THE LEADERS DEBATE

I didn’t get to see it myself but was interested in how the BBC has covered it! I’m talking about the “Leader’s debate” on ITV last night, of course. BBC enthusiastic about Sturgeon, in particular. It seems her brand of strident caledonian neo marxism appeals to the BBC, for some inexplicable reason! They also bigged up Bennett and Woods, whilst downplaying Farage and Cameron. No bias at all in play, right?

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107 Responses to THE LEADERS DEBATE

  1. Anne says:

    Tweet reported on SKY this morning:

    ‘Six parrots and one bird of prey’.

    Two hours summed up in seven words.

       55 likes

    • noggin says:

      A Tory spin doctors shambles, and that was the aim.
      The aim protect Camoron, from Farage, from Milliband.
      A damage limitation – a keep the car running vehicle, with the orchestrated Tory Broadcast at the end.

      Frankly a disgrace,

         15 likes

  2. lock13 says:

    Farage was pretty good nice and stable made some points which I can still remember this morning. The rest are really all the same.
    Wee Jimmy cranky is unhinged
    Some Welsh bird who probably should be running a cake shop
    Some Australian green loon telling us how we should tackle immigration
    Did anyone notice Ed trying to write he couldn’t hold the pen properly looked like he had a mitten on
    Cameroon and Clegg two luvvies with no clue

       61 likes

  3. Alex says:

    I didn’t see it but many polls are showing that Cameron and Sturgeon were strong winners, with Farage also performing well in some polls; as we know, polls are not reliable statistically and can only give us a snapshot. However, the BBC seem only to be interested in Nicola’s performance with some grovelling analysis from its journalists on some of her populist comments. Funny how BBC audiences always seem to sympathise with left-wing politics isn’t it? Do BBC audiences really reflect a true cross-section of British society? I doubt it; because would anyone outside Scotland be so bloody stupid to support a party that wants to destroy the UK at all costs? If the YEStapo do prop up a Liebour government, then you’ll see our economy dwindling quicker than guinness in a Belfast pub.

       64 likes

    • The General says:

      In the 2010 election Conservatives had over 2million more votes than Labour. Did the QT audiences and so called political commentators on the BBC reflect anything like equality between them? Absolutely not. QT audiences continues to clap like mad when a Labour panelist said anything regardless of the puerility of the content, while the Conservative representative was at best greeted with a stoney silence and political commentators made the assumption that the population in general were anti Tory.

         60 likes

    • taylor says:

      No they don’t Alex as we all know-most have absolutely no idea or interest in the horrendous state this nation now finds itself & probably they don’t care. Social democracy has flown the nest. We must leave the EU SAP & before 2017 which will be too late to negotiate any way out-Britain will then sink further into 3rd World status. How sad.

         15 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      Its is very easy to be a Marxist, spending the money of your tax payers.Until it runs out that is. It is even easier for the SNP because they are spending another countries money! No wonder they can have free this and free that in Scotland when we English are paying for it!!
      I was surprised that no one asked Ms Sturgeon why, if she was so keen on free education, she charged English students fees but not Scots of course. Surely there is at least a wiff of racism there. Anyway, as Mr Farage said, the English are getting cheesed off paying for the Scots. We should ditch the Scots about 2025, then we get our own back by having benefited from ‘their oil’ but keeping ‘our vast amount of shale gas’ to ourselves.
      Oh and because the BBC are not spinning that the Mad Marxist Miliband won a great victory we can safely assume that he lost quite convincingly.

         32 likes

    • Merched Becca says:

      Any one know where the ‘clapped out bus’ is on this ?

         6 likes

  4. Marsham says:

    Yesterday the BBC on several programmes – Today & PM programmes, especially spent most of their time warning the debate will be a disaster. From my listening today there isn’t any congratulations to Julia Etchingham for managing the whole debate efficiently and professionally. Sour grapes?

       56 likes

    • lock13 says:

      Good point she was very good can’t imagine Nana or Misshell pulling that one off without chewing a lot of wasps

         29 likes

    • Chop says:

      Brillo did congratulate ITV & Julia Etchingham, looks like his was the lone voice from the silent desert of the BBc.

         9 likes

  5. G.W.F. says:

    They all kept off the M word, nothing on combating terrorism, little on defence. And bugger all on the great grooming/child abuse scandal and cover up by politicians, which has disgraced Britain in the eyes of the civilised world.

       70 likes

    • Anne says:

      The omission was noticeable (along with Trident).

      The only leader who would have had the guts to raise it would have been Farage but I think that he, correctly, decided that one bomb was enough for one evening. Besides, everybody knows who the terrorists and groomer rapists are so why risk going too far by delivering what the faint hearted might regard as a rant? Every day, the news does that job for him. Today it’s a massacre in Kenya.

      The audience applauded Sturgeon’s criticism of his HIV comment, which left me wondering what, exactly, they were objecting to. As I see it, the options are:

      1) His facts were wrong.
      2) His facts might have been correct but they should not be discussed.
      3) Both of the above.

      I think he probably gave very careful consideration to how far he should go.

         69 likes

  6. Demon says:

    To be fair, despite the crap she said, Krankie did look the most assured, relaxed and on top of her game. Farage did well despite being ganged up on, as no doubt for which he had prepared. Cameron and Miliband were as expected. The Australian was OK (i.e. did a lot better than usual as she didn’t have to remember little details like her own party’s policies). Clegg talked rubbish quite charmingly. And the Welsh woman looked out of place.

       37 likes

  7. Thoughtful says:

    It looks like Sturgeon actually was the winner in the debate according to the people interviewed for several polls, which would mean the BBC are in fact being accurate ! Sometimes (unfortunately) the lefties do perform best, and the biased reporting then appears accurate. It’s when they don’t perform best and the BBC reports that they have that shows the bias clearly.

