636 Responses to START THE WEEK OPEN THREAD

  1. I Can See Clearly Now says:

    Not on The Six O’Clock News

    Muslim candidate assaulted and verbally abused in Bradford. Normally, these stories ‘run and run’ on BBC television news, but this one hasn’t been reported at all, to my knowledge. Why would that be? Answers on a postcard…

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-england-32284562

       19 likes

  2. G.W.F. says:

    Yolande bemoans the decline of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and hopes for a return to democracy in Egypt.

    ‘Yet many in Egypt accept the clampdown on the Brotherhood, believing it failed its test in power, and across the entire region the fate of this relatively moderate Islamist organisation has undergone a dramatic turnaround.’

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-32282860

       11 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Good word ‘relatively’, from the BBC lexicon.

         11 likes

    • Truthdoctor says:

      The muslim brotherhood supported the Nazis during the Second World War and supports violent islamic extremism today.

      According to its founder al-Banna, “It is the nature of Islam to dominate, not to be dominated, to impose its law on all nations and to extend its power to the entire planet”.

      The organisation’s motto is: “Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way.

      Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”

      I suppose the sharia-compliant, islamo-left BBC doesn’t see anything wrong with that.

         17 likes

    • George R says:

      For INBBC’s Ms KNELL, of INBBC’s Arabic Bureau in Cairo-

      “Willful Blindness to the Global Muslim Brotherhood Threat”

      http://www.newenglishreview.org/Jerry_Gordon/Willful_Blindness_to_the_Global_Muslim_Brotherhood_Threat/

         4 likes

    • deegee says:

      Muslim Brotherhood, moderate? It all reminds me of a conversation with a Rhodesian (as it was in 1972) friend. He explained Rhodesian politics to me as we have a right-wing party, a far right-wing party and an insane right-wing party. The far right-wing party can then describe itself as middle-of-the-road and moderate.

      It’s all relative.

         1 likes

  3. stuart says:

    we have imported pakistani paedophiles and terrorists into this country under tony blairs open door immigration policy and still the left and the labour party will let many more people like mohammed khubaib into this country if red ed gets elected,nick clegg said something very interesting today on immigration that quiet surprised me,he said there is good immigration and bad immigration,i think we know what bad immigration is here and that is paedophiles like mohammed khubaib and his types and these terrorists who constantly threaten us with there vile islamist never ending terror.now that is bad immigration i am sure we can all agree on.

       26 likes

  4. noggin says:

    “A group suspected of being a front for Islamic extremists claims it can control as many as 30 seats in the general election and boasts of acting a “kingmaker”
    Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend) has built links with both parties – and been chosen as an “official partner” by the Electoral Commission for May’s poll – after claiming to promote “democratic engagement” by Muslims.
    However, it is actually a facade to win political access and influence for individuals holding extreme, bigoted and anti-democratic views”.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11515630/Muslim-group-with-links-to-extremists-boasts-of-influencing-election.html

       16 likes

    • Chris P says:

      “However, it is actually a facade to win political access and influence for individuals holding extreme, bigoted and anti-democratic views”.

      Isn’t that a perfect description of BiasedBBC?

         8 likes

      • Angrymanupnorth says:

        Chris P.

        Your comment is senseless, as in, it does not make any sense.

        BiasedBBC is a website, where (as you demonstrate) anybody [who visits and can type] can express a written idea. How then could it be ‘a facade’? How can it ‘win political access’? How can it ‘win influence’? Are these things prizes? Could you direct me to where I might find ‘anti-democratic views’ on this site, so I can have a (polite) row with them?

        This is a web site. It can only be read, by a small number of the worlds population and is contributed to in such a delightfully chaotic way, by fewer. As I said, your comment was void of any semblance of sense.

           20 likes

  5. #88 says:

    BBC News at Ten coverage of Miliband’s manifesto launch was notable, once again, for their use of the IFS commentary.

    The IFS you will remember have become the BBC’s newest best friends happy to fully report their critique of the Tories spending plans.

    When it comes to Labour, the BBC satisfy themselves with some sort of benign neutral commentary (something that is a feature of many BBC stories when Labour are in trouble).

