274 Responses to START THE WEEK OPEN THREAD….

  1. Merched Becca says:

    Al beeb news reports of sheep rustling, theft of farming & agricultural equipment from the UK, all being smuggled into to Eastern Europe. All part of the advantages of being in the E U and its open border policy . Time to get out ?

       73 likes

    • Aerfen says:

      Really? The Beeboids admitted it was into Eastern Europe?
      😮
      I am shocked!

         43 likes

      • Chop says:

        The Beeb don’t have a big problem going for the eastern europeans, they are quite low down on effnik top trumps.

        When “Immigration” issues (from Islamic monsters) get raised, the BBC will always mention immigrants from Poland, and how much of a problem this is causing, neatly sidestepping the Islamic immigration issue that is the MAJOR problem.

        Muzzies kicking off around the world?….not to worry, here comes the Islamic white Knight in the shape of the BBC to deflect attention, it’s like a pre-emptive strike…because only bad immigration comes from eastern europe.

        (I am very good friends with 2 Poles a Lithuanian & a Romanian, all of them work, LEGALLY and are the nicest people I have ever met)

           42 likes

        • Mark says:

          Poles are not visibly ethnic, there are hardly any Roma among them and they are mostly Catholic Christian. That’s the problem for the bBC.

          Admittedly they are a bit fond of vodka-fuelled pugilism, but that is a lesser evil than brandishing the black flag of Islam and creating no-go zones in towns.

             44 likes

        • Aerfen says:

          Your happening to get on with a few Eastern Europeans is utterly irrelevant. I have had very nice Muslim friends! The point is NONE of them should be hear in large numbers.
          Poles may be working, but they are still taking jobs, houses, school places and a ludicrous number of spots in maternity units! Ahhhh!
          And yes some of tyhem ARE criminal and up to no good. Plenty are working illegally, undercutting British workers and not paying tax.

          I agree that in the hierarchy of foreign immigrants Poles are more popular than many, thus less popular with the BBC than blacks or Asians but still way way more liked than the despised ethnic Brit, especially working class ethnic Brits.

             20 likes

          • Backwoodsman says:

            Aerfen, Chops’ comment is, however, completely spot on. Poles are fair game to the beeboids and a neat way for them to avoid having to be seen to be anti muzzie.

               8 likes

            • London Calling says:

              Or mention the unspoken Commonwealth open-back door – (independence granted to most 50 years ago) – Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria (fancy Ebola? Why is Public Health England silent? Duncan Selbie, speak up? Race card trumps all) The problem is not hard-working East Europeans – all the loft extensions in my street are built by east Europeans. It’s Africans, whose main talent seems to be making more Africans. How many school places per traffic warden?

                 3 likes

              • Aerfen says:

                No they are ALL a problem.
                Britain is overcrowded bursting at the seems.
                Poles are taking homes, jobs, entirely taking over some workplaces even as they wheedle their friends in, taking school places, benefits, straining our infrastructure, infiltrating even formerly homogenous rural communties AND there are HUGE numbers of them! There are more Polish babies born than any other ethnic group. They are breeding like rabbits in Britain.

                On the scale they are currently colonising Britain every extra immigrant is a problem, wherever they come from.

                   6 likes

    • Guess Who says:

      Still playing on BBC FaceBook.
      Interestingly, despite the ‘ism-trolls screaming for any comment not on message be shut down, there are now more and more asking just how, precisely, looking at causes and effects suddenly becomes yet another area off limits to all but approved analysts such as the BBC.

         6 likes

  2. Alan Larocka says:

    Mentioned on another thread is about how in the 80’s there were reporting restrictions on the IRA which was always parroted by the BBC and had a large warning that this was ‘under UK government reporting restrictions’. There does not appear to be a similar warning for HAMAS reporting restrictions. Any reason?

       61 likes

    • John Anderson says:

      Those reporting restrictions were imposed by the Thatcher Government – the BBC protested against this and found their way round them by using actors’ voices.

      These days they don’t need to hire outside actors. Their own reporters and presenters are very skilled at parroting Hamas propaganda.

         72 likes

      • Andy S. says:

        Has anyone seen the reporting by Sky News’ Katie Stallard from Gaza? I never thought it possible that a reporter from another News broadcaster could be worse than Bowen, Doucette and Donnison at shilling for Hamas but she takes the prize. She’s doing nothing but repeat Hamas talking points and effectively calling the Israelis baby killers. Her reports are nothing more than Hamas propaganda. Disgraceful, but at least I’m not forced to pay for Sky News on pain of imprisonment.

           31 likes

        • Mark says:

          The real baby-killers are the butchering savages of ISIS. What’s her view of them ?

             30 likes

          • nofanofpoliticians says:

            To be fair to Katie Stallard, she was flown in from another war-zone (Ukraine) at seemingly short notice to make up the Sky numbers… she has had hardly any time to do the research and probably is a bit short on local resource to fall back on.

            Sam Kiely is their normal middle eastern chappie, but I guess he must be on holiday.

            The situation is not really comparable to the BBC who seem to be able to call upon a cast of thousands, wherever and whenever.

               7 likes

            • Guest Who says:

              OT, but being fair to reporters of professional integrity, if you can’t do the job right, don’t do it.
              And not doing it right in my book involves lobbing up unbriefed and churning out what some bozo tells you is going on without checking.
              I no longer watch SKY, but if what Andy. S. quotes is the case, no excuse as she appears to be editorialising wildly too.
              And Sam Kiley was no better. I recall he always seemed like a wannabee SAS reject gunning for a Pulitzer. But he did seem to prefer the ‘au naturel’ helmet-free look for a mid-firefight scoop, which seemed odd as that shiny dome always seemed like a heck of a silly thing to wave about.

                 13 likes

        • uncle bup says:

          Tasty piece of crumpet mind.

          Stay out of war zones, treacle.

          Get your biscuits in the oven and your buns in the bed.

             8 likes

    • deegee says:

      The BBC denies there are any such restrictions. Israel does present some restrictions on military reporting. I once sent in a F.O.I. question about the legal advice the BBC receives about obeying those restrictions but was fobbed off with the regular for the purposes of journalism exemption to transparency.

         10 likes

  3. Fred Bloggs says:

    Looking through the previews of the TV pages; I read the outline of ‘The Village’. While clear that the PC committee had devised the plot and ticked nearly every box. Two were missing, one looked likely that in the setting they had not immigrated here by then, the other that they were not yet ready for Matt Lucus to reprise his comic role.

    Oh bBC how predictable you are!

       49 likes

    • Geoff says:

      An excellent comment from the DT sums both the program and the BBC up….

      It was like ‘drama by numbers’ ….
      Black character: tick
      Gay scene: tick
      Rise of the Labour party: tick
      Lunatic aristocrat cheats honest, hardworking prole out of his money: tick
      Woman (not man) saves the day: tick

         85 likes

      • Fred Bloggs says:

        It is really a sad day for the paying public when, just by reading a preview you can guess with almost 95% certainty the plot and how it will play out.

           75 likes

        • Geoff says:

          95% of BBC dramas always play out in the same way!

             63 likes

          • Expat John says:

            Yes but: it should really be “Gay woman saves the day”.

               1 likes

          • Aerfen says:

            Its no different to Stalins socialist realism – show life today as they would like it to be, not how it is, strong wise black men in respected positions getting the girl, thick or wicked white men getting their just deserts; show life in the past as peopled by evil wicked racists and homophobes, with a few saints (usually women) prepared to stand up to them bravely!

               2 likes

      • regag says:

        I don’t watch BBC dramas any more but I’ve seen enough of them in the past to know that the tick list has become a mirror of ‘real’ life for them.
        The following is from their web page about Broadcasting House: ‘Broadcasting House is now the BBC’s largest creative hub in the UK, generating more live output than any other BBC site to provide better and more integrated content and services for its audiences. It provides public service broadcasting to over 10 million people across the UK at any one time and to a worldwide audience of more than 150 million every week.’
        http://www.bbc.co.uk/broadcastinghouse/
        That may sound like the best joke you’ve heard from the BBC over the last few years but, unfortunately, they’re not ”avin’ a larf”: ‘We wanted [The Village] to feel like living memory’ (John Griffin, producer), ‘What Peter (Moffat, writer) was interested in was living memory, a history that wasn’t coming from history books but from oral history, from real people who lived ordinary lives.’
        http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/posts/The-Village-We-wanted-it-to-feel-like-living-memory
        They really do believe in the tick list!

           34 likes

        • Fred Bloggs says:

          A bBC insider told me about the committee that vets the storyline and content of drama’s etc. If producers don’t meet their criteria they have to rewrite the plot to comply with their dictat.

             28 likes

          • Fred Bloggs says:

            Talking of PC attitudes. mid July the bBC was before Parliament. The four bBC Lord Hall plus others. Gave the their usual bollox about diversity and quotas, etc. Philip Davies invited them to give up their jobs for a Black. Lord Hall nearly chocked on his gold plated pension. It is 5 minutes of the most enjoyable bBC transmission you are likely to see.