    Taken from http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/

    “We now have all four of the post-debate polls. Asked who performed the best, the verdicts are

    YouGov: Sturgeon 28, Farage 20, Cameron 18, Miliband 15, Clegg 10, Bennett 5, Wood 4 (tabs)
    ICM: Miliband 25, Cameron 24, Farage 19, Sturgeon 17, Clegg 9, Bennett 3, Wood 2 (tabs)
    ComRes: Farage 21, Cameron 21, Miliband 21, Sturgeon 20, Clegg 9, Bennett 5, Wood 2
    Survation: Cameron 25, Miliband 25, Farage 24, Sturgeon 15, Clegg 6, Bennett 3, Wood 2 (tabs)

    The pollsters certainly don’t show a single clear winner (until we digest the tables we can’t really speculate about what caused the differences), but there’s a consistent theme across those results. Everyone has Natalie Bennett, Leanne Wood and Nick Clegg trailing, everyone has Ed Miliband and David Cameron doing pretty much evenly and pretty close to Farage. The only big difference is Sturgeon, YouGov have her out in front, others have her a bit further back. But given the SNP are only standing in Scotland, how well Nicola Sturgeon did in rest of Britain doesn’t necessarily make a huge difference (though it may make the SNP a bit less scary as a bogeyman on Conservative posters).

    As I wrote before the debate, one shouldn’t assume too much what the impact of the debate is on voting intentions until we see some standard voting intention polls of the general public. With the initial polls showing no big runaway winner from the debate I wouldn’t expect a big impact… but time will tell. The party I’d probably watch is UKIP – Farage wasn’t a big winner, but he outperformed his party’s national support in all of the instant verdict polls, and unlike the SNP, UKIP have candidates across GB that people can vote for.”

       24 likes

  8. AsISeeIt says:

    After putting myself through two hours of the thing, I’m afraid I couldn’t stomach too much BBC telling me what to think about it.

    BBC positve reaction just after the Ed Miliband car-crash conference speech – now regarded as hopeless even by leftist supporters – rather showed the BBC up.

    There was some slight element of entertainment in watching the sneery over-made-up Huw Edwards having to stand out in the cold in front of a huge ITV logo.

    I find most BBC-approved attitudes very predictable – the developing crush on Jimmy Krankie, for instance.

    The liason with Ipsos Mori to supply a panel of voters who always reacted positively to emptly ‘progressive’ platitudes and supposed freebie giveaways – such as “free” tuition fees was 100% BBC in outlook.

    However, I was fascinated to hear from the polling expert that the public didn’t like argument between candidates – what? That’s like buying front row seats to a grand prix and saying you don’t like the sound of motor engines.

       43 likes

    • Demon says:

      “However, I was fascinated to hear from the polling expert that public didn’t like argument between candidates – what? That’s like buying front row seats to a grand prix and saying you don’t like the sound of motor engines. ”

      Good comparison. It’s like the people who complain about the pathetic shouting match that is PM’s Question Time. I’m sure if all MPs behaved it would be so dry no-one would actually watch, including those that complain the loudest. Yes it is puerile but that’s what makes it watchable.

         21 likes

  9. Unfortunately Sturgeon was the most assured. The best we can glean from this is that it weakens Labour north of the border still further. But that in turn makes her bargaining with the gormless one stronger.

    Thankfully Farage wasn’t too “controversial” as the BBC say. Which means saying things that the media and politico’s don’t like the proles to have a say in like “Immigration” (I’m sorry did I say that?) though what he said about HIV immigrants was perfectly sensible to me. He did well.

    Milliband wasn’t the complete buffoon. Cameron who had the most difficult job of defending is still the best snake in the pit. But that’s hardly a recommendation.

    The Aussie idiot proved what waste of time it all was. She did quite well. Which has to be proof that when you don’t get embroiled in figures, you know those important things, you stand a good chance in these debates.

       26 likes

    • Aerfen says:

      Sturgeon was not the most assured. Clegg was way more chilled, relaxed, set out his stall and remained polite.
      Sturgeon was down right rude and pushy IMO, interrupting and talking far too much – a rough low class bully.

      I do not support Clegg btw but thought he was impressive.

         2 likes

  10. Deborah says:

    I couldn’t stomach that actual debate but watched the BBC News after it – but noticed Ed standing with legs akimbo – so obviously doing what he had been taught to do to make him look strong. Mind, I so dislike the man and fear what he will do to this country that I cannot take seriously anything he says.

       43 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      I fear him because I do take the neo Marxist threats he spouts , taught him by his Britain hating farther, seriously. Anyone who can knife their own brother in the back is dangerous one way or another.

         22 likes

    • john in cheshire says:

      Legs akimbo; it sounds like the episode from Black Adder when the prince was being taught how to act. Did Mr Ed roar before he began to speak? If ever there was a bunch of people who deserve to be ridiculed and driven from office, it’s those we are currently burdened with. I wish I had been born to do great things, I’d have sorted out these bu##ers.

         15 likes

    • Fred Stubber says:

      There’s no such thing as legs akimbo. The word only applies to a position of the arms.

      Fred

         0 likes

  11. Geoff says:

    So a ‘body language expert’ in the DM calls it for the women, thank Christ Churchill wasn’t judged on his body language.

    Yes Farage sweated but this proves one of two things 1) The lighting was set to do just that 2) He’s human…

       38 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Robots don’t sweat. A movie plot twist hinged on that.

      But OK, if he can be linked with Nixon and the ladies who glow are excused, then it will be used.

         13 likes

    • Essex Man says:

      Ian Collins ,on LBC ,had body language expert Judy James on, she said the Millipeed looked shifty & unnatural ,with rehearsed answers ,because masters of the dark arts , like Mandelson & Campbell , had probably been coaching (grooming) him . The females did ok ,she said & Cam did well too as he looked Primisterial . Farage & Cleggy were not so good she thought .

