer this immigration point to the taxpayer paying his wages. The BBC reporter should balance this ridiculous Balls excuse of Labour policy to rub our noses in it with:
    LABOUR INTRODUCED MORE IMMIGRANTS INTO THIS COUNTRY DURING THEIR TIME IN OFFICE THAN CAME HERE DURING THE WHOLE PERIOD SINCE THE NORMAN INVASION IN 1066:
    http://www.migrationwatchuk.com/Briefingpaper/document/48
    SOME OF THESE IMMIGRANTS, MAINLY A SMALL MINORITY OF MUSLIMS, ARE SO RADICALISED BY THE LABOUR DOUBTFUL LEGAL WARS THAT THEY HAVE BOMBED, KILLED ON OUR STREETS AND EVEN TODAY AROUND 500 ARE PRACTISING JIHAD IN THE CALPHATE IN THE MESS THEY MADE OF IRAQ. THAT IS IN ADDITION TO THE DEATHS, DISABLEMENT AND DISPLACEMENT OF WELL OVER A MILLION MIDDLE EASTERN RESIDENTS AND WESTERN MILITARY RESULTING FROM THIS LABOUR FOREIGN POLICY.

       34 likes

  32. Hexhamgeezer says:

    Al-Beeb are reporting the discovery of the 3 murdered Israeli teenagers that have been missing for 3 weeks. What they can’t bring themselves to do in print or speech is say that they were murdered. They report Netanyahu using the M word but once again they can’t bring themselves to use the correct term when it involves their savage !$lamic allies.

       33 likes

  33. EmersonV says:

    Bbc agree with Hamas that they never kidnapped and murdered the 3 boys according to Newsnight.

    In fact they seem to be blaming Israel, unbelievable bias..

       35 likes

    • EmersonV says:

      Yep the bbc are blaming the Israelis.

         22 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      The BBC FaceBook pages on this are even uglier than usual. There are those who see no disconnect between equating the deliberate planned kidnap and murder of kids with any other death in conflict… and using it in justification.
      Just about any BBC thread tonight should make those who haunt this forum making generic accusations blush when they ignore much worse on their own doorstep.
      If it was in their power they should have closed for comments, because what I am seeing is facilitated incitement.
      It may serve some old men to sacrifice headstrong youth to provoke the IDF into creating martyrs, but the BBC should not be muddying waters or stirring passions more than they are already.
      For once there possibly could be communities who should live in fear of more than errant meat products on doors.
      Too much to hope or expect they may reflect what actions brought matters to such a point?

         11 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        There are currently three posts on the Today page. Here are two by a charmer called Gloria Percy:
        “WHY all this air time over 3 dead Israelis what about all the Palestinians kids ill-treated and murdered by Israelis??”
        And…
        “Would love to see harris die in jail on my own.”
        That last offers significant grammar nazi potential too.
        Possibly a false flagger, but these days who knows?

        Maybe our resident hate site policeman currently on ‘me, me, me!’ station again here would like to pop over to a BBC forum for once….

           11 likes

  34. EmersonV says:

    Strangely it is the Labour Party and the left who have demonised, ignored, the white working class..they have spent vast sums of money on ethnic areas but have ignored poorer white areas.

    Not really a comment about the bbc but they also perpetuate this in there many shows where you can discriminate against white working class people but anyone else mustn’t be touched.

       38 likes

  35. John Anderson says:

    Here is an example of deliberate propagandizing by the BBC’s Yolande Knell – trying to portray Palestinian activists as victims rather than the kidnapped Israeli teenagers :

    http://bbcwatch.org/2014/06/26/yolande-knells-analysis-of-teens-kidnappings-breaches-bbc-editorial-guidelines/

    and here is the BBC trying to play down the Hamas involvement in the kidnappings / killings :

    http://bbcwatch.org/2014/06/28/bbc-news-report-on-kidnapping-suspects-downplays-hamas-connections/

    BBC – always covering for the Muslim terrorists.