               35 likes

          • #88 says:

            In response to a DT comment that the BBC employ quotas in their drama productions, someone has just commented:

            I don’t think that, I know it. I work in television. The BBC is a clichéd joke, run by tick-box executives of little talent or experience. Every drama is painting by numbers and caricatures, reduced to a matrix of ‘facts’ and ‘certainties’ that are not borne out either by history or present day Britain. It’s why Julian Fellowes took Downton Abbey to ITV, it’s not meant to be a political lecture in social engineering, just a light, enjoyable melodrama.

               47 likes

            • Wild says:

              The BBC does not encourage writing talent or plurality, quite the opposite. This of course undermines what is supposed to be the point of the BBC.

              At least that is what their PR people say is the point of the BBC. Strangely enough they don’t usually mention that it is a gravy train for Guardian readers, whose hatred for this Country is only matched by their bottomless sense of entitlement.

              A BBC producer is generally a thick public school Leftist who got left out when they handed out the talents, and so venting their envy of their more talented siblings they declare themselves a loved public service.

              It may once even have been true, but it is certainly not true now. The BBC these days has more in common with Swedish fascists than English libertarians. No wonder they love the EU.

                 13 likes

            • Aerfen says:

              Ah but it wasnt, was it? Have you forgotten that Lord Grantham took a rich Jewish American wife to help pay the bills? No political message there? Have you forgotten that a black character was gratuitously introduced not just into the drama, but into Downton itself, to send home the message that ‘there have always been black people in England’ even hobnobbing at the top of society.

              Downton was NOT just a ‘light hearted melodrama’ at all, it was full of political implications.

                 3 likes

      • harryurz says:

        Isnt that the exact same plot of Channel 4’s “The Mill”??
        Not even ‘PC’ originality……..

           18 likes

  4. nofanofpoliticians says:

    Listened to a bit of the Nikki Campbell call-in section this morning and people were being invited to call in to discuss their experiences, in so far as they could relate to the Frank/ Kelly Malone story that broke in yesterday’s Sunday Mirror.

    I struggled principally because I don’t fall into the same category as (I would imagine) the minority of people who feel the need to change their sex and so am not really able to empathise fully, but also because the nature of the discussion seemed to quickly become a counselling session.

    Nikki told us all at various points that there are lots and lots of people who suffer similar issues and was encouraging people to call in (were the lines not full?) with their experiences but I do wonder at what point the “educational” part of the BBC’s remit becomes counselling or, worse, indoctrination.

       41 likes

    • David Brims says:

      ”Nikki told us all at various points that there are lots and lots of people who suffer similar issues ”

      Well, he’s self projecting his own personality on to other people, Nicki’s talking about himself.

         31 likes

  5. Roland Deschain says:

    This morning’s Thought For The Day dutifully informed us that ISIS are not Muslims at all and that all Muslims are actually horrified by what they do. Which is nice, if possibly from the “say it often enough” files.

    But I’d feel happier if I actually heard it from Muslims here who are so quick to make themselves heard when they think someone has been slightly disrespectful to them. Still, never mind. I learnt that the Spanish Inquisition was nastier to other religions and disbelievers that those ISIS scallywags.

    What a pity it was spoilt later on Today when we were told that many European Muslims had gone to fight with ISIS. Presumably they weren’t horrified. Or perhaps weren’t really Muslims.

    Apparantly there was a worry they could come back radicalised. It came as something of a shock to me that anyone could consider fighting for such a charming bunch without already being radicalised.

       94 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      I also heard today’s Though for the Day and my thought on the piece was that the Inquisition happened several hundred years ago, these followers of Islam , perverted or not , are doing the same awful things today. The ‘useful idiot’ giving the talk didn’t seem to think that this time difference of hundreds of years was of any importance.
      Contrast that with the BBC view of Britian’s supposed human rights abuses in the days of Empire. Most of these happened centuries ago but are judged by the standards of today, not those of the middle ages!

         35 likes

      • Mark says:

        During the 350 years of the existence of the Spanish Inquisition, is is now usually agreed that between 3,000 and 5,000 people were put to death by its courts – a much lower figure than those executed by the process of the secular courts at the time. ISIS have beaten that record in the space of under one year.

           29 likes

        • Wild says:

          It is still 3000-5000 too many.

          I notice that entertainment programmes are full of violence. Obviously there is a public appetite for seeing other people being tortured.

             7 likes

  6. noggin says:

    After the escalating, terrible events of the weekend, of mass graves, 100 s being deliberately slaughtered at a time, beheaded, 1000s fleeing genuinely for their lives.

    One could expect a serious BBC 5live News phone in this morning, of all mornings, alas BBC narrative is again closely protected today,

    Just as with a “no public voice allowed” Sunday Morning Live, erm … non “debate”?, on the BBC pet project Gaza ….
    BBC narrative is again closely protected today, so noticeably we have the never more inconsequential,
    “have you suffered as LG/BT?”

    I did hope, “Brave” P Tatchell might have turned up, so I could maybe call in.
    Ask him about, some make up tips for 5 o clock shadow … and slip in how?, the Islamic “persecuted minority” business is going, now he s aligned himself with the “fibbers extraordinaire” of Tell MAMA …
    I could have offered him some thoughts.

    Of course Gaza “on my mind”, BBC R5 will only slip back to narrative, after 10am with V.D. or S. Foglegity.

    Then again …. there s always the, J Whine Show

       53 likes

  7. Umbongo says:

    Following up Roland Deschain’s comment about Clifford Longley’s encomium to the saintliness of “real” Muslims through the ages, Today dragged on some Dr Pangloss from Chatham House (Fadi Hakura?) basically claiming that Erdogan’s accession to the presidency of Turkey is good news and, despite his past form, will, with good luck and a following wind, introduce a new period of enlightenment and democracy to the Middle East.
    Because it (with the rest of the political class) suffers from Islamophilia Derangement Syndrome ©, Chatham House/Royal Institute of International Affairs – according to the late (alas) historian and thinker Elie Kedourie and evidenced by its work over the years – is a nest of self-flagellating dhimmis*. Briefly, the overarching stance of CH is that as long as a Muslim – or anyone vaguely anti-British – is involved everything’s OK (which, in a nutshell, is also the BBC’s frame of mind). In all probability and in due course even ISIS will be sanctified by this intellectual dross.
    I wonder why the BBC chose this commentator to be interviewed. I wonder why a representative of “some who say” this is the start part of a return to a caliphate weren’t asked to take part in a discussion.
    .
    * It’s no accident that CH’s founding spirit was Arnold J. Toynbee whose grandaughter, Polly, is such an ornament of the Guardian and – surprise, surprise – was “social afairs editor” at the BBC. Mind you, at least Arnold could put an argument together – Polly just rants.

       44 likes

  8. JimS says:

    Earlier on Biased BBC Marcus Brigstocke’s latest outing, The Brig Society was mentioned.
    So what did listener’s think of it?
    <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04cfzxc&quot;Feedback gave us some examples of the material:-
    “Good UKIP, ladies and gentle Farage! It’s Nigel to be back on BBC Radio UKIP for half a UKIP with some Farage and UKIP as part of the BBC’s ongoing commitment to UKIP I’m required by the charter to Farage UKIP, immigrant UKIP as often as I UKIP.”
    …”Your UKIP’s reductionist, nationalist vision for Britain is based on willful dishonest simplification of complex ideas.”
    …”And by the way guys, peice of advice, in order to prove that you are not racist – Again!”

    Cutting edge stuff eh! Presumably following the leftist line that UKIP got too much exposure during the European election, even though it was nearly all negative.

    So what was the BBC’s response to complaints?

    “As the title indicates, The Brig Society is intended to offer a very individual and of course comedic take on a broad range of social topics. As well as European politics and immigration in the first programme, over the course of the series Marcus will be making a personal and humerous examination of various issues, such as farming and online social media. Radio 4 has a rich history of political satire and listeners can expect that no politician or individual party is safe from ridicule. “

    So no attempt at balance as it is a ‘personal’ examination and just part of a long tradition of getting away with the same thing.

    But no party will be safe from ridicule! What that means of course is that the UKIP and the Conservatives are just plain ‘wrong’ and the Labour, so-called Liberal Democrats and the Greens are in error for not pursuing Brigstocke’s and the BBC’s agenda with enough vigor. That is seen as ‘balance’, criticising ‘both’ sides of the argument, but in reality it is all comment in the same direction.

       45 likes

    • JimS says:

      The joys of HTML and no edit facility:
      Feedback, [18:30]

         8 likes

    • Scronker says:

      “BBC RADIO 4 – HOME OF RADIO COMEDY” so they tell us.
      Can these arsehole be prosecuted under the Trade Description Act?

         29 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      ‘Radio 4 has a rich history of political satire and listeners can expect that no politician or individual party is safe from ridicule. ‘

      Well at least that raised a laugh.

         17 likes

      • DownBoy says:

        Yes indeed. I just love comedy maestro Marcus and his scathing put downs of the Green Party and Labour. Ermmm….