         11 likes

    • Manonclaphamomnibus says:

      Or he’s lying about something!Who was the Scottish and Welsh women and why did they not speak English. This is multiculturalism gone awry.Personnally I think they should be deported!

         0 likes

  12. richard D says:

    I also had to miss the debate last night, but did see the run-up to the debate. What struck me most was the scene being set by the Beeboid commentator. Fundamentally, she had no interest at all in anyone hearing about policies, she was more focused on the fact that there were seven speakers, and there were all the ingredients for someone to make a mistake or faux pas, and plenty of opportunity for a right old ‘barney’ as well. Then, she explained that she was in the ‘spin’ room, where she was happy to announce that all the key party supporters were gathered to promote their own leader as the obvious winner. Again – absolutely no hope of enlightened debate there, then.

    I heard the event described as a ‘spectacle’ this morning – so, not really a debate at all, it was a Roman arena in the making, with every opportunity for one or more of the politicians to be thrown to the lions. That, sadly, is where British politics stands today – no interest in policies, everyone waiting for a weakness to pounce on. There doesn’t seem to have been any, and this is the sort of event the BBC believes lies at the heart of our democratic political process. It’s better described as an attempt to make the election into an entertainment series.

    David Cameron, for all everyone called him names, got it absolutely right. He had everything to lose, and nothing to really gain from this process, and he pretty much nullified that threat completely – much to the consternation of the BBC.

    So then we come to some of the ‘spin’ this morning. First up – Nicola Sturgeon. Her job last night was to appear to be a reasonable politician for the UK (although, of course, she’s not even standing for the UK Parliament). This was designed to achieve two objectives in my view – firstly to allay any fears in Labour’s heartland of Scotland that voting for her party would cause Labour to lose the election – so defect away, boys, my party will just support Labour anyway, so you have nothing to lose ! The second objective was to allay fears that her party’s MPs were rabid Nationalists who would attempt to cause havoc in the UK Parliament by allowing Labour, if elected by a minority of the public, to gain power, and then to undermine non-devolved issues which traditionally have not been voted on by SNP MPs. She appears to have gone some way towards both of these goals. If the best-case scenario for her party pans out, I have no doubt that the SNP demands will cause a huge back-lash by the English people, playing into Nicola’s intention – splitting the UK. If it doesn’t, well, she can claim that she wanted to be reasonable, but, as usual, those nasty English voters are punishing Scotland yet again – so let’s have another referendum. Win-win for the SNP, she hopes. One snippet of hers I did hear this morning, which I was astonished nobody pulled her up on, was her comment (which got some applause, even) that education should depend on the ability of the student, and not their ability to pay. Hmmm -how well does that fit with the SNP policy which aims to allow anyone from any part of the EU to get into the education system in Scotland without paying fees – unless they come from any other part of the UK except Scotland. Those students (obviously mainly English) the SNP is happy to charge, and to hang with their scholastic ability. But nobody seems to have noticed that one – and there were possibly others – who knows ?

    Then we come to Nigel Farage. I really can’t work up any enthusiasm for UKIP. For instance, apart from a couple of recent defectors from the Conservative Party, who are worried stiff they will get punished at the GE, there seems to be hardly anyone else to represent the Party other than Nigel Farage. I don’t recall any other strong figure with a strong shadow brief in the party – and remember, the only way for the party to get any power is in a coalition – where will they find anyone to be a minister ? However, and this is a big however, I do believe the BBC is royally shafting UKIP. When interviewing representatives from some other parties, like Paddy ‘Pantsdown’ Ashdown from the Lib Dems, on the radio this morning, they are given free rein to complain bitterly about other parties, covering a wide range of issues, and are shown all sorts of deference in the process – pretty tame and friendly interviewing, in other words. Not so with the UKIP representative whom the BBC basically tried to nail to a wall this morning, examining in minute detail one single comment by Nigel Farage from the whole of last night’s ‘debate’, interrupting virtually his every attempt to answer the ridiculous questioning style, and so, as on so many other occasions, we really learned nothing more about UKIP’s policies – which may well be precisely the BBC’s intent. In fact, the broad point Mr Farage was making was a reasonable one, but the gist of which is what the BBC apparently does NOT want any exploration of. Now that sort of approach, in itself, may well be what is hampering any UKIP representative (other than Nigel, himself)from getting across any serious policy information.

    All, in all, from what I’ve heard, I probably missed very little in the way of enlightenment from last night’s ‘Parliamentary Party Show’. I’ll probably hear more as the day goes on and the BBC tries to spin this as a heroic Labour victory against all the odds, and declare Miliband to be an effective PM in waiting (however, the ‘exit’ polls about who would make best PM mentioned in passing this morning certainly don’t point in that direction).

    But, no doubt, five years from now we will have the same hysterical demand from the BBC and its ilk, that everyone clambers into the arena yet again – after all, this stuff is clearly now part of our tradition and heritage (that’s what the BBC was claiming after the 2010 election – i.e. after it happened once).

       17 likes

    • Manonclaphamomnibus says:

      Ukip don’t have any policies except the one,the rest are as variable as the expulsion rate.
      As to hysterical demand please note that it was ITV last night and C4 and Fox the time before. Remember if you show bias you can’t judge it.

         1 likes

      • richard D says:

        Are you trying to claim the BBC wasn’t hysterically in there with the rest of them, demanding these ‘spectacles’ ? What a joke !

        Oh, and just in case you hadn’t noticed, the debate was broadcast live on the BBC News Channel last night – but, of course, that has nothing to do with the BBC, now does it ?