    So, although happy to show an interview of the IFS’s Paul Johnson telling the nation that Miliband might be able to balance the books without cuts, sometime in the future, the BBC mysteriously edit out his next, damming words; ‘Literally, we would not know what we were voting for if we were going to vote for Labour.’

    Is it any wonder that more and more people don’t trust the BBC?

       15 likes

  6. Framer says:

    Note how the BBC UK news website is totally ignoring the Guardian opinion poll putting the Tories 6 points ahead.

       12 likes

    • Chris P says:

      I would be surprised if any media organisation provided a running commentary on every single poll – especially as they are varying so much.

      Just a few days ago the Guardian ran a front page saying something like’ the day the polls changed’ when a few showed Labour pulling away. Within a couple of days they’re now writing about a 6 point Tory lead.

      Aggregated, the last few polls still show the main two parties pretty much neck and neck. The concern for many UKIP supporters will be that their ratings are steadily declining. Polls are as anonymous as electoral votes, so this is quite strange.

      Blair moved Labour to the centre ground and Cameron has done the same with the Conservatives. It seems that UK citizens don’t seem to want right wing or left wing as they’ve voted for centrist parties since 1997 (and 1992 in reality) – this does not augur well for the Greens or UKIP.

         6 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        “I would be surprised if any media organisation provided a running commentary on every single poll”

        Especially in the Graun, which the BBC hardly ever cites.

        Any thoughts on the BBC also not mentioning the money sound bite from the IFS in their edit?

        Take a moment to think it through.

           6 likes

      • Thoughtful says:

        “Blair moved Labour to the centre ground ”

        No. Blair gave the appearance of moving Labour to the centre ground while actually moving to a new far left.

        Mass immigration and wrecking the economy are of course the hallmarks of Old Labour.

           12 likes

        • johnnythefish says:

          Well said. Add class war and a massive boost of their client bases in the public and benefits sectors.

             5 likes

        • regag says:

          There is very little to be found on the BBC with regard to Blair’s speech, made a few days ago, proposing a self elected ‘world leaders club’ formed of ‘ex-statesmen’ to advise and direct those he perceives as his (and their) political underlings.
          ‘Democracy is important.’ he said. ‘But democracy is not on its own sufficient.’
          Democracy alone isn’t enough for Blair and his fellow totalitarian-minded socialists because their form of ‘uber-democracy’ is anti-democratic and is the form that the BBC is propagating daily and where freedom of speech has been reduced to the level of dirty words. The BBC and Tony Blair stand eye-to-eye in this respect and both seek a strangler’s grip on the throat of democracy in the UK.
          We have an opportunity, in the upcoming elections, to let our politicians know what is important to us. If we don’t take it now we may find the chance has passed us by.

             8 likes

          • johnnythefish says:

            He already has it – The Club of Rome:

            https://recyclewashington.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/unraveling-the-club-of-rome-part-1/

            So, what exactly is the Club of Rome and who are its members? Founded in 1968 at David Rockefeller’s estate in Bellagio, Italy, the CoR describes itself as “a group of world citizens, sharing a common concern for the future of humanity.” It consists of current and former Heads of State, UN beaureacrats, high-level politicians and government officials, diplomats, scientists, economists, and business leaders from around the globe…..

            I have been tirelessly talking about Agenda 21, so I hope that people are aware of this little nugget of legislation by now. It was the outcome of the Club of Rome, a think-tank that provides ‘suggestions’ to the United Nations. We are currently seeing all these ‘suggestions’ coming to fruition as current legislation bombards us daily as America is being radically transformed. This transformation is no accident, and it is not aimless nor mindless. It has been carefully construed and orchestrated. It is the work of the Club of Rome.

            Which takes us neatly onto ‘climate change’ and the IPCC…….

               7 likes

  7. Geoff says:

    BBC Points West tonight ran a fluff piece where a Burnham-On-Sea confectioner had placed sweets coloured in the party colours on the counter and encouraged customers to place the sweets in larger jars labeled with the party names to indicate their preference.

    It looked as if the blues had the most, but completely ignored the point that visually the purples had the second largest amount, preferring to just highlight the blue and red jars.

    Bias by omission?

       29 likes

    • Number 7 says:

      BBC Points West.