           21 likes

  9. George R says:

    Why Pamela Geller is banned from U.K, and Beeboids aren’t interersted? Because she speaks up about Islamic jihadists’ murdering atrocities, such as?-
    “Anglican Vicar of Baghdad: “Child I baptised cut in half by ISIS”

    – See more at: http://pamelageller.com/2014/08/anglican-vicar-baghdad-child-baptised-cut-half-isis.html/#sthash.pzi5mxxL.dpuf

       31 likes

  10. George R says:

    “Australia boy ‘displays severed head in Syria'”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-28736345

    -but, Beeboids, is this so egregious, because the crime was only perpetrated by your self-styled “militants”?

       32 likes

    • George R says:

      “Christian leader: ISIS beheading children”

      (video clip).

      http://news.msn.com/world/video?videoid=2bfdecd8-28d6-bd10-3bdb-9fe0cecfe467

         23 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Dead is dead, but mutilation to kill or post-mortem has all sorts of other aspects to cope with, not least for PR apologists.
      The BBC could not ignore this as it was and is still a major social media meme, but post Woolwich they really are going to have their work cut out explaining away the people and motivations carrying out such acts across an entire planet.
      There are certain common areas that no amount of telling mama often enough will avoid.
      Nasty words. Deeds up to poorly displayed meat products all rather pale against actual actions near and far, daily.
      It may be best to face up to the realities.
      It is just possible that the majority Muslim population who are law-abiding and are appalled, may see merit in getting a bit more proactive and vocal setting themselves apart, and certainly beyond sending out the odd ‘community leader’ to say ‘not us, again, chaps’.
      Because currently what does tend to hit the headlines are large marches with oddly provocative flags in support of just these fellows. And wall to wall ranting gobs gracing BBC shows dawn to dusk in justification.

         32 likes

      • Expat John says:

        Post-mortem mutilation will only be reported by the BBC if the alleged perpetrators are British soldiers.

           3 likes

      • Ken says:

        A have been asking all over twitter where and when the next Islamic March protesting against Hamas and ISIS is?

        My plea has been re-tweeted often, but what I have not yet seen, is an actual date and location for such a protest.

        So spare me the Taqiyya talking head “community leaders” when thousands of them proudly march behind the black flag calling for Israel’s destruction.

        What those morally blind middle class PC idiots who support these marches, because Big Bad Israel is killing people, do not understand is the implicit promise in what that black flag represents, is the religious zeal of an absolute, non-negotiable, sacred vow, indeed an unbreakable theological covenant to kill or enslave all non-muslims too. That includes all the Guardian reading, skinny latte drinking, electric car driving, mumsnet reading, ecomentalist, middle-class, progessive lefty, self-hating idiots who “feel sorry for Palestine”

        Anyone who flies that black flag IS an enemy of this country and the freedoms and liberties this country is built upon.

        Israel, a modern, liberal, democratic country, is NOT a threat to the UK. Those black flag waving lunatics ARE a threat to the UK.

           5 likes

    • regag says:

      Khaled Sharrouf, the Australian boy!!!!

         23 likes

      • Chop says:

        “Throw another severed head on the barbie Khaled, you drongo”

        Tsk, typical Australian (sarc)

           20 likes

        • Mark says:

          He’s worse than any orc out of Mordor. Come to think of it, he’s too brutal even for Saruman’s Uruk-hai.

             14 likes

    • Geoff says:

      A sanitised version of that picture is available on the web, but still it sends a chill down the spine. Maybe the BBC should show it to graphically illustrate what they and our politicians support and a reality that is fast moving in our direction.

         36 likes

    • Rob says:

      Yes the caption that goes with it is

      ‘Look Dad the religion of peace’

         36 likes

  11. George R says:

    Here is an extract from a new book on the rise of Islamic State (ISIS)-

    “Crisis in the Middle East: The end of a country, and the start of a new dark age.
    “In a new book, our veteran correspondent documents the forces that wreaked havoc on an entire region. Here is an exclusive extract.”

    By Patrick Cockburn.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/crisis-in-the-middle-east-the-end-of-a-country-and-the-start-of-a-new-dark-age-9659379.html?origin=internalSearch

    INBBC has an inadequate piece on the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS)-

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28116033

       14 likes

  12. john in cheshire says:

    Has anyone else been to this website, link below and read their report on the bbc’s non-reaction to a report on the effects of immigration on our country?
    http://news-watch.co.uk/?q=articles/2014/08/04/bbc-ignores-key-immigration-reports
    It’s worth the time to read because it illustrates just how biased the bbc is when it comes to one of their pet topics; in this case immigration. In summary the report explains how the bbc failed to report on a report which demonstrates the negative aspects of mass immigration, while they were all over an earlier report which claims to demonstrate how wonderful is immigration for our country. The risible part is where this article refers to a (non)apology by nick robinson for the bbc’s failure to give air time to those who have objections to the EU free-movement of people policy and a promise to do better in the future. Well, it was just more empty words from an organisation that is empty of any morality or loyalty to the people who pay their wages.

       37 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      A very good post and an interesting link. A perfect example of the BBC using its power to set the news agenda of the country by boosting what it agrees with and suppressing what it does not agree with. Those who only listen/watch the BBC get a carefully edited leftist take on all the news. If wine bottles are to be labelled as bad for your health the BBC should be labelled as bad for democracy.

         32 likes

  13. AsISeeIt says:

    I wonder what the Guardian has to say about BBC TV?
    Most fair-minded observers would have to concede that organ is pretty much the BBC-in-print. Or is BBC TV the Guardian with moving pictures?

    You can’t please all of the liberal elite all of the time.

    http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/aug/11/the-village-bbc-review-james-may-cars-people

    ‘What with all the recent Top Gear shenanigans, it’s hard to watch anything involving any of them without keeping a lookout for sly -isms, with the phone number for Ofcom to hand. But I’m sorry to report that I couldn’t find anything wrong with James May’s Cars Of The People (BBC2).’

    So that’s who makes the complaints – Guardian writers. BTW, I didn’t think Ofcom ruled the BBC (yet?)

    How about that awful Moffat monster : The Village?

    ‘They – the ghastly toffs – are still ghastly, of course. (Did they really do that sort of peasant hunting, without an h?) But at least now there are the rumblings of discontent and non-acceptance of the old order.’

    Talkin’ ’bout a revolution…..

       24 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘I didn’t think Ofcom ruled the BBC (yet?)’
      Nothing to do with such a complaint, certainly initially. OFCOM would bounce it to BBC internal affairs cover ups before you could say ‘got it about right’. Rather revealing how much a Graun hack knows about how one sets about raising a concern with the broadcast side of the fam.

         9 likes

  14. George R says:

    Cue for more Beeboid propaganda for jihadists’ ‘human rights’?

    “UK: ‘Trusted and senior’ member of jihad terror group is free, can’t be deported because he has kept name secret for 21 years.”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/08/uk-trusted-and-senior-member-of-jihad-terror-group-is-free-and-cant-be-deported-because-he-has-kept-name-secret-for-21-years

       14 likes

  15. JimS says:

    Margaret Thatcher “dun it again!”.

    Bricks & Bubbles, Radio 4, attempts to explain why London’s house prices keep rising, (apart from the time that they fell).
    Essentially Margaret Thatcher introduced ‘Big Bang’ to The City and everyone got rich, everyone wanted to come and live there and no new house were built and Margaret Thatcher ‘vanished’ the public housing stock and presumably the people that lived in them.
    John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown didn’t exist either.
    The situation is so terrible that even Americans can’t expect to house their brats near to where there parents made their fortunes. They might even have to move to Essex.
    Despite all this money being made there is no money for houses so fortunately people from abroad, driven by socialist humanitarian principles and 20% p.a. return on capital, are flocking to sell one room flat for £350k, off-plan.
    Where will it all end?
    Happily ‘most’ homeowners would like to see a house price freeze, or even a fall! Those must be actual homeowners as opposed to mortgage holders as surely even in the airy intellectual world of the BBC it must be obvious that paying off a £1M mortgage on a £250k house sucks!
    I was waiting for the solution to the ‘problem’, which didn’t come, but then we are due two more episodes. Perhaps Ed might be persuaded to freeze London house prices for 5 years?

       20 likes

    • john in cheshire says:

      If London were to sack maybe 90% of local and central government civil servants, plus all the NGOs and bbc parasites, then maybe house prices would fall. If the inhabitants of Tower Hamlets were sent to somewhere that better suits their lifestyle, there’s a whole borough to be had for housing the indigenous population and perhaps on visits to the Capital City, we’d once again see and hear real Londoners going about their daily lives.

      On another issue, does anyone else watch UKColumn News? The last one I watched reported that the bbc is now going to invade India with the intention of teaching sex education the the Indians. One has to ask what business is it of a public broadcaster to start to interfere in the social/cultural life of other nations? We all know that the bbc receives vast amounts of EU money and that it’s infested with Common Purpose graduates, so is there something more sinister to this information?

         29 likes

      • Sir Arthur Strebe-Grebling says:

        A seldom-mentioned point (and never by the metropolitan bBBC) is that we all pay extra (from our taxes) for public-sector workers in London. They are given typically £5,000 of our money mainly to keep inflated the London house price bubble. Get rid of London weighting and let the market sort itself out.