        Remember, if you haven’t a clue, you WILL be found out.

           1 likes

  13. Dazed & Confused says:

    It’s going to be “Get Murdoch” again pretty soon I think….They and their hard left friends wont be enamoured with this…

       32 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘Performances’ about sums it up. Hope more than this does count in May.

      I don’t utterly dismiss the value of delivery and debate, as clearly a leader needs to inspire, rally and direct with precision and speed, but more is needed than getting the lines across. Witness Obama.

      Of course there are those who have zero on policy or personality, and it amazes how such awful candidates have risen to the top anyway.

      That the new Ms. Personality is positioned to prop up Edward Blackhole in how the entirety of things country gets run is a worry.

      Especially with a £4Bpa PR agency dedicated to getting the latter in no matter what.

      The only hope is that a large chunk North of the Border loathe labour and the BBC may at least make things interesting on the done deal front.

         16 likes

    • Manonclaphamomnibus says:

      Yes poor ol Lupert! He’s never done anything to anyone has he . I’m Saddened by the fact that being an Australian with a U.S. passport no one on this site would want him to settle in this country.

         0 likes

  14. Guest Who says:

    Couldn’t watch live legally thanks to the unique way the BBC is funded, and having read a spread of reviews can’t think why I’d bother now on catch-up.

    Seems it was like Crufts, and the pooch with the nicest ‘way’ was what the public fancy leading the country, even if a couple (ironically polling highest) couldn’t even if the public wanted them to.

    Never understood this new obsession with slick and likeability. Churchill was gruff; Mrs. T was not a person I imagine I’d fancy hanging with. Running a country, yes. So a collection of overpaid parrot puppets intoning focus group-safe sound bites with various degrees of sincerity and skill hardly inspiring.

    Clegg’s a shot bolt no matter what. Cameron I’d check my wallet and back afterwards. Milliband I’d check the contents of my wallet, my kids’ wallets, their kids’ wallets, everyone’s backs and the contents of our stomachs now on the floor. The other lot who cares? Farage seems to have played it safe.

    However, what I did do was monitor twitter on my tablet as I watched a movie as all this was unfolding. And as all know, twitter is now the benchmark of what righteous folk are thinking and what is news and ‘not news’ (c) A. Newsroom Tealady.

    Not just the BBC for sure, but it was telling that the FAD (Farage Absolute Derangement) dial was still cranked to 11. Laura ‘Ed walked out the door and the sun broke through’ K, HIGNFY… the whole crew.

    The weird part was later on these same social observers were ‘surprised’ how much it was about Farage, when the majority of the media inastate had made it about him, and not in a good way.

    Sturgeon scored early and high by pulling a no-lose political version of an Amy Rutland, and that was it for most of them. ‘Comment of the evening’ they all purred. If you say so, impartial media experts.

    I don’t even yet know who our UKIP candidate here is yet, and our standing MP is OK and at least locally engaged, so my mission is simply to ensure that the Lib Dems join Labour in obliteration. based on the least worst option of holding the country together for the sake of future generations not on public sector packages and my dotage.

    But if I was in a marginal where tactical counted, the establishment treatment of UKIP and Mr. Farage in particular would really make me consider sending a message. I don’t like my democracy rigged and run by an elite cabal who think they are born to rule and will pull any dirty trick to ensure they stay doing it.

       37 likes

  15. Demon says:

    Did anyone else notice the new tack from the National Socialists from Scotland and Wales about any future EU referendum? They were both demanding that the UK could not leave the EU if any of the constituent parts voted to stay.

    For instance if the Welsh (pop. c.2.5 million) voted narrowly to stay in the EU that this would veto the English (pop.c.55 million) even if they voted overwhelmingly to leave!!!

    In other words if the overall vote to leave was 65%, but the Welsh vote was 51% to stay, we could not leave. These N.S. types have always hated democracy.

       42 likes

    • Demon says:

      This will become the new demand from the regional N.S. parties, and you can bet your bottom euro that the BBC will back them and try to pretend it is a fair requirement in their desperation for us not to leave the EU.

         24 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      As it’s UK membership it’s a UK vote – simple as that. If they want to be part of the EU in their own right they can a) secure their independence b) automatically get booted out and c) apply. See how far they get.

         9 likes

      • Demon says:

        But this could well be Cameron’s way of ensuring an exit vote does not succeed. Our only hope is UKIP or else we’re stuffed.

           8 likes

  16. The General says:

    The thing is that according to Labour, Liberals, Greens, SNP and Plyed Grungery, we should allow anyone who wants to come to this country from wherever in the world to “improve their life” or get £25000 a year treatment for AIDS should be welcomed in. So how does that work? Where does it end how do we pay for it?
    Do these ‘Leaders’ and their supporters welcome the less fortunate in society into their large comfortable homes and feed and cloth them as well as providing a bed? When all their spare rooms are occupied would they squeeze in anyone who arrived at their door step? Of course they don’t and won’t yet they expect us to do just that as a country.
    And talking about the Mansion tax, how come Milliband who has never had a proper job and earned circa £65,000 as an MP and a bit more as a Minister manage to live in a £2.7 million house? Only a small percentage could have been inherited from his Marxist father despite the tax avoidance methods employed by him and his brother.

       45 likes

  17. johnnythefish says:

    On this morning’s Today Naughtie couldn’t wait to tell us Labour supporters will be reassured that Nicola Sturgeon is someone they can do business with.

    That was about 15 mins into the programme.

    Let’s see how BBC/Labour develop this one over the coming weeks.

    Coverage of the Kenya massacre had to wait another half hour.

       36 likes

    • The General says:

      Yes that’s because a Milliband/Sturgen allience would be the prelude to an even bigger massacre – that of our economy.