       31 likes

  36. John Anderson says:

    I see that the pro-Israel BBCWatch website has run a whole series of reports on the BBC’s coverage of the Israeli kidnappings / killings over the past few weeks.

    There are very clear guidelines set for the BBC – maybe not clear enough, but still pretty insistent that BBC reporters should give fair accounts. And BBC staff in the Middle East know they are under close watch, there have been abundant criticisms of their bias.

    But still they carry on. The website gives a whole series of recent reports that indicate a persistent bias in this case. The criticisms all look valid to me, and well-documented – covering BBC reporters such as the dreadful Yolande Knell through to BBC presenters in London such as Evan Davis and James Naughtie – the whole BBC “reporting” mindset seems to be caught up in bias against Israel.

    http://bbcwatch.org/

       27 likes

    • Lynette says:

      Good people despair at the BBC “reporting ” mindset of bias against Israel but feel they can do nothing. . But the BBC has to spend money in answering complaints and this could help in altering the mindset if enough people complained. It’s up to sites like this to hi light this bias which has serious consequences to a stable society in the UK . Sharing responses to complaints to the BBC on this site is one way of motivating people to complain. .

         22 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Especially when the responses to sincere, valid complaints are shown to be ‘answered’ by no more than sitting on them as long as possible before issuing template responses as the first line of an attrition labyrinth.

           14 likes

  37. Matthew says:

    Long piece from the Bbc on why the Swiss should be grateful that compared to the 1994 World Cup, the players are no longer called Marc or Alain, but now Xherdan and Admir.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28085070

    But apparently they aren’t happy about immigration in Switzerland, and they are doing nasty racist things like limiting immigration and banning minarets.

    Of course in the 94 WC the Swiss made it to the last 16, which is likely as far as they’ll make it this time, so the improvement from all this joyous islamic immigration isn’t that clear.

       29 likes

  38. AsISeeIt says:

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/01/fiona-bruce-misogynistic-twitter-bbc

    ‘BBC presenter shuns social media because of ‘large number of men’ who feel they can say what they like about women’

    I don’t use Twitter either, so let me think of some right-on Guardianista-friendly reason why I don’t…. er…. let’s see… how about – because I want to save the planet. And I don’t eat penguin biscuits because I want to save the… er… penguins?

    Do you know what, this declaration by Ms Bruce reminds me an awful lot of those Miss World competitions and that section where the competitors used to be interviewed and all of them without exception declared their longing for World Peace and general Universal Happiness.

    And this bit raised my hackles…

    ‘Bruce said attitudes about women on TV news had been changed by reporters such as the BBC chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet. “Because when you listen to Lyse, you don’t think, ‘What is she wearing?’ Most of the time it’s a flak jacket. What you think is, ‘God – she’s in the middle of Aleppo risking her life.’”’

    No. I think – what is that awful accent and why is she speaking in those horrible strained tones with her speach stresses all over the place? Please make it stop.

    And then I think – I’m not really interested in this nasty conflict at the back of beyond. Why am I paying her wages to preach at me a lecture I didn’t ask for and really really don’t want?

       40 likes

    • Ken says:

      “‘BBC presenter shuns social media because of ‘large number of men’ who feel they can say what they like about women’”

      Awwww diddums. Is this where feminism has got them? Well it does not stop women attacking men on twitter and accusing all men, and all sexual contact as rape. yes, even consensual sex. It is always rape, because apparently, all sex with men involves the man violating and stabbing into the woman, therefore ALL women are victims of violent male rapists. Even virgins somehow… I lost the will to live trying to understand that bit.

         20 likes

    • Dave S says:

      Lyse Doucet hardly speaks in dulcet tones. I can’t listen to her at all. She just cannot communicate effectively.