           20 likes

        • Expat John says:

          So right Sir Arthur; economic illiteracy dominates. If there wasn’t so much artificial money chasing houses, more people could afford them. Prices reflect the volume of capital available, not the other way round. Do not expect your average BBC journo to understand supply and demand as affected by the supply of capital. The concept is beyond almost anyone born after 1962.

             0 likes

      • feargal the cat says:

        Isn’t the bBC ‘educating’ India on sex a bit like taking coals to Newcastle? After all, where did the ‘Kama Sutra’ originate?

           14 likes

    • Ken says:

      Where were they between 2001 and 2008 when the housing bubble expanded the fastest in history?

         1 likes

  16. George R says:

    For Hampstead Harrabin and Beeboids to censor?-

    “POLL: MAJORITY OF BRITISH PUBLIC SUPPORT SHALE GAS”

    http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/08/11/Poll-Majority-of-British-Public-Support-Shale-Gas

    Cue: step-up in support of Beeboids for illegal occupations to stop fracking anyway?

       28 likes

    • George R says:

      Dead on cue: the undemocratic, anti-fracking brigade prepare to occupy-

      ‘Guardian’-

      “Hundreds of activists expected at Blackpool anti-fracking camp.
      Up to 1,000 people may join a Reclaim the Power camp, which is targeting Cuadrilla-owned shale gas drilling sites.”

      http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/11/hundreds-of-activists-expected-at-blackpool-anti-fracking-camp?

         24 likes

      • Brother DuQuette says:

        I hate these dreadlocked, smelly, wooly-jumper wearing lazy middle-class layabouts with their big bother boots and Golden Virginia roll-ups… they stink and they’ve never done a day’s work in their useless lives. They contribute nothing to this country whatsoever and should be deported along with all Muslim jihadis. When I lived in Devon we had one lazy hippy leftie living in an old army van up the lane: he used to come in the local ale pub with his theories on humanity and peace; he never bought any rounds though! He had a stupid middle class name as well – Torquill! Prat.

           40 likes

        • Rob says:

          When I worked at Faslane on the Trident Project in the 80s we had the ‘Fish Liberation Front’ Their leader was the self styled ‘Prince of Peace ‘. Their camp which was opposite Faslane Navel Base was funded by the then Labour Council

             30 likes

        • Rufus McDufus says:

          They’re all posh kids. I lived in St Paul’s in Bristol in the 80s and the dreadlocked white kids who lived there as if it was cool were all ex-public school rebels. They all got well-paying jobs in the end, probably courtesy of mummy and daddy.

             20 likes

      • Chop says:

        All the “Activists” should, if caught, have their domestic energy removed, they can then set up windmills, solar panels and eco-friendly dung heaps to provide their energy, see how long they last on their own without a constant, reliable source of energy.

        Walk the walk bruvvers n sisters.

           34 likes

      • Mark says:

        Spawn of the Greenham Common wimmin ?

           24 likes

        • DownBoy says:

          I have yet to meet an ‘activist’ who displays much activity in the area of gainful employment.

             29 likes

          • RJ says:

            I once worked with someone who bragged that she’d been at Greenham Common. I upset her by saying that I couldn’t understand why she and her friends were so keen to make Europe safe for a conventional war.

               19 likes

            • Rob says:

              I was on duty at Greenham Common during the peace protests. I’ve ‘accidentally’ stood on many a hand as they crawled from their tents with my Army Issue boots

                 15 likes

  17. George R says:

    Another Beeboid pro-immigrant ‘report’, re-USA-
    Note Beeboid headline is:
    “Remittance services costing African migrants in US”

    NOT
    ‘Immigrants’ remittances to Africa costing US economy.’

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28737182

    Beeboid propaganda is in line with this:

    “MSM, LIBERALS OFFENDED AMERICANS WANT SECURE BORDERS TO PREVENT EBOLA OUTBREAK”

    http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2014/08/07/MSM-Liberals-Offended-Americans-Want-Secure-Borders-to-Prevent-Ebola-Outbreak

       15 likes

  18. Deborah says:

    Radio 4, Monday 4.30 Not bias just absolute rubbish paid for by our license fees. I have just had to switch off The Infinate Monkey Cage, normally quite a good programme. It was about irrationality and along with a guest who had quite interesting ideas was Paul Foot and Josie Long, apparently they were comedians. I expect the producer told them they had to be funny. Just a pity they didn’t have the intellect for the discussion. Every time the discussion got interesting re inheritance and environment one or of these other ‘clowns’ (oh how I wish they were proper clowns) would stop the flow of the programme with their stupid flights into fantasy. What this programme did was show the difference between the real humourists such as Barry Cryer, Sue Perkins or Paul Merton (I may not like their politics but they are not stupid) and the majority of also ranks the BBC likes to promote. Sorry, rant over.

       14 likes

  19. Alan Larocka says:

    Dear Mr

    Thank you for contacting us about the recent escalation in violence in Gaza and Israel. We have received a wide range of feedback about our coverage of this story across our television and radio programmes and the BBC News website. In order to use our TV licence fee resources efficiently, this response aims to answer the key concerns, but we apologise in advance if it doesn’t address your specific points in the manner you would prefer.

    BBC News has reported extensively on the series of rocket attacks launched by Hamas and other Palestinian militants into southern and central Israel in recent weeks. We have reported on the civilian injuries and casualties, destruction and disruption caused by the attacks in towns near Gaza, such as Ashkelon and Sderot. We have also reported on the range and capability of Hamas’ arsenal, emphasising that major urban areas like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are also under threat from attacks.

    During our coverage of Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza we have reported on efforts made by the Israel Defense Forces seeking to minimise civilian causalities. We have detailed the prior warnings given to Palestinian civilians and have reflected Israel’s claims that Hamas hide weapons in civilian areas and employ non-militants as human shields:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28245343

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28252155

    BBC News has also examined the cause of the conflict, as seen by each side, including Hamas’ hostility to the state of Israel. We believe we have reported on these issues in a fair and impartial manner.

    Please be assured we raised your concerns with senior editorial staff at BBC News.

    Kind Regards

    BBC Complaints
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

    NB This is sent from an outgoing account only which is not monitored. You cannot reply to this email address but if necessary please contact us via our webform quoting any case number we provided.

       21 likes

    • Not Henry Lenny says:

      Simple bog standard reply that will be sent to cover any complaint .

         19 likes

    • Deborah says:

      Yes, I had a similar reply to my question about the BBC local news advertising a pro Gaza demo and I asked what was being done on a local level to give balance for Israel. I got a standard reply detailing (and over egging ) what their reports from Israel contained and just ignoring the local point. The email had been sent to the local news but came from the complaints unit.

         18 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      “We believe we have reported on these issues in a fair and impartial manner.”

      Or, to put it another way, we’re impartial because we say so.

         15 likes

    • Alan Larocka says:

      This was in response to my request that all reporting from Gaza be prefaced with a warning that it is under HAMAS reporting restrictions.

         5 likes

      • Roland Deschain says:

        They seem to have answered a different question. Ask again for an answer to yours.

           5 likes

  20. Dave666 says:

    It’s Monday It’s Bbc it’s breakfast, yes I know it’s late but we are fitting new guttering to the house and I started early. BBc have obviously run out of shock horror think of the children stories for the moment. The Commonwealth games have finished so yes lets return to the wheel of news. Double whammy this morning as alcohol should have calories noted on it so you aren’t surprised if you get fat drinking. Yes thy even managed to add in about the amount of sugar in booze as well. Won’t be long before we are back on the tax “fatty ” food story again. Followed by some story about the NHS and should we get charged for the “free” service, if it’s free can I have a refund on the tax and N.I. I’ve been relieved of over the years.

       21 likes

  21. Philip says:

    I listen more infrequently to the BBC than I did and one of the main reasons I gave up was the false impression of so called BBC ”experts’ invited to the BBC to make ‘provocative statements’ (that coincide with BBC or EU agendas) that are then reported as ‘stated fact’ in national ‘news’. It’s a clever ploy they use over and over again. Here is an example:

    BBC ‘GARDENERS QUESTION TIME’ has been accused of being ‘Racists’, in fact they all are including the listeners as well. All gardeners are now racists because they favor ‘native’ species of fauna. This is according to the BBC sociologist ‘expert’ Dr Ben Pitcher. (a senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Westminster, claimed the programme’s regular discussions on soil purity and non-native species promoted nationalist and fascist beliefs’ …“Gardeners’ Question Time is not the most controversial show on Radio 4, and yet it is layered with, saturated with, racial meanings’. So there you have it, the BBC in a nutshell’ that ‘patriotic gardeners’ must include weeds from Gaza and the African sub-continent (excluding any flowering Shrubs or bushes from Israel). Your heard it first on BBC Radio 4 so even the BBC Gardeners QT must be ‘horticulturally correct’ (no English Gardens no more) to get any BBC ‘airplay’ from now on. (The EU has coincidentally declared that it likes ‘non-organic’ material and GM seeds to be imposed to feed the planet (as it’s still suffering from Global Warming). Gardeners beware of the BBC.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2716106/Gardeners-Question-Time-caught-race-row.html

       17 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      Dr Ben Pitcher’s laughable outpourings are akin to the satirical pieces oft featured in Private Eye in the seventies and eighties which remorselessly took the piss out of lefty pseuds.