         29 likes

  18. Mice Height says:

    Scroll down to the eighth page of this link and read on.
    The book, ‘The Retreat Of Reason’ by Anthony Browne was published nine years ago now, and the same people he talks about here, still react the same way as he talks about here, when confronted with inconvenient facts about HIV –

    Click to access cs47a.pdf

       23 likes

    • Mr Glodstone says:

      Thanks for the link MH, it is another example of the political correct sickness, which obfuscates identifying the Muslim child rape gangs.

         8 likes

  19. Thatcher Revolutionary says:

    Better than Sturgeon’s ‘Neverendum’

       26 likes

  20. EnglandExpects says:

    I don’t see why we bestow any credibility on these debates by trying to analse them seriously. The media want them, but they would, wouldn’t they? Politics has become trivial and sound- bite driven enough without reinforcing these tendencies by having TV leaders debates.
    Having so many debaters just made the whole thing even more lightweight . Its farcical to include Celtic fringe nationalists who will never lead a UK government and want to break up the UK and a looney quasi Marxist party led by a not very bright Aussie.

       32 likes

  21. Anne says:

    Another recurring theme was that “the rich” would be taxed to pay for every spending promise, the same money being allocated to several projects simultaneously. After all, everyone knows that they have “broad shoulders” and this is “fair”.

    I think it was Denis “squeeze the rich until the pips squeak” Healey who discovered that taxing the rich raised relatively little cash and the not-quite-so-rich needed to be squeezed as well.

       35 likes

    • Rufus McDufus says:

      Guido Fawkes noted that Labour’s bank bonus tax had already been spent 11 times on different promises.

         29 likes

      • NISA says:

        and nobody has yet seen fit to mention the spending demands that will be placed on a Labour government to fund pay & pension cost increases (subject of strikes for past few years) for public sector employees.

           18 likes

      • Manonclaphamomnibus says:

        Yup what we need is more austerity as every housewife will tell you and perhaps more global warming so the washing will dry that bit faster!

           0 likes

  22. oldartist says:

    So much was made of how vital it was to the nation to have these “debates”, but in reality the only beneficiaries are the television companies themselves in terms of viewing figures. All of the participants were too carefully prepared and guarded in their answers to say anything other than what we would expect them to say. In fact all we got were a series of soundbites. The whole format excludes any possibility of real debate. I would seriously doubt that anyone would be swayed one way or the other after seeing this. What a complete waste of time. A serious case of television companies inflated with their own self-importance.

       14 likes

  23. john in cheshire says:

    David, I didn’t see it either because without a TV licence it would have been illegal to do so. If that isn’t a good reason for the abolition of the bbc tax I don’t know what is. As for commies giving praise to their commie brethren, well I’m shocked; surely we have come to expect fair play in everything that they say and do. Can the bbc be bringing communism into disrepute by engaging in biased behaviour? What is the world coming to. Sarc off.

       16 likes

  24. The General says:

    Nicola Sturgeon says she wants to combine with Labour to “lock the Torys out of government”. A small political party from a small part of the UK aiming to use our political system to have a disproportionate influence over the country. And despite his spluttering Milliband will grab any offer she proffers in order to get the top job and bugger the country and the consequences.

       38 likes

  25. Sidleybird says:

    I watched it (via Youtube) for 10 minutes before I gave up. No one changes their mind in these things; Labour supporters will say Milliband won, Tories will say Cameron won etc. Only the TV companies with their presenters, commentators, pundits and hangers-on really got excited about it. To quote that Hero-of-the-Left George Orwell, “…almost nobody seems to feel that an opponent deserves a fair hearing or that the objective truth matters as long as you can score a neat debating point.”

       15 likes

    • noggin says:

      Ah! the old deliberate “too many cooks” scenario
      Yes that was the Tory spin doctors plan, and Camoron got away with it.
      For them job done, no more face to face, lie and smear all the way to election day.

         11 likes

  26. G.W.F. says:

    As it was politics portrayed as entertainment all seven leaders should have been required to summarise their standpoints whilst eating a bacon sandwich. I would have made an exception for the Plaid Leader and would have allowed her to eat a dollop of that lava bread (bara lawr) they enjoy in South Wales, which is made of seaweed mixed with sand .

       15 likes

  27. EnglandExpects says:

    BBC TV 1pm lunchtime news: first report out of the studio was from Aberdeen where some po-faced young BBC guy reported on how well the SNP thought The Sturgeon had done in the debate. All reported unquestioningly. Next item, some dopey woman from NASUWT ( yes, the Blob) feeding off an item on primary school places, saying that public services were being dismantled beyond repair. Again not challenged by the interviewer and no opposing view given. An accurate microcosm of BBC election campaign coverage?

       22 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      ‘Next item, some dopey woman from NASUWT ( yes, the Blob) feeding off an item on primary school places, saying that public services were being dismantled beyond repair.’

      Yet another of the many daily examples where a question from a right wing i.e. common sense, point of view does not get asked by the BBC, even though it’s screamingly obvious, for fear it’ll upset ‘the consensus’.

      Anyway, I thought these immigrants were bringing a net benefit to the UK, in which case the least they’ll be doing is paying for all the extra school places, roads, health care etc that their enormous numbers demand? Oh, sorry, that’s a question from a right wing point of view.

         9 likes

  28. Pat says:

    For me much more needs to be done in these debates to expose the myth propagated in some sections of the media, and of course UKIP, that the EU is bad for working class people in this country. It isn’t. For example, take a look at the employment rights, gained for the first time in our history in the 1990s, post the Maastricht treaty. Why do you think that Farages ultra right wing Conservative backers are giving UKIP so much funding, they want us to lose these rights.

       2 likes

    • GCooper says:

      Wow! Is Biased BBC so successful now that it’s attracting the attention of the EU’s paid astroturfers?!