      No need to go further when discussing lefty bias. I met one of their radio/TV presenters some time ago and he expected some sort of hero worship.

      Suffice to say, he was disabused of his assumption.

         13 likes

      • Chris P says:

        Which one? I’m from the West and watch Points West.

           3 likes

      • Geoff says:

        Paul Balthrop?

        I went to a UKIP meeting last year in Bath, he was more interested in the great unwashed protestors outside rather than what Farage had to say. Needless to say his broadcast report reflected that as well.

           19 likes

      • Number 7 says:

        I forget his name – definitely not worthy of recollection-:)

           2 likes

  8. Nibor says:

    Two Rooms ,radio 4 Wednesday 20 .00

    I’ll lay money to any takers that this will show that middle class older people are comfortably off and young people are saddled with debt and can’t get housing .
    Paradoxically the older people will not be cosmopolitan and the young people more accepting of immigration.
    I might not be able to hear it so please keep me posted if I’m way off the mark .

       11 likes

    • Merched Becca says:

      Simples Nibor, Simples.
      Most of the younger people have been brainwashed and have spent four of their prime years in ‘uni’ studying for stupid ‘Micky Mouse’ degrees and building up debt because they ‘took a year out travelling’ . Whereas most of the older people got a real job when they left school and the only year they ‘took out’ travelling abroad was spent serving the country under National Service which really was cosmopolitan .

         29 likes

      • johnnythefish says:

        I know of one girl who left ‘uni’ with the usual student debt but managed to graft in a bar and save enough for a 3 month ‘gap’ holiday in Australia, NZ and the Far East.

        That was 2 years ago. Hasn’t worked since.

           11 likes

  9. Angrymanupnorth says:

    What? 3 Lib Dem Councillors defect to UKIP?! Within 3 weeks of a General Election!

    And its reported on the BBC!

    No – not on the Election page (BBC ‘all across’ politics in this election). No – not the News homepage. No, not the ‘England ‘page. You need to accidentally happen onto the ‘Somerset’ page, which is in the /Regions/South and Southwest sub-group.

    Biased BBC did report this – just about.

       27 likes

    • Number 7 says:

      Just helping:-

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-32283121

      Better view it quickly before it “disappears”.

         12 likes

    • Chris P says:

      I think that’s reasonable. They were just local councillors – 2 Lib Dems and 1 independent.

      A quick search across the BBC website shows that local councillors defecting from one party to the other seem to be reported in the local news sections. More significant defections – MPs and MEPs are featured more prominently and mostly in the Politics section, as they should.

         6 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        ‘I think that’s reasonable’

        Best up that to a belief; much more persuasive

        No sausage rolls were harmed in the making of this.

           16 likes

      • Merched Becca says:

        If a local UKIP councilor f**ted, you can bet that Al Beeb would report it, wherever he was from .

           16 likes

  10. barry says:

    Currently listening to ‘Wake up to Money’ on the BBBC. Hardly any mention of the Labour manifesto, no analysis no comment perhaps they are too embarrassed to comment. Bet they do a complete dissection of the Conservative manifesto tomorrow.

       9 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      “Bet they do a complete dissection of the Conservative manifesto tomorrow.”

      Laura seems to be well out the traps already.

      And dissected it should be.

      But not whilst ignoring or sugarcoating or ‘explaining’ the manifesto of the party who has promised the BBC protection like a mafia Don.

      And favours get repaid.

         13 likes

  11. Guest Who says:

    Hold. The. Front. Page!!!!!!

    Biggest story for the BBC on FaceBook:

    “Australian golfer gets bitten by crocodile”

    And the best part is they have livened it up with… emojis.

    Class.

       8 likes

  12. George R says:

    Who will win on 7 May?:-

    Islamic supremacists-

    courtesy of appeasement by political class (inc Labour, Tories, Lib Dems), and MSM (inc BBC-Guardian).

    “UK Pro-jihad Muslim group boasts: ‘negotiating with Tory & Labour leadership.’”

    BY ROBERT SPENCER.