      Now you are hearing them voiced on the BBC as serious opinion.

      That’s progress, folks, Common Purpose style….

         18 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      As someone said earlier , BBC home of comedy.

         6 likes

  22. Demon says:

    Where have all the Beeboids gone? I can’t say I miss them but their stupidity can be funny sometimes, even if boring normally. But they can’t all be given holidays at the same time surely – not when there’s so much truth, fact and proof to rebut.

       10 likes

    • Andy S. says:

      A certain jug eared troll put in an appearance over the weekend and tried to disrupt a couple of threads with his abusive posts. The fact that he criticised me and another contributor for having sympathy for transgender folk and their problems proves he could start an argument in an empty room. His comments also proved he is as ugly in his mind as he is in his looks. Thankfully no one really rose to his bait and just ignored him, as should every other regular on this site should he post his poison in future.

         16 likes

      • John Anderson says:

        Don’t feed the whining troll

           12 likes

      • Di Blanchard says:

        “A certain jug eared troll put in an appearance over the weekend and tried to disrupt a couple of threads with his abusive posts.”

        No he didn’t, he picked up what seemed to be a snarky comment and asked for further explanation. It’s called debate.

        As you don’t provide a photograph I can’t really comment on your own appearance but since when has a comment on somebody’s looks constituted sound argument? If it belongs anywhere (and there’s no reason why it should) it belongs in the infants’ school playground. Refute Scott’s arguments by all means but calling him names won’t carry any weight.

        By the way, I do not work, nor have I ever worked, for the BBC or any other media organisation.

           5 likes

  23. Sir Arthur Strebe-Grebling says:

    Another unarmed black youth shot by an American policeman. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28737025 There’s always more to these stories than meets the eye, and for sure we won’t get it from the bBBC, so, any news of what really happened?

       17 likes

  24. Guest Who says:

    In other news from ‘sack-of-rats’ central…
    http://tradingaswdr.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/say-what-you-mean.html
    “alpha-male narcissist psychos we’ve all had the misfortune to work for in the past”.
    If close to home, unique indeed. Just what you need guiding the nation’s information and education.
    But think of the money Lucy… all 7 times more of it.

       6 likes

  25. Peter Jones says:

    BBC TV Licensing says:
    “We’re polite, respectful and open.”
    “We do not obfuscate, omit or spin.”
    “We take pride in being helpful.”
    “We are not aggressive or threatening.”
    “We never assume guilt.”

    Try telling all that to the tens of thousands of legitimate non-viewers harassed for payment every month.

    More hilarious soundbites by TV Licensing’s communications team given in our blog post here:
    http://tv-licensing.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/tv-licensing-brand-philosophy.html

       23 likes

  26. Peter Jones says:

    BBC TV Licensing wrongly hounds Somerset man for payment of the licence fee, despite him having acknowledged he has a valid licence on FOUR separate occasions:

    http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/taunton_news/11400910.Repeat_misery_for_couple_in_TV_licence_gaffe/

       19 likes

  27. Thoughtful says:

    I’ve just had another response from BBC complaints which seems to establishing a new pattern & I wonder if others here have experienced the same?

    The response is basically ‘we believe it is/was/to be/etc etc insert correct response to complaint.

    So we complain about a report that says the sky is purple and the response comes – we believe it is !

    Complain comedy isn’t funny ‘we believe it is’ ! Or that the output is biased ‘we believe it isn’t’!

    A catch all answer which seems to be being increasing used to deflect complaints.

    I have just submitted a complaint to the trust about a lie told on the BBC with masses of evidence to back up mu complaint including other BBC output, the complaints department came back with the ‘we believe it is true’ response.

    When the BBC complaints department stonewalls like this then there is no where else to go.

    Anyone else experienced this?

       16 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘establishing a new pattern’
      Rather clever, actually.
      Get into belief sets and it’s all so up in the air, no names no pack drill.
      Where can you go next?
      They ‘believe’, from drone to drone manager to drone director to drone trustee, and that’s that.
      What is for sure is that it does not count as a strike against them.
      Equally, what is also for sure is that when their ‘belief’ overcomes your will to live, that lack of a strike, by their rules, on their terms, counts against you.
      But then, they wrote the rules. Better yet, they interpret their own rules, internally and in secret.
      That’s what makes them so gosh-darn unique.

         8 likes

    • Dave666 says:

      I’ve had similar replies in the past.

         1 likes

  28. Teddy Bear says:

    John Simpson has criticised the women executives at the BBC, as well as adding his two pence to demonize Israel.
    He shows he has the IQ of Homer, but without the humour to go with it.

    The fact that gender and ethnic targets are of more interest to the BBC than impartial, fair, and balanced reporting, and they have lost the way in producing quality programming, are dynamics which Simpson has been a part of. It’s the world HE has helped create – the moron.

    As for Gaza, he displays gross ignorance as well as the usual BBC bias is dismissing real facts with his views there. Considering he’s the BBC world affairs correspondent one would hope that he would be more intelligent than the views expressed here.

    He also praised Channel 4 rival Jon Snow’s personal video condemning Israel for bombing children in Gaza.

    Channel 4 News presenter Snow said: ‘The average age is 17. That means that about 250,000 are under 10. And if you know any 10-year-olds, seven-year-olds, five-year-olds four-year-olds. The idea that in the looseness of a war zone, that you can control your children, that they won’t be somewhere where they can be hit, is beyond any kind of imagination.

    ‘So that in a very densely packed urban area, if you decide to throw misiles, shells, and the rest, then you will undoubtedly kill children. And that is what [the Israeli government] are doing.

    ‘We cannot let it go on.

    So notwithstanding that an Italian journalist, once free from the clutches of Hamas, affirmed that the bombing of the Shati camp, that killed 9 children, was one of Hamas’ misfires, as well as the Al Shifa hospital being a Hamas headquarters, Simpson THE WORLD AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, carries on with twisted BBC version.

    Now just imagine you and your family are in a war zone, particularly one where your own people have started it by launching rockets at their ‘enemy’. Would your children be ‘running around’ in the streets without you knowing exactly where they are?

    He reveals his mentality and paucity of reason, shared by most there.

    Well past time this foul organisation was privatised so the public can at least enjoy watching them attain their true level in ‘world media’.

    Tough women have taken over the BBC and made it a worse place to work, claims John Simpson

       27 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘He also praised Channel 4 rival Jon Snow’
      Funnily enough, I was just reading ‘his’ lastest Snowjo..mail…
      ‘Helicopter rescue: with the Yazidis on Mt Sinjar
      Our correspondent Jonathan Rugman was one of a handful of journalists on one of these helicopters today. His report of desperate Yazidis trying to fight their way on to the helicopter in the middle of an IS attack is gripping.
      Now, I’m not too clued up on such things, but if using helos in a firefight to rescue folk on the ground, what function does a ‘handful of journalists’ serve bar representing several hundred kilos coming in perhaps better invested in getting folk out?
      Just a thought.

         25 likes

      • johnnythefish says:

        ‘Gripping’? For crying out loud, this is the most horrific and heartbreaking slaughter on an industrial scale by the most evil group of barbaric, subhuman psychopaths north of Nigeria.

        I wonder how different the tone and depth of the reporting would be if all this was being done by the Israelis and not ISIS.

           30 likes

      • Teddy Bear says:

        So channel 4 had at least 2 on that helicopter, the reporter and female cameraman. Clearly the governments sending them are more interested in the PR value than the saving lives, entirely in keeping with their mindset.

        We see exactly the same in the way they demonize Israel to show Muslims they are really their friend.

        Scum = Succumb

           18 likes

      • MAT says:

        Utterly appalling so the C4 jurno jumped on the first transport out taking what could have been a mother and child’s place ? what an utter a$%^^&*$

           10 likes

  29. Sir Arthur Strebe-Grebling says:

    bBBC NorthWest Tonight, in an article about the magistrate who has reached retirement age of 70, informed us that the Queen is 86. Well worth £145 a year for such accurate reporting, I’m sure.

       20 likes

    • feargal the cat says:

      The nepotists at the bBC would rather HMQ abdicated, thus letting her eco-loon, ‘defender of the faiths’ son take over.

      I wish him no harm but seriously hope that HMQ continues in ‘the job’ for many years to come.

         22 likes

    • Deborah says:

      My mother always tells me she is the same age as the Queen and my Mum is 88.

         9 likes

      • Demon says:

        Same as me although my mum’s 88th birthday would have been November and the Queen has had hers.

           4 likes

  30. johnnythefish says:

    I have to confess to keeping, by the side of the bed, a portal to an alternative universe. It can be entertaining in a laugh out loud ironic kind of way, it can be infuriating, it can be downright sinister – in fact, most of the time it’s downright sinister.

    The portal is a Roberts bedside radio.

    The alternative universe is The Today Programme.

    Take this morning as an example.