         22 likes

      • Merched Becca says:

        Pat,
        I do know a lot of disillusioned Labour backers that are now turning to supporting UKIP, having being let down so often by the left wing politicians and their ‘Open Doors’ policy.

           21 likes

        • Pat (the original?) says:

          Hear, hear to your comment. (There appear to be two of us ‘Pats’ on here now).

          I am working class, the Open Door policy, as you say, has done us no good at all. We are being replaced by a largely European work force – one of my main reasons for voting UKIP for years now.

             14 likes

          • Merched Becca says:

            I suspect that Al Beeb’s trolls are disguising themselves and using other bloggers ‘nom de plumes’.
            I have no doubt that they visit this site daily and wish to bring its reputation down.

               9 likes

          • paddytoplad says:

            Pat pat pat. An irish mine detector.

            Sorry couldn’t resist.

            Europe is crippling the working class down south. They have to pay high house prices caused by the fleeing French and their assisted towelheaded friends.
            Up here in the north we only see declining industries due to hippy eu co2 quotas and even dafter hippy transport decisions. The e.u are turning us into a bank and a theme park. That’s all we are now. The huge eu watermelon blocks out the sun. Hideous Neo communist superstate run by lefty hand wringers Gaia botherers and crooks

               8 likes

            • Angrymanupnorth says:

              Not just down south Paddy.

              Labour now have a constituency of:

              Guilt ridden confused millionaires
              Luvies
              Criminals
              Foreign criminals
              Feckless
              Muslims
              The Disengaged
              Those with Low IQ
              The fearful
              BBC employees
              Incompetents in the public sector

              Unfortunately, an expanding constituency.

              Vote UKIP.

                 11 likes

      • Angrymanupnorth says:

        To Pat and any Brit out there!

        A ‘right’ for a worker is a ‘right’ removed from others in society. Care should be taken in assuming it is righteous to pray at the altar of ‘Human Rights’.

        Workers’ rights damage our children by placing obstacles in the path of sacking bad teachers. They damage our health by placing obstacles in the path of sacking bad nurses, medics and administrators.

        Public service is, and should be regarded as, a privilege. Unions have a place in the private sector. Should they be tolerated in the public sector? Its the recipients of the public service, and those who pay for it, whose ‘rights’ should be of primary importance.

        Our laws should be written only by me and my fellow countrymen and women. To credit the EU with the ‘advancement’ of equity in law is to ignore the historic influence of the UK and specifically England in the progress of law, justice, democracy and technology. It is true such progress has also been found in other northern European countries (notably Sweden) and the USA. The recent (last 40 years or so) erosion of freedoms and regression in law and democracy, and decrease in the intensity of scientific discovery (despite the modern digital tools made available by our forefathers’ generations) is directly related to the ever increasing influence of the EU. Free trade and peaceful relations? Of course. Interference with our self-determination, our culture and our demographic? Neither acceptable nor just.

        We should make our own laws in England and Wales. Not delegate such work to those who have no knowledge of the blood, sweat and lives that have formed the foundations of our great country. We’ve been in the EU for the majority of my life (I’m not young), yet how many member countries in that period have learned the rules of cricket?

        We need to have an understanding of the past to know what we are, and what we can be. I am an Englishman. I will vote UKIP GE2015. And whilst I may look back to understand from where we came, it is but to see forward with a vision of future peaceful prosperity and social harmony.

        If you want to regress, be divided and be ruled. If you want to live in fear in a society without soul. If you want no homes or land for your grandchildren and great grandchildren, then stick with Labour who pit man against woman, rich against poor, sick against healthy, young against old, immigrants against indigenous, workers against other workers. It is The Labour Party and The Conservative Party, who divide and rule. They are rather adept at it. They’ve had a lot of practice. Their lucrative game of pass the parcel. Human farming.

        Vote UKIP. (Or, if you still see the boogeyman, the Will o’ the wisp that doesn’t exist, then vote Libdem. Clegg may be wrong, but is more honest and open about his logically flawed love of the EU. [He’s a dreamer, an idealist. He can’t help it]). If you are ill-educated enough to not recognise the ignorance and danger of the Greens, then you are either very young, or beyond help.

           8 likes

    • 60022Mallard says:

      Can I be safe in saying that you have never been the employer of anyone in your life and had to work your way through the minefield of income tax, National Insurance, workers “rights” to paternity leave, maternity leave etc.etc.

         26 likes

      • Geoff says:

        Well said, not to mention its nigh on impossible to sack a non performer, especially if of a ‘certain’ background.

           22 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      Those ‘rights’ have made the EU completely uncompetitive against almost every other world market.
      Maastricht has also led to 70% of all new job being taken by foreign workers. Just how exactly does that benefit British unemployed working class & their children?
      Then there’s the hated ‘equalities’ part which has never been properly implemented in the UK.

      Just how exactly has Maastricht benefitted anyone other than the business owners?

         17 likes

      • Thatcher Revolutionary says:

        I am a manufacturing business owner with 22 employees and I would love to hear how the EU or Maastricht Treaty has benefited me?
        The sheer amount of red tape/Eurocodes/ISO/manufacturing directives is absolute bollocks and adds about 20-25% onto the cost of our product.

           30 likes

        • Angrymanupnorth says:

          TR.

          I would love to provide you with such an explanation, but I can’t, because it (the EU) doesn’t (benefit you).

          But then you know that. Sorry for wasting your time.

             14 likes

        • Manonclaphamomnibus says:

          Break that down for us will you?

             0 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      ‘For example, take a look at the employment rights, gained for the first time in our history in the 1990s, post the Maastricht treaty.’

      Ask hospital doctors what they think of the 48-hour week rule.