    [Excerpt]:-

    “Both Tory and Labour leadership. As in the U.S., the collapse and capitulation of politicians is across the political spectrum. Why not just make Sufyan Ismail Prime Minister and be done with it? ‘Muslim group with links to extremists boasts of influencing election,’ by Andrew Gilligan, Telegraph.”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/04/uk-pro-jihad-muslim-group-boasts-negotiating-with-tory-labour-leadership

       6 likes

    • G.W.F. says:

      The comments below this article are interesting. People talk of citizen’s resistance to Islamic take-over, but as one comment says: it will be citizens against the politicians, the army, police etc. I would go further: at some point very soon I fear, violence will break out. Probably riots in our cities from settlers. There could be fatalities. The police will be sent in, but having no stomach for a fight against Jihadists, will capitulate and apologise. ‘Moderate’ community leaders will take over the cities and be praised and supported by the BBC. Then gradually, imposition of sharia in these areas, with resistance brutally suppressed. Further riots, further consolidation and the army will be deployed but ordered not to shoot, and basically stay out. At this point the BBC will be going wild about the oppressed condition of muslims and articles with photos of little Ahmed outside of his burning home will be employed to establish guilt of a handful of UK patriots. Meanwhile, thousands of Islamists will arrive from Europe like red ants entering the open borders, probably consolidating a foothold in Scotland before travelling south. Left wing academics will head off to the US and the safety of US campuses where they will misinform students about the causes of Britain’s defeat. King Charles will recognise sharia, and the Muslim Council will double with Parliament until the latter is disbanded.

         27 likes

      • Bagel nasher. says:

        And I will be observing this tragedy from Israel because we are the canary in the mine…. and it has already started.

           12 likes

      • ManchesterLad says:

        Thank you for this sobering, if somewhat gloomy prediction. I hope you are wrong, but fear there is more truth here than most would want to admit.

        I think any initial bridgehead will be established around the Blackburn – Leeds central belt though, rather than Scotland.

        The home office should be announcing that in any future riots the army will be used to shoot looters and rioters. As you say, they will never do this, and will probably be forced to give out leaflets about how we all love moderate Islam and would they please rape our daughters rather than destroy property.

        Our current crop of politicians seem to be systemically unable to predict outcomes from their policies. It will be the death of [hundreds of thousands quite possibly] of us.

        Mind you, always remember diversity is good as we like a good choice of restaurants!

           23 likes

        • Leha says:

          Who would have thought there would be a need for a Crusade in the 21’st century?

             10 likes

      • More Like The Soviet Bloc Every Day says:

        Yeah, it’s kind of interesting to speculate what will happen. Violence and strife seem inevitable. What we can see is that the kindling is being piled higher and higher and at some point a spark will set it all off. It might be explosive or it might be a slow burn. The real question is what happens then? It all depends on how compromised the various institutions are. As we can see there is a lot of penetration in many different levels of power, but how many of these are useful idiots “just following orders” and how many are fighting for the other side? The situation isn’t hopeless yet, there could be a coup d’etat or a civil war rather than simple suppression. You just don’t know. What I do know is that the more the Muslim population is allowed to grow, the worse it will be. Exponentially.
        Edit: Oh yeah, the most encouraging thing is the peaceful political pushback all over Europe that is growing. people are aware and are trying to do something. So take heart from that people!

           17 likes

      • D1004 says:

        Looks like the future British version of the IRA will be busy then……………plenty of ex service people willing to stand and be counted I’d imagine.

           4 likes

      • johnnythefish says:

        The police will be sent in, but having no stomach for a fight against Jihadists, will capitulate and apologise. ‘Moderate’ community leaders will take over the cities and be praised and supported by the BBC. Then gradually, imposition of sharia in these areas, with resistance brutally suppressed.

        The process has already started. There are Muslim areas in the north where the police won’t go, leaving discipline to the ‘elders’. The spread of sharia law in these and other areas speaks for itself. So it will happen anyway, whether violently or through stealth.

           8 likes

        • dave s says:

          That we and other people are even considering that events might take this turn is alarming. Unprecedented in fact in this country.
          I grew up in a country that now seems to be as if a dream in a distant past.
          What has the elite done to England and why? Never in our long history has anything like this happened. We have had civil wars and strife a plenty but that was strictly amongst ourselves and that ended long ago.
          Sometimes I think that the future is somehow leaking into the present ( alright I know it sounds far fetched but let me go on) and that so cataclysmic is it in Europe and the West that ripples are already coming into our world. Who knows? Maybe the conditions that lead to a dystopian future are already clear to some of us.
          Yet another reason to embrace reality rather than live in the liberal fantasy .