    I heard three news bulletins. Now, given Today’s saturation coverage of the Gaza conflict from a ‘Palestininian’s perspective, they being the victims in the conflict and all that (or so the BBC would lead us to believe), I was expecting most of the programme let alone the news to be dedicated to the plight of those fleeing the IS psychopaths in Iraq. Did we hear words like ‘slaughter’, ‘genocide’, ‘terrorists’, ‘atrocities’, beheadings’, ‘buried alive’? Nope. We heard ‘humanitarian crisis’ and a teensy weensy bit about people being killed if they didn’t convert to Islam – all reported in a factual, newsy tone unlike the slow, sombre, accusing drone when reporting from Gaza.

    But never mind, later in the programme we have a special report on the suffering of injured children in…..Gaza!

    Then onto some business news. Why aren’t people feeling richer if the economy is growing so much (it’s election year – keep running with the old Labour chestnuts)? Is it because firms are being ‘callous and greedy’, making and keeping bigger profits for themselves? Why aren’t wages going up? How come there are still so many unemployed when so many jobs have been created? Whatever the answer was to these conundrums, it was nowt at all to do with masses of cheap immigrant labour as it didn’t get a mention.

    Then we had some gobby green bint straight out of the nagging Harman mould moaning about a redacted government report on fracking. Same old same old – ‘we need to expand our renewables so we can do away with fossil fuels altogether’. But what if the wind don’t blow and the sun don’t shine? – the fundamental question the BBC refuses to ask because, as we know, they don’t want to upset their 28gate mates.

    Then a bit about the peace talks Egypt is attempting to broker between Israel and Hamas. Our intrepid reporter admitted Egypt doesn’t have much time for Hamas but only because Hamas had a ‘much warmer relationship’ with the Muslim Brotherhood before they were ousted. Erm, yes – that’s because Hamas and the ‘Hood are one and the same. And warm? Well, see what’s going on in Iraq and if that don’t chill your blood to ice, then you must be living in an alternative universe.

    Which they are.

       55 likes

    • Mark says:

      We have the 7500 supporters needed to set the prosecution in motion.

         16 likes

      • Mark says:

        Sorry, the counter has been reset to 10,000.
        It’s still up to whether the CPS will act, but it’s still a start. Such foul rants from an elected representative should not be tolerated.

           21 likes

    • deegee says:

      Excuse me for playing Devil’s advocate here but is there any point in bringing Galloway to court?

      He’s a clever, eloquent, manipulative man and if we remember made monkeys of the US Senate.

      Without doubt he would turn the trial into a trial of Israel, without Israel or anyone else being there to defend it and given his acknowledged ‘colourful rhetoric and combative debating style’ would provide the BBC with plenty of copy. One can predict the headlines: Galloway Trial: Israel are ‘terrorist baby killers’ says Respect M.P.

      In the end it wouldn’t matter if found innocent or guilty. If innocent Israel is convicted. If guilty it was a frame-up by the Jews – and he would appeal. The trial would simply provide him with a stage and the BBC would provide him with worldwide coverage.

         16 likes

      • uncle bup says:

        I don’t agree that he ‘made monkeys of the US Senate’.

        I watched the whole thing. The vile little scottish shit probably bested the younger senator, but the elder senator repeatedly ripped Galloway a new one with his repeatedly asking the committee to record that Mr Galloway did not answer the question. Because of course the vlss wasn’t answering the questions.

        Plenty of bluster and shouting tho’.

        It’s Egregious George’s tried and tested m.o.

        Don’t think that would work with the CPS or a jury of his peers tho’.

        Of course if it had been you or me saying the same thing about muzzies our feet wouldn’t have hit the floor.

           21 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      Thanks for the link, Mark. The odious, treacherous bastard has got away with it for far too long.

         17 likes

    • Dave666 says:

      Thanks for that information I’ll sign up for that later.

         0 likes

  31. Jeff Waters says:

    Putin critic Garry Kasparov loses to a Putin ally in his bid to become president of the World Chess Federation.

    Guess who the BBC sides with?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28736058

       11 likes

    • Zugzwang says:

      And who would you side with? Kasparov, who is pro-democracy, pro-West and pro-free market, or the candidate of Putin, the former KGB man who has done everything in his power to stifle political opposition and a free press? So called right wingers who offer the slightest support for Putin and his henchmen should be utterly ashamed of themselves. They are betraying the legacy of Thatcher, Reagan and the other titans of 25 years ago who fought for what was right.

         13 likes

      • Jeff Waters says:

        Who I would back is neither here nor there. Am I not obliged by law to be politically neutral. The BBC is.

           13 likes

        • Zugzwang says:

          You wouldn’t have bothered to post if you had no opinion on the matter. Maybe Kasparov as ‘human rights campaigner’ sounds dangerously liberal? Believe me, he’s on the side of the angels. There are dangerous signs that some on the Right admire Putin and see him as a protector of conservative values. That’s how he wants to be seen. He’s a throwback to Cold War days and a very dangerous man. True conservatives value personal liberty and should be doing nothing to support him.

             9 likes

          • Jeff Waters says:

            ‘You wouldn’t have bothered to post if you had no opinion on the matter.’ – No, I posted because of the bias. I really could care less who ends up leading the World Chess Federation!

               4 likes

      • Mark says:

        Zugzwang – Being forced to make a losing move in chess ! .

           3 likes

      • Di Blanchard says:

        Who would I side with? The candidate who is best at administering international chess I suppose. Knowing little about chess beyond how to make the basic moves I really have nothing to suggest that either is the better candidate but I doubt whether political leanings have anything to do with it. Isn’t this a non-issue?

           3 likes

        • Mark says:

          Chess is a game that mirrors military strategy, but it is also “intellectual”. Many of the world champions and strongest players pre-1945 used to be Jews, such as Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker.
          The Cold War then yielded a long list of Soviet champions, which made matches like Bobby Fischer v Boris Spassky into US/Soviet duels.

             1 likes

  32. Geoff says:

    The subject of BBC drams was discussed above. Tonight Mrs Geoff and I sat down to watch the pilot for the new police ‘comedy’ drama ‘Walter’ from last Friday. True to form and within 5 minutes we had the senior officer jumping into bed with his boyfriend/husband (delete as appropriate) – program immediately terminated and deleted.

    Thus I didn’t get to confirm if all the other boxes were ticked, but possibly so judging the cast list.

    Now before the troll arrives to chastise me, I’d like to point out that approx 5% of the popululation of the UK is gay, yet 100% of the BBC dramas I’ve watched in the last 24 hours (+ The Village) has featured a gay liaison. It adds absolutely nothing to the plot and proves what poster #88 states above.

    Seriously one has to question ones own sanity paying £145 a year for such bollox and propaganda.

       38 likes

    • Philip says:

      The BBC rewrites every plot to suit its Agenda. This Left leaning Liberal conspiracy is known by non other than the head of the UK Supreme Court. The liberal ‘censorius’ is the sexually provocative (in every sense) BBC perversion. The BBC is responsible for the damage to the nations values, identity and pride in its history by constant broadcasts and ‘repeats’ of the same message that ‘buggery is good for your children’.
      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10696507/People-cannot-debate-traditional-issues-because-of-liberal-censoriousness-says-Lord-Neuberger.html

         24 likes

      • just sayin' says:

        the bbc and its supporters are left wing subversives. that includes you big boy

           31 likes

      • Geoff says:

        That well know Liberal tactic intended to stifle debate by insinuating that anyone who dare question homosexuality that they themselves must be gay. Not too dissimilar from the cry’s of ‘racist’ from said Liberals to anyone who dare question immigration.

        Sorry Scott but neither are true.

           22 likes

        • Geoff says:

          Maybe if you had properly read Philip’s post you who have realised they were actually the words of a respected Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court.

          And you can insinuate all you want, jealously is a terrible thing, keep sadly trolling away, night night.

             20 likes

          • Andy S. says:

            AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!! People, don’t encourage the little shit by replying to his posts! As I said earlier, the troll-who-shall-remain-nameless would start an argument in an empty room. Don’t encourage the poisonous little creep.

               29 likes

          • Old Goat says:

            Poor Scott. Poor, poor Scott. Bugger off.

               16 likes

      • Jeff Waters says:

        ‘you seem to be too busy fantasizing about buggery to be bothered with petty little things like reality’

        I bet you say that to all the boys!

           20 likes

      • Rob in Cheshire says:

        Scott, I don’t need to fantasise about buggery, because the BBC keeps ramming it down my throat.

           17 likes

        • Demon says:

          “because the BBC keeps ramming it down my throat. ”

          Ugh! That’s too much information.

             11 likes

      • mo says:

        Scott you misunderstand

           1 likes

    • dave s says:

      I am amazed that you watched any BBc drama .
      It is such poor stuff these days.
      Sad to say.

         23 likes

      • Thatcher Revolutionary says:

        The comedy is all over for me too. Used to quite like a bit of HIGNFY and assorted Friday night comedy shows but can’t stomach them at all now.