         8 likes

  29. G.W.F. says:

    I was not impressed by the BBC’s worm. It performed like the EEG apparatus on a bad night in an ICU.

       7 likes

  30. harryurz says:

    So for all the hoo-haaa and hype from the TV companies, according to Guido viewing figures were around 7 million, a million less thant for “The Voice”.
    Maybe we need Dermot O Leary and a phone-in elimination to popularise the next election??

       12 likes

    • Angrymanupnorth says:

      Just hope the thicko’s don’t vote.

         11 likes

      • Manonclaphamomnibus says:

        You are! When are you going to go through UKIPs policies one by one and tell us what’s so good about them!

           0 likes

        • I Can See Clearly Now says:

          Did Farage talk well ? Yes he did…

          Manon, I think underneath all the bluster good old common sense has a strong attraction for you as well. Probably your street cred would be damaged if you admitted it. Be brave man – join The People’s Army!

             5 likes

  31. Odo Saunders says:

    This morning Radio Five “gets much worse” Live was as usual showing its determinedly biased support for the Labour Party during the current election campaign. When Michael Gove was interviewed just before 8 a.m. this morning, Rachael “please teach me some manners” Burden continually interrupted him, particularly as regards last night’s debate, aided and abetted by the witless John Pienaar, who seemed to think that Mr. Ed was last night’s winner! Oh well, it’s a case as usual of John goes to Disney World! However when Caroline Flint was interviewed by Nicky “Gameshow” Campbell, she was listended to in almost reverential silence, and appeared to be given far more time on air than Gove.

    Whar was not mentioned this morning was the fact that Leanne Wood, the leader of Plaid Cymru, tore into Mr. Ed because of the way in which the Labour Party has so badly mismanged the NHS in Wales. This was something that was not actively pursued by Pienaar and Co., no doubt because there is now strong evidence to show that the Labour Party cannot be trusted with the NHS in Wales. You silly girl Leanne, if you continue in this vein, you will become as much of a pariah in the BBC studios as any Conservative minister!! Similar evidence exists as regards the way in which the Labour Party in Wales has continually capitulated to the teaching unions, thus undermining a once proud and effective state education system there. Nevertheless, the Labour Party is leading the opinion polls in Wales at the moment, which brings me back to the old saying in South Wales, namely, if you put a donkey up in the Rhondda as the official Labour Party candidate it would still romp home with a huge majority! None of this is ever mentioned by the BBC’s so-called Welsh correspondents.

    Some reference was made to the strong performance of Nicola Sturgeon in last night’s debate, but not too much, as this might of course have unwelcome repercussions for the Labour Party in Scotland. However, the Breakfast Programme did point out that La Sturgeon’s performance was well received south of the Border as well. This does not surprise me, as most of the electorate do not read newspapers or even watch the news programmes, and therefore tend to view the Leaders’ Debates in the same way as they would The Voice and Strictly Come Dancing! This confirms what I have always susupected, that the majority of the British public are nowadays too dim-witted to realise thast if La Sturgeon and Co. get to form an informal coalition with Mr. Ed and his pals, then it is “curtains” for the United Kingdom as we know it.

    May I finish with wishing all the contributors to this site a happy and peaceful Easter. By the way, how many of the British public still realise that Easter is a religious holiday, or merely an opportunity to look at next summer’s travel brochures? Answers on a postcard …

       14 likes

    • I Can See Clearly Now says:

      ‘… if La Sturgeon and Co. get to form an informal coalition with Mr. Ed and his pals, then it is “curtains” for the United Kingdom as we know it.’

      Iain Martin – Tory insider – says the Tories are working moves of their own:

      What should be plain now is that the Conservatives are working unashamedly for an SNP victory in Scotland. They actively want the Nationalists to wipe out Scottish Labour because that way lies the road to Tory victory in the rest of the UK….

      This is where the UK appears to be headed, towards a form of federalism and full fiscal autonomy for the constituent parts of the UK. If Cameron is leader of the largest party he can say after the election that it is time to settle the constitution once and for all in a deal with the SNP.

      The Tories are working for an SNP victory

         3 likes

      • Essex Man says:

        Excellent as soon as the socialists ,north of the border leave us the better . The English taxpayer subsidise , Mrs Krankies mob , a sort of local Foreign Aid . Anyhow Foggy I think its the kippers too ,who are helping us to purge England of the West Lothian Question . Voting ukip will ensure Mllipeed gets more seats in England , therefore the SNP will put the Millipeed in power . Mrs Krankie will then demand from Millipeed , more money , autonomy , & cancelling ,or the removal of Trident from Faslane . The only thing he can do, to stay in power is ,Give ,Give & Give , until the cupboard is bare. You have not ,thought this through. Even Herr Farage , your hero says ,Scotland should get no more from England .Once rid of the Scottish problem , the Conservatives will be able to rule England for years. Fantastic .

           2 likes

        • Rufus McDufus says:

          I’ve been thinking the same thing. If Labour form a coalition with the SNP, the SNP’s aim is to secede from the union and so they will make ever increasingly ridiculous demands on Labour and Labour will have to comply. Labour will be so unpopular by this time that they will be slaughtered at the next GE. If the Tories get in then it is very likely that SNP support will increase leading to a second referendum and independence.The SNP can’t lose either way.

             0 likes

  32. stuart says:

    nigel farage won that debate hands down.he was right when he said he was surrounded by 6 other politacaly correct establisment dodgers who was to scared to address the real issues like immigration and the massive problems and social division that it has brought to many citys and towns in this country,shock horror,the pc lefties of the bbc and the media establisment even had kittens when nigel farage polinted out that it is not right that us taxpayers should pay for treatment to bring foreigners over here infected with hiv,what was wrong with that.it was plain comment sense,thank god we have nigel farage and ukip i say,he rattles the cage of the pc brigade and that cant be anything but a good thing in my book.