             15 likes

  13. johnnythefish says:

    Nice easy ride for the Greens on Today this morning.

    Consider some of their policies:

    – Open borders

    – Zero growth target

    – National wage for everybody

    – Abolish the army

    – Abolish Trident

    – Human rights for animals

    – Energy supplies to be reliant on ‘sustainables’

    – 60% top rate of tax

    etc.

    Any subset of which is guranteed to bring the country to its knees economically and socially as fast as you can say ‘Where’s Natalie?’

    Rich fodder for trademark BBC endless interruption-style challenges let alone interviewer tones of snorting disbelief.

    In reality: Would they ban the Grand National? Do they see themselves as libertarian? Would they support to Labour cuts in a coalition? (Labour WHAT?)

    UKIPs policies are pretty much the opposite of the Greens and they get constantly ridiculed and challenged.

    Why so different?

    And for those 80% of people who rely on the BBC for their news, are they any the wiser about the real Green Party Manifesto? Do they really know what they’ll be voting for?

       29 likes

    • George R says:

      The Green Party’s bizarre Manifesto today serves useful political purpose for Beeboids in enabling them to relegate the Tory Party Manifesto.

         13 likes

    • Barlicker says:

      There’s a rumour from the Green Party care home that Nutty Nat actually knit the manifesto herself using her own hand-made yoghurt, a few moonbeams and a sprinkling of fairy dust.

         17 likes

    • Phil Ford says:

      The Greens apparently want to ban fracking in the UK, too. This doesn’t surprise me at all. A vote for the Green Party is a vote against human progress ‘cos, well, ‘nature trumps all’, doesn’t it? Including humanity.

      F**cking disgraceful.

         17 likes

      • G.W.F. says:

        Nothing in the Green Manifesto on requiring stunning prior to Halal slaughter. Someone told me that Hussein the Muslim apologist interviewed the Green Pixie this morning but kept off the subject. Worth checking.

           20 likes

        • johnnythefish says:

          I heard the whole interview and she did keep off the subject.

          Apparently Marr at the weekend asked her the same question about the Grand National – 3 times. Never realised preserving a horse race is so much more important than protecting our borders. But then the BBC need a smokescreen so the real Green agenda doesn’t get an airing and have decided relentless challenging about The Grand National just about fits the bill. And they think they’re being clever.

             13 likes

    • Geyza says:

      Actually, the Green party can easily afford all these promises. No, seriously. They are the only party which want to take the power to create money away from private banks, so that they can create money out of thin air for the common good.

      They are literally employing a kind of money tree to fund their rather loopy policies.

         0 likes

    • 60022Mallard says:

      If the Green Party call you might ask them whether, if they existed in the 1840s, they would have as vehemently opposed the building of the railways they seemingly love so much, as they do new roads.

      Surely a horse and cart and stagecoach would have been deemed sufficient by them then, and now probably

         1 likes

  14. George R says:

    For INBBC:-

    Miliband-Labour Party-Islam-Rochdale-Syria-Islamic State.

    “Rochdale Labour councillor’s son arrested for trying to reach Syria returns to UK.
    “Waheed Ahmed, who was detained in Turkey with eight of his relatives, is due to arrive at Birmingham Airport on Monday, Simon Danczuk MP says”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11531700/Rochdale-Labour-councillors-son-arrested-for-trying-to-reach-Syria-returns-UK.html

       11 likes

  15. D1004 says:

    I think we’ve all been a bit stressed lately, what we need is a good laugh.
    Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you a good laugh, enjoy !

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3038067/Incredible-footage-shows-ISIS-suicide-bomber-s-car-explode-MID-AIR-vehicle-blasted-skywards-seconds-driver-s-IEDs-detonate.html#readerCommentsCommand-message-field

    Curiously not seen anything on this on el beeb.