           21 likes

    • Di Blanchard says:

      I understand that Walter is written (under a pseudonym) by Kevin Lygo, who is the head of ITV Studios. Perhaps he’s trying to subvert the BBC.

      http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/30/itv-studios-kevin-lygo-bbc-drama-walter

      The Guardian quote, by the way, is just where Google took me.

      How many of the characters in Walter are not indicated as gay? Could it possibly be that only one character in 20 is openly gay, in accordance with your figures? Is the gay character meant to be sympathetic? Senior officers, especially fast-tracked graduate penpushers, seldom are in police dramas I find. Perhaps there should be uproar against BBC bias against fast-tracked pen-pushing police officers!

      Gay people were invisible in popular culture for many years we (yes, I’m a lesbian) like to see ourselves represented, just like anybody else does.

         1 likes

      • Mat says:

        Actually when was this TV gay free years ? I have seen gay characters in comedy and drama all my life so I assume what you mean is you want to be over represented ?
        Try being a biker [sorry I have no interest in only being defined by who I sleep with !] we have no representation on any BBC program except as criminals on their cop shows !

           10 likes

        • Di Blanchard says:

          You must be a youngster then. Remember that “homosexual” practices between men were illegal until I was well into my teens, and I don’t recall actively gay characters appearing in popular television drama until the mid-80s and then there was outrage in the popular press.

          Why does it bother you so much anyway?

          Oh yes, ever heard of the Hairy Bikers?

             0 likes

          • Mat says:

            OK I was Born 1968 which if you can be bothered to look was after many gay and lesbian films were made including the classic law changing film ‘victim ‘ in 1961 plus many closeted refs in Radio comedy or did you miss ‘Julian and Sandy’?
            Why does it bother me ?? sorry who said it bothered me ? the only thing bothering me is some ignoring real history to make a cheap point !
            Hairy biker

               4 likes

            • Mat says:

              Ps if a crap long dead cookery show with 2 full time media lurvies both with Che Guevara Tattoos who get filmed riding a bike past for about 2 seconds then do a souffle is representative in your eyes of the million+ who lives revolve around bikes in the UK then the proms should be once every 50 years and done by a man with a bin lid and broom stick !

                 3 likes

  33. stuart says:

    the bbc entertains on there phone ins to much on radio 5 live these white leftists and islamists who hate this country,the west and israel.i have had a bellyfull of these appeasers of hamas spouting of there hate of israel and the west on a daily basis phoning up nicky,vicky and shelagh on radio 5 live.it is just sickening,even more sickening is why these leftists and islamists have not had a hand waving aggressive swp placard protests and marches against the baby beheading,mass murdering genocidal nazi islamists of isis in iraq,where are these protests against isis by these israel haters in london,nowhere to be seen,why,i think because these socalist workers partys bums who have this love affair with the islamists hate the west,the usa,israel that much that there are prepared to side with are enemys like hamas and there cousins in iraq isis.

       20 likes

  34. George R says:

    Islam, and Islamic State (ISIS);-

    What West’s political class (inc INBBC) is incapable of understanding-

    “Barack Obama and David Cameron do not dare, even now, tell the truth about what Islamic State (or IS) are, or what motivates them”

    By Robert Spencer, ‘Jihad Watch’-

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/08/barack-obama-and-david-cameron-do-not-dare-even-now-tell-the-truth-about-what-islamic-state-or-is-are-or-what-motivates-them

       16 likes

    • dave s says:

      Sunday R4 early morning religious programme.
      At the end I distinctly heard the Catholic bishop say that Islam had to learn to share space in any country with other religions.
      Europe learnt that lesson by the end of the 17th century.
      The BBC man could not wait to glosssover that and end the show.
      A rare moment of reality.

         23 likes

  35. stuart says:

    also,a further point,the divide betreen muslims and non muslims in england is as bad as the divide betreen catholics and protestants at the height of the troubles in n.ireland in the 70s.tensions are at boiling point in england,we all know that,the fact that muslims flew the isis flag in the will crooks estate in popular in tower hamlets at the wekend just shows how england is going down the road of religious conflict.anybody who lives in n ireland will understand the point i am making here because this is such a serious issue that faces us in england with the islamists.

       34 likes

  36. George R says:

    Turkey.

    We can expect a surge in the political support from Islamic interests + political ‘left,’ inc BBC-NUJ, for Islamising Erdogan’s ‘agent provocateur’ actions against Israel-

    “Newest Gaza cease-fire holds but fears raised that Turkish flotilla could endanger truce”

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/498197/Gaza-cease-fire-holds-but-fears-over-Turkish-flotilla

       14 likes

    • deegee says:

      Criticising the Express is a little outside the focus of this blog but I have to note that they have really got it wrong. The danger is not an end of the ceasefire. Hamas is quite capable of doing that without Turkish help.

      The danger is an actual clash of arms between Israel and the predicted Turkish naval escort. Two major American/European allies (Turkey is in NATO and an EU candidate) heavily and modernly armed would be no fun.

         11 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Agree on the danger.
        Be interested in what members of groups would feel about individual actions that can surely only be seen as provocative (allowing private protests to proceed one thing, but from home through international to other state’s waters, under escort, surely would suggest deliberately pushing an envelope too far?).
        Time for Gavin and Dateline London to convene one of his oddly selected and selective Star Chambers to decide that, again, those facing incoming aggressive action are or will be those rattling sabres.

           4 likes

  37. Brother DuQuette says:

    BBC becoming quite reluctant to dwell on the terrible slaughter of Christians in Iraq. They don’t give a shit! They’re now trying to divert attention onto the politics of going to war. These are our brethren being butchered by muslim fanatics and I, for one, want to see 24/7 carpet bombing to wipe these isis vermin from the face of the planet. I want to see isis heads blasted from shoulders. But most of all, for the first time in my young life… I want to SEE US STAND UP FOR CHRISTIANS AGAINST MUSLIMS!!!!!!

       51 likes

  38. George R says:

    Will Labour Party fellow travellers, such as Beeboid Scot WARK, be critical of this?:-

    “‘THE EDINBURGH FRINGE HAS FAILED US – AND FAILED FREEDOM.’

    “The Israeli theatre group shut down by an anti-Israel mob talks to spiked.”

    http://www.spiked-online.com/f

       31 likes

  39. ROBERT JONES says:

    BBC2 Last Night:

    Kate Adie.
    What Did WW1 Really Do for Women?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z9bf9j6

       12 likes

  40. johnnythefish says:

    The purpose of the BBC is to educate, entertain and inform. Do you think it’s achieving that?

    Well, taking this morning as an example, I’ve only listened to an hour and a half of The Today Programme so far which I don’t expect to ‘entertain’ me as it’s a serious news and current affairs programme, but they did happen to play lot of funny clips of Robin Williams.

    Robin Williams?

    Yes, the famous Hollywood actor and comedian – Mrs Doubtfire and all that – has died – apparently suicide. Didn’t realise how important he was, though – headlines on three news bulletins and three items dedicated to him so far. Yes, they obviously judged it to be the most important news today.

    Oh. Any news on Iraq?

    Yes, that was the second news item. Apparently they might be getting a new prime minister who can unite all the different factions. The West aren’t doing enough, though.

    And what of the plight of religious and ethnic minorities in the region?

    You mean the Yazidis? Well, apparently they are fleeing from the fighting and are displaced on a large mountain somewhere. Some have managed to escape though.

    And Christians?

    Not that they said.

    Has anyone been killed?

    They didn’t mention that either. A UN official who’s in the area was interviewed and he didn’t say anybody had been killed, nor did anyone in the BBC studio. But I find that a bit odd.

    A bit odd? Why?

    Well I’ve read in the newspapers of terrible atrocities by the Islamists – what are they called, ISIS or IS? You know, women and children being buried alive, innocent civilians being beheaded, the dead bodies of children being eaten on the mountain, overpowering stench of death etc. but the BBC didn’t mention any of that. Still, I suppose it’s the BBC we should believe as they’re impartial, aren’t they, and most people seem to trust them?

    I suppose so. Anyway, must dash to look up more on Robin Williams – sounds like he was one helluva guy….

       42 likes

    • deegee says:

      William’s death would be worldwide news at any time.

         6 likes

      • johnnythefish says:

        You seem to have missed the main point I was trying to make. Leaving aside the economy of truth in Today’s coverage of the IS onslaught and ethnic/religious cleansing, the Williams comparison was about proportionality and priority – plus a suspected leftist wilful mischief, aka ‘up yours Islamophobes’.

           26 likes

        • John M says:

          I support you, Johnny.

          I found that the reporting of the death was completely ‘over the top’. Was it really more important than the problems in Syria, Iran and the deaths of hundreds of Christians and Yazidis?

          The balance of the BBC was off-centre.

             26 likes

          • johnnythefish says:

            Cheers – thanks. It was surreal.

               11 likes

            • Sickofitall says:

              Don’t fret, once Israel resumes its offensive against the mothers and children of Gaza then death and killing in the Middle East will return to its rightful place at the top of the BBC News.

                 4 likes

    • Umbongo says:

      “William’s death would be worldwide news at any time.”