         15 likes

  39. Thoughtful says:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2675391/BBC-staff-furious-controversial-mystic-follows-teachings-guru-believes-Jews-died-peacefully-gas-chambers-invited-teach-employees-MEDITATION.html

    BBC wasting money on a ‘training’ scheme with an Indian Swami with some very strange beliefs.

    If this was a company run along commercial lines with a view to keeping the bottom line in the black, it would not be able to survive.

       24 likes

  40. dave666 says:

    I missed breakfast this morning so decided to catch up with Sky & bbc. Straight off into it on BBc the presenter agrees with ming Campbell that reducing the nuclear deterent submarine fleet to 3 submarines would just be a “small step”. Well to the lay person that would seem reasonable.
    However at present at least one submarine is always on active patrol. A second submarine is normally undergoing maintenance and the remaining two are in port or on training exercises. Which leaves little lee way
    Oh and just for a change an item on food waste.

       25 likes

    • Ken says:

      Reducing our fleet from 4 to 3 could be potentially disastrous, especially as we are gearing up for an US, EU Vs Russia WW3, with a global jihadist on the side.

         18 likes

    • starfish says:

      The support infrastructure for 3 subs will be the same as for 4

      This is a step towards continuous at sea deterrence (except bank holidays, weekends and the third Thursday of every month)

      More evidence, if any were necessary, that he is a senile fool and his party unfit for goverment

         1 likes

  41. Derrick says:

    I nearly threw up into my muesli when I read this

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28085070

       15 likes

    • Bob Nelson says:

      Astonishing. The BBC is fixated.

         12 likes

    • joeb says:

      Heh heh, that is a classic piece of BBC slanting. Brilliant. There is no angle left unexplored in their delight of Islam, is there?

         0 likes

  42. George R says:

    “BBC show in bias row over policing cuts:
    “Documentary accused of failing to mention big reductions in recorded crime.
    “Documentary Police Under Pressure accused of anti-government bias.”
    “Show follows the Sheffield police, and was screened last week.
    “BBC Two show failed to mention big reductions in recorded crime.”
    By JASON GROVES.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2675859/BBC-bias-row-policing-cuts-Documentary-accused-failing-mention-big-reductions-recorded-crime.html#ixzz36CsOwyhs

       12 likes

  43. George R says:

    1.)

    BBC NUJ -McCluskey-‘Unite’-Labour Party:

    “Len McCluskey: ‘Unite stands behind Labour and Ed Miliband'”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28090168

    2.)
    ‘Daily Mail’:

    “Unite gives £12million to the Labour election fund as leader ‘Red Len’ McCluskey tells Miliband to ‘bring home the bacon’ for his members.
    “Unite leader said he will ‘stand fully behind’ Ed Miliband in the election.
    “Len McCluskey also boasted of union’s influence in MP candidates.
    “Unite’s ‘election wish list’ include higher taxes and repelling of union laws.”
    By JACK DOYLE.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2675783/Unite-gives-12million-Labour-election-fund-leader-Red-Len-McCluskey-tells-Miliband-bring-home-bacon-members.html#ixzz36Cy9oY64

       18 likes

  44. pounce says:

    The bBC reports on the ‘The European Court of Human Rights’ backing France to ban the Niqab.
    European Court upholds French full veil ban
    The European Court of Human Rights has upheld a ban by France on wearing the Muslim full-face veil – the niqab.

    A case was brought by a 24-year-old French woman, who argued that the ban on wearing the veil in public violated her freedom of religion and expression. French law says nobody can wear in a public space clothing intended to conceal the face. The penalty for doing so can be a 150-euro fine (£120; $205).

    I did notice whom the bBC wish to link this assault of freedom of expression on.

    2010 law came in under former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy.

    Yeah those nasty conservatives , Must be why the picture the bBC uses in the above article is soooooo sad.
    _75960380_niqabindexgetty.jpg

    Made me think of Supertramp:

       13 likes

    • Phobic-ist says:

      Cheers, Pounce my man….I’d forgotten how much I liked Supertramp.