       22 likes

  16. Umbongo says:

    Further to my comment of yesterday concerning the editorial decision of BBC London “news” to highlight, with barely disguised approval, the appropriation of land near Runnymede by foreign squatters, the Times [paywall] this morning revealed that the squatters in question are an offshoot of Occupy London. This is the Labour front organisation supported, through inordinate uncritical publicity, by the BBC and its favourite cleric Giles Fraser. Accordingly, the politically biased motives behind otherwise inexplicable editorial decision-making at BBC London are confirmed.

       26 likes

  17. D1004 says:

    Green Party launch of manifesto going tits up on R5, questions are being asked at the launch but no microphones are working 🙁
    The Baggie fan in the studio bales out of this rubbish and go to a beeboid live in Bristol talking to locals about voting intentions. Intro ” I’m standing in a culturally rich part of the city ( wot ? Where the Somalli rape gangs live ? ) and talking to students Fleur and Henry”, Obviously real locals Fred and Doris were too busy for this bollocks, surprised she didn’t talk to “local” Omar.

       32 likes

  18. Dave666 says:

    Thy have a new presenter on Homes under the hammer, so instead of having two presenters they have 3. Wonder why?

       11 likes

    • Geoff says:

      Not seen the program, but if its because its of ‘enrichment’ it wouldn’t surprise me, as the new presenter would have something in common with nearly all those who purchase such auctioned properties, especially up north…

         17 likes

  19. Sres says:

    I enjoyed R4’s interview with Theresa May this morning. *tongue in cheek*

    There was half an attempt to trip her up on some manifesto claim and then the rest of the interview was set aside to line her up to take the helm when David Cameron steps down.

    Awful interview and she did pretty well to negotiate the minefield of disjointed questioning.

       15 likes

  20. Guest Who says:

    BBC Breakfast

    Thoughts? The Australian government says it wants to stop benefits for parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. But is it right for the state to intervene? http://bbc.in/1JDFcDW

    I share mainly for the interesting spectacle of the BBC asking if it is right for the state to intervene… on transmittable health matters, as opposed to, say, self-imposed stuff like booze, sugar, everything else the BBC likes meddled with by Ed, NGOs or Nat, etc.

    Comments interesting. A few anti-vaxers struggling to scream ‘rights!’ but if JonDon was pitching this as another Abbottack he was wise to stay anonymous.

    As it happens I find the policy a bit odd as it permits a financial override to exist, which negates the protection commitment surely?

       9 likes

  21. noggin says:

    She tripped herself up, yet another Tory, and its half baked, soundbite policy exposed, it is no wonder that, they spent so long in their self deserved wilderness … so thoroughly inept its embarrassing.
    … negotiate the questioning? you mean evade and obfuscate?
    you enjoy that then?, they “deserve” to just keep lying then?
    … oh dear

       3 likes

    • ManchesterLad says:

      You have a point. Incompetent beyond measure.
      But what makes you think Labour are any better?

      The current crop of politicians are self-serving egomaniacs who certainly are not serving the country at the moment. Do you see anyone currently rising up with any sense of conviction?

      It is very depressing.

      Even if you believe in Farage, he is no more use than a bottle of lemon juice in a major fire.

         4 likes

      • noggin says:

        … and sadly I ve just heard the next Tory crash and burn
        on Childcare fees, as the Tory B/S meter hits 11, (on 5Live Drive), so incompetent, so utterly inept, that even Beebots can tie them in knots

           1 likes

      • Angrymanupnorth says:

        Hi MancLad.

        Its not about Farage. Or Carswell or Woolfe or Evans or James or Nuttal or…… The country needs to wake up and sort itself out. For this to happen, the LibLabCon needs to be smashed. Its corrupted beyond repair. How else can real and useful citizens have a chance to come to the fore and remind the institutions of the state who they are paid to serve?

        I met Rob Butler of UKIP recently, who is standing as UKIP PCC in Huddersfield. Meeting a UKIP PCC as open as Rob was really reassuring. Top bloke, libertarian, science teacher and family man. UKIP gives him and others who will speak their minds a platform.

        I’m voting UKIP.

           22 likes

        • ManchesterLad says:

          Agreed, mostly. Though I’ll be voting UKIP mostly out of hope and desperation. I hope they would provide something better, I despair there’s nothing in the other parties worth my support.