      True – but his demise does not merit between 40-50% of Radio 4’s flagship 8:00 am news, nor a 10 minute analysis by Alexei Sayle at around 8:20 on Today nor another 5 minutes around 8:55.
      I liked RW. He was brilliantly funny and a pretty good straight actor too. But this news, although tragic for his family and many fans world-wide, is not earth-shattering. The BBC’s editing decision here, given what else is happening in the world, throws a very nasty light on its priorities in carrying out its statutory task of “informing” the public.

         30 likes

    • Rob says:

      Finding funny clips of Robin Williams to fill a 5 minute news slot is no small feat in itself.

         8 likes

    • Deborah says:

      Johnny you posted ahead of me – and put it far more eloquently. Just may add I would have preferred the Today programme to have said that Williams either ‘committed suicide’ or ‘took his own life’ rather than ‘killed himself’ but I suppose it is all of the dumbing down process.

         17 likes

  41. AsISeeIt says:

    Sums the BBC up nicely.

    ‘The Guardianistas are on holiday…. Every restaurant within 100 miles of here is packed to the rafters with tousle-haired coltish adolescents who have arrived on those quaint French bicycles you can hire at the airport being marshalled through the menu in painful French by ex au pairs now married to BBC journalists…. They decline the Fois Gras, sending a quick tweet back to their timeline – #endthiseviltrade…. Soon enough the conversation turned to those our hearts are currently bleeding for. Not the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, and still kidnapped to this day – the #bringourgirlshome initiative failed and best not to mention it…. No, we went straight into those poor peasants in Gaza, fighting to establish an independent homeland with medieval weapons, at the mercy of the ‘disproportionate’ high-tech weaponry of the Israelis…’

    Read on here:

    http://annaraccoon.com/

    Any comment, Scot? How about if I say “gay”?

       34 likes

    • GCooper says:

      Wow! That’s a nicely written piece of savagery. My hat off to Ms Raccoon.

         17 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Just a suggestion from a self-confessed guilty party, maybe best not to invoke the Candyman to legitimate reappearance, whilst an apparently successful trend of ignoring (and a spate of clear ‘no-go’ thread topics for the entire Staffel) does appear to have reduced drive-bys to desperate trickles at best?

         11 likes

    • mo says:

      AsSeelt
      Fois Gras #endthiseviltrade
      stylishly written piece . I also agree with it

         1 likes

  42. Maturecheese says:

    Why the hell is the death of J Savile 2nd on the read list on the BBC’s news website at the moment? I would post a screenshot if I knew how.

       11 likes

    • Mike says:

      And note that the vast majority of the “Least Rated” comments had been deleted by moderators. Now I wonder what those comments could have been inferring? So many people suspecting that things may not have been right and so little done about it (other than “Comment Deleted”)

         13 likes

  43. Milverton says:

    Yet another touchy feely Five Live phone-in this morning.

    Yesterday gruff men in lingerie, today “Who is your best friend?” based on remarks made by Robin Williams’s widow.

    Five Live seem unwilling to tackle the IS topic, yet on the face of it the medieval murderers seem to be big news elsewhere.

       17 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      O/T but there is an irritating modern day obsession with your spouse having to be your ‘best friend’.

      I always thought your best friend was the mate you most moaned to about the missus.

         17 likes

  44. Guest Who says:

    http://order-order.com/2014/08/12/loony-libdem-candidate-boycotts-bbc-over-gaza/
    Makes a change from the 95% of MPs who appear to feel the BBC is a national treasure that we all love. Apparently.
    Be interesting to see if these boycotts of conscience grow beyond mere spouting off (ie: getting their staff to take the licence fee off expenses), as the BBC not banging up these chaps whilst rushing Trace to the nearest Magistrates may start to look a bit two-track.
    Sure they will react in the only way they know how…
    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/12/bbc-press-officers-external-pr-agencies-foi_n_5667725.html?1407835976
    “”You could cut the 200 press officers and no one would notice – simultaneously demonstrating their total incompetence and irrelevance in one go,” one insider told the New Statesman.”
    That would be this right-wing rag:
    http://www.newstatesman.com/media-mole/2014/07/barmy-bbc-cuts-panorama-reporters-go-crap-bbc-buzzfeed-stays
    ‘…less than half of the BBC’s money is spent on actual broadcasting or new media, and it might be considerably less..
    (Editted to enhance narrative, per BBC guidelines)

       13 likes

  45. Ned Spoonbill says:

    The BBC have a propensity for going over the top, examples being the Commonwealth Games, the Pistorius trial, women’s cricket and football and now Robin Williams.
    But am I not the only one who feels that perhaps the bBBC is going somewhat OTT on Gaza?

       21 likes

    • Mark says:

      You forgot the ex-terrorist whose ex-wife promoted the fashion statement of Continental necklaces around her political opponents.

         29 likes

      • Joshaw says:

        And “Mother of the Murdered Teenager” …. etc etc

           19 likes

        • Di Blanchard says:

          And the PM whose turned industrial towns into no-hope wastelands, opened the doors to ambulance-chasing lawyers, set off the greedy excesses of the City, introduced the idea of non-normalised GCSE and A-levels, and was a friend to Latin American tyrants who murdered, tortured and disappeared thousands of their citizens, you mean? Plenty of overkill there including cancelling programmes.

             9 likes

          • Mark says:

            But enough about Blair who finished off our manuacturing, and Livingstone, friend of Hugo Chavez.

               22 likes

            • Mat says:

              And don’t forget the ones like Eddies dad who took funds and directions off the KGB who murdered countless millions of theirs and others peoples or Eddies brother who signed away millions of Tibetans to China’s brutal oppression for nothing !

                 13 likes

          • John Anderson says:

            another parroting socialist !

            Who closed most pits – Harold Wilson ! – with Tony Benn’s help

               18 likes

            • Mat says:

              Funny how they never want to talk about who killed more, Socialists or Thatcher?
              Mind they would lose badly as they and their ideology come second in the death stakes only to malaria [something else they are happy to help ]

                 9 likes

          • Joshaw says:

            “PM whose turned industrial towns into no-hope wastelands”

            Grew up in two of them, in West and South Yorkshire in the 1950s and 60s. Just remind me again, who was responsible?

               13 likes

          • Geoff says:

            You’re obviously not old enough to remember 1978/9 when shop stewards (read Red Robbo) were the ones decided who would have the operation or when your loved ones would be buried.

            It wasn’t Thatcher who created the wastelands is was the greedy union leaders like Arthur Scargill, Joe Gormley and Jack Jones who created archaic working practices, closed shops and the unwillingness to modernise, making the UK uncompetitive and stuck in the 1940’s. They brought about the wastelands, the likes of Wilson, Heath and Callaghan were too weak to confront them so it was left to someone with balls, Thatcher.

               21 likes

            • Rob says:

              don’t forget the 3 day week and power cuts. I remember it like it was the 70’s

                 10 likes

            • johnnythefish says:

              Steady Geoff, you’ll traumatise the poor gal, too many inconvenient facts and all that…

              Eh, though. Do you remember trying to play Scrabble by candlelight in the freezing cold? Picking up those tiles with thick mittens – now there were a challenge!

                 8 likes

          • johnnythefish says:

            ‘….set off the greedy excesses of the City…’

            And then it took 20 years for it all to go wrong?

            ‘Fraid not. All the fault of your ‘social justice’ hero G Brown who removed supervisory responsibility from the Bank of England then sat and watched whilst the likes of Northern Rock and B and B went apeshit with their balance sheets. Personal borrowing went through the roof heralding the truly, truly greedy loadsaborrowedmoney society with their 125% mortgages and score of credit cards maxed to the limit.

            The rest, as they say, is history.

               9 likes

  46. Guest Who says:

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/aug/03/bbc-trust-dreary-sir-christopher-bland
    Possibly the role does lack sparkle, but there is in compensation that awesome wedge for doing f-all, except tell one and all, including those actually elected and those forced to uniquely fund it all, that the BBC asks questions but does not get asked them.

       10 likes

  47. Sir Arthur Strebe-Grebling says:

    The bBBC doesn’t seem to have advertised this from their favourite racists. An internship in ‘political jornalism*’ available only to black people, in memory of Stephen Lawrence.
    http://www.stephenlawrence.org.uk/news/political-jornalism-internship
    *They require only a minimum grade C in GCSE English so being able to spell journalism is not necessary.

       20 likes

    • Rob says:

      Ill get my son to apply. He’s half Thai half English. He might need to get out in the sun a bit more before he goes for an interview and his hair might need a perm. Apart from that he’s no chance. Is this advert actually legal?

         6 likes

    • Rob says:

      The clever thing about this add is the fact when white Anglo Saxons become the minority, the acronym BME can still be used but it will then stand for Black and Ethnic Majority. Thinking ahead very good

         3 likes

    • Rob says:

      The clever thing about this add is the fact when white Anglo Saxons become the minority, the acronym BME can still be used but it will then stand for Black and Majority Ethnic. Thinking ahead very good

         0 likes

    • Rob says:

      The clever thing about this add is the fact when white Anglo Saxons become the minority, the acronym BME can still be used but it will then stand for Black and Majority Ethnic.

      Thinking ahead very good

         0 likes