         2 likes

  45. pounce says:

    Some good news from the bBC:
    Richard Bacon and Victoria Derbyshire to leave 5 live
    I wonder if VD decision is becasue the bbC payments for those who didn’t want to move to Manchester is about to run out?

       24 likes

  46. Jeff Waters says:

    BBC Blows £500k Asking 33,000 People in Asia Their Thoughts on Climate Change – http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/06/30/BBC-Wastes-500000-Asking-33000-People-in-Asia-what-They-Think-of-Climate-Change

       17 likes

    • Ember2014 says:

      You only need about 1000-2000 people in a survey to get a reasonably accurate picture of opinions. Trust the BBC to incorrectly that think spending much more will get much better results (aka the false “value for money” argument).

         12 likes

  47. Ember2014 says:

    BBC presenter in: “The world outside the bubble is nasty!” shocker

       14 likes

  48. nofanofpoliticians says:

    I see Bacon and Derbyshire are to leave 5Live later this year.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28105640

    Only downside is that the terrible Chiles is returning. There must be scope for troublemaking here, what with his multi million pound contract at ITV and stuff. I wonder what the BBC is paying him, or rather paying his service company?

       12 likes

  49. Invicta 1066 says:

    Have just listened to part of You & Yours on BBC R4. The subject was the EU good or bad, in or out.
    Some of the contributors actually had me mouthing at the radio!
    Example, some idiot from Cornwall said, if we withdrew from the EU Cornwall would lose some £500m over a period of seven years of essential funding from that body.
    Did the presenter point out that that amount equals about 10 days of our EU contribution of circa £53m a day? No. He also waffled on about how much better farmers in the SW were, really? That might be the case in 2014 but for many years dairy farmers have been giving up because of the poor prices for milk, due largely to supermarket monopoly but also because of cheaper imported milk from France, where conditions imposed on farmers are not followed as vigorously as in the UK but also because they get more farm subsidies than any other country!
    He went on and on about cheeses!
    Some e-mails were read out claiming EU subsidies were keeping businesses going and they would close down if we left.
    Compare that with the tens, probably hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in manufacturing and fishing.
    I will give three examples and then shut up.
    In my own area some 400 jobs were lost when a major supplier to Hotpoint was instructed to close down and shift production to Poland. The firm received EU funding to create jobs in Poland; strangely I do not believe any of the six or so Poles working there went back!
    Fords at Southampton closed down its van making factory and transferred production to TURKEY! again with an EU financial bribe courtesy of the UK taxpayer. ,.
    Finally, thanks to EU green subsidies and trickery Sheffield lost much of its steel making production when steel mills closed and were relocated to Belgium (I think)
    Did the BBC lady ever put these points or others, of course not, seemed keen to move on whenever someone ‘off message’ was allowed on.

       34 likes

  50. Chop says:

    Anyone care to guess what Country Kate Middleton is visiting?

    Jamaica?
    Nigeria?
    Sudan?

    Nope, it’s Islington, that peninsula of West Africa by the looks of it:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2676324/Pretty-pink-Duchess-Cambridge-delights-school-children-charity-visit.html

       19 likes

    • Dave S says:

      Come on there were a few ethnic English looking children there. But they may well have been Polish.
      I wonder if the Islington lefties use that school?
      You are looking at the future people of London. Demography is destiny and the destiny of the ethnic English is no longer to be part of the new London.
      Other countries call it ethnic cleansing.The BBC and their liberal allies call it vibrant and diverse.
      As long as the liberal elite stays in London and leaves old England to us I have no concerns. A dirty nasty city with little to commend it these days.

         19 likes

    • OldBloke says:

      Aww, come on now Chop. I spotted the token white, didn’t you?

         9 likes

      • Chop says:

        I did, and I bet they were bussed in from Ravenstonedale Endowed School to show those Cumbrian waycists what diversity is all about.

           10 likes