          It’s possible I may vote tactically Libdem though, as I would prefer to keep Labour out, if possible.

          On the other hand, the advantage of Labour getting in is that they may lead to more strife more quickly. I think whatever s**t comes to the fore, it will be better sooner rather than later, and Labour are probably more likely to bring that about.

             9 likes

          • Mark says:

            This had happened before. Harold Wilson formed a minority govt in Feb 1974 and had to go to the country eight months later when he won with a majority of only three.
            We all thought yet another GE was on, but Wilson quit in ’76 and Callaghan eked out a LibLab pact which saw a full term.
            We cannot as yet guess how much damage five years of Miliband, Balls and their union pals could yet do. My major fear is a return to high inflation as a Labour govt would simply print more money to tackle the deficit.

               4 likes

            • I Can See Clearly Now says:

              Labour inflated away their debt in the 70’s. I was a young man; I remember it well. Over twenty per cent a year for a couple of years. But, in reality, Cameron is playing a similar trick today to reduce the size of the debt relative to GDP by running a Ponzi scheme with immigrants. And there’s no downside; just the end of a successful culture developed over a thousand years. Dave knows most folk prefer to have their benefits and pensions underpinned rather than worry over such trivia. Personally, given a choice, I’d take inflation again. The country could recover.

                 6 likes

  22. Doublethinker says:

    PM tonight. Over the weekend the BBC was very unhappy that the Conservatives were offering more money than Labour for the NHS .Tonight the Conservative offer on Childcare has again outraged the BBC because this is a traditional Labour issue. The Right to Buy announcement is a long time highly successful Tory policy and the BBC didn’t like it then and don’t like it now. After all the BBC don’t want even more people who own their own house and don’t rely on the state quite as much.
    Childcare is a real problem for the BBC because it is another Labour issue that the Tories have no right to muscle in on. So Eddie Mair tries to attack the announcement but he didn’t get much success in his interview with Mrs Patel , who did well. From his near hysteria it is clear to me that the BBC think the Tories have stolen a couple of big marches on flat footed Labour.

       16 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      Still on PM. The BBC then tried their usual mocking of the Tory announcements by running silly bits from the 70’s ‘Good Life’. Then they used their fact tracking ‘analysts’ to run the rule over the Right to Buy announcement who resorted to the long discredited anonymous ‘experts’ to rubbish it.
      So they must think that these announcements are seriously bad news for Labour.
      By the way just to be clear I am not sure that I think that these are good policies but I am just looking at the BBC’s hysterical reaction to them. Of course if they were Labour announcements the BBC would no doubt be supportive, how could they not be of such leftist progressive policies?

         24 likes

  23. ID says:

    PM R4 informs us of another “story of hope”. Bradford synagogue saved by caring Muslim community. Jewish population has been dwindling for some time for some reason so synagogue was not getting enough cash. My heart was warmed to know that intercommunal strife is now at an end in our glorioisly progressive multicultural society. There could be no other outcome as a highly oxymoronic Head of Childrens’ Cohesion and Diversity was also involved. Cohesive diversity and diverse cohesion? Maybe there is a Head of Circle Squaring involved too.

       20 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      I wonder if that’s the same Head of Circle Squaring who used to work for The Green Party.

         6 likes

      • ID says:

        I suspect he/she has been busy writing the Green Manifesto. Obviously each manifesto lays out the goodies to benefit party adherents and clients. Evil capitalists are catered for by the Tories, Labour do their best for benefit junkies and, as the BBC reliably informs us, the Greens are prioritising mental health.

           6 likes

        • ManchesterLad says:

          This reminds me of an [unintentionally] funny Green party leaflet I saw.

          LOVE ANIMALS?
          VOTE GREEN

             6 likes

    • Mark says:

      There will be no hope for Bradford’s Jews if that piece of toxic DisRespect waste is standing as candidate there.

         9 likes

    • Nibor says:

      There’s probably a department that fights belligerency .

         3 likes

  24. Guest Who says:

    OT, but can I guess the problem of thread weeding has been solved by creating a blank ‘Anonymous’ substitute rather than a jumbling obliteration?

    Merely in passing I note that by definition, all BBC Spokesmen or Women are of course ‘Anonymous’.

       10 likes

  25. SR says:