       16 likes

    • Manonclaphamomnibus says:

      Point missed on this discussion is that is was a fashion show.
      Did Farage talk well ? Yes he did .the unfortunate thing was he could only come up with one thing foreigners with of course failing to mention how many Brits are raking social security in Europe. apparently it dead easy to get in Germany and France.
      Having just the only policy really is the limitation.His little chat about education was amusing particularly given his own,but nonetheless was an indication of the real amatuer nature of his campaign .Having said that the others didn’t particularly do a great job. Best bit was the heckler who made to obvious and yet incitful observation that they were all lying.
      And why wouldn’t they.How can you explain macroeconomic theory to a bunch of people that frankly only want to get through the next week with food on their table,keep their job and not get more taxed than they already are.
      Yet macroeconomics will determine the outcome and you can follow the rich ,if you are rich and ride it to the end or you can follow the rich if you are poor and ride it to the end. That’s the choice but don’t expect anyone to tell you.they are too busy with their makeup and lines.(Lies)

      Btw for those that want to know about BBC bias check out a recent study called Is the BBC in trouble? Published by Abrahmis. Yes folks is a proper study.

         1 likes

      • I Can See Clearly Now says:

        … failing to mention how many Brits are raking social security in Europe. apparently it dead easy to get in Germany and France.

        Odd, then, that chancers work their way from the sunny Med to a camp outside Calais…

           9 likes

      • Nibor says:

        That’s up to the Germans and French to sort out .

           3 likes

        • Manonclaphamomnibus says:

          You missed the point. But that was to be expected.Personally I have no time for benefit scrounges except for the old. Viva the triple lock and good riddance to everyone else,disabled etc

             0 likes

  33. Matthew says:

    I didn’t mind Leanne Wood because it was good that someone was there to call Labour out on their incompetence in their Welsh “fiefdom”. Ed looked terrified whenever she quizzed him. Not that I’d ever vote Plaid Cymru if I was living in Wales.

    Sturgeon has now been appointed as the new saviour of the British left (see ‘Clegg 2010’). They never learn, do they? Sadly none of the other leaders knew enough about Scotland to quiz her on her record, given that she was actually the longest-serving minister up there.

       10 likes

  34. Dover Sentry says:

    There appeared to be no conflict between Farage and Cameron. But Clegg and Cameron were like a bitter and twisted divorcing couple.

    Are Cameron and Farage shaping up to form a coalition in May?

    Farage mentioned the unmentionable. He reminded everyone that Scotland received far higher benefits per head than Wales or England and paid for by tax-payers e.g. free higher education and prescriptions. He suggested that no more such money should cross ‘Hadrians’s Wall’. Sturgeons face said it all….not something she wanted to be reminded of!

    All but Farage fought with each other to convince how reasonable they would be in minimising cuts to reduce the deficit.

    Farage’s answer to balance the books was to stop overseas aid (Save £10bn per annum) and leave the EU (save even more). And of course use Hadrian’s Wall as above.

    The priceless comment of the night came from Bennett of Greens. She said that overseas aid must be increased to reduce wars and make the world safer. Oh, and Global Warming is the most…blah blah….

    Milliband had spent too much time practicing in the mirror his delivery. He stupidly mentioned Zero Hours to score over Cameron, but Cameron reminded all that 50 Labour MPs used Zero hours for their employees. ‘Practice what you preach’ said a smug Cameron.

    I don’t see the event changing anyone’s voting intentions.

    ..

       10 likes

  35. George R says:

    “Media man turned candidate helped Sturgeon prepare for TV debate”

    [Excerpt]-
    “When SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon arrived at ITV’s studios near Manchester to prepare for the televised seven-way leaders’ debate on Thursday, former broadcaster John Nicolson was among her team of advisers.

    “The advisory role was another big step towards a new career in politics for a man who enjoyed a long TV career, starting at BBC Scotland before becoming a reporter on Newsnight and presenter on Breakfast News.”

    http://newsnet.scot/2015/04/media-man-turned-candidate-helped-sturgeon-prepare-for-tv-debate/?

       4 likes

    • Albaman says:

      Politician prepares for debate – be a bit of a shock if they did not!!

         1 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Great contribution after so long.

        Good job you left out Craig Oliver.

           0 likes

  36. George R says:

    “Most dangerous woman in Britain:
    As crowds hail her ‘Queen of Scots’ after TV triumph, Nicola Sturgeon tells Red Ed ‘we’ll call the shots now'”

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3024983/Most-dangerous-woman-Britain-crowds-hail-Queen-Scots-TV-triumph-Nicola-Sturgeon-tells-Red-Ed-ll-call-shots-now.html#ixzz3WHm5E8gs

       4 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      “All agree it’s Nic”

      Went well last time, too.

      Plus side, Alex Salmond must be basking in the adulation being afforded.

         0 likes

    • Demon says:

      More like “Queen of Tots”.

         0 likes

  37. George R says:

    “Ed Miliband urged to make clearer case against Nicola Sturgeon.
    “Labour leader warned he needs to sharpen up his act against the Scottish first minister and her SNP, as she was ‘let off the hook’ in Thursday’s TV debate.”

    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/03/ed-miliband-urged-to-make-clearer-case-against-nicola-sturgeon?

       4 likes

    • Albaman says:

      Go on George, instead of posting other people’s giveaway not post your own. Exactly how was N Sturgeon “let off the hook” and by whom – bearing in mind there were six others in the same room.

         1 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        ‘Go on George, instead of posting other people’s giveaway not post your own.’

        That’s another cracker, so it is.

           0 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      The Graun trying to nudge strategy with ‘Labour sources’?

      How long before Norman Smith starts running ”Labour should say…’ pieces?

         0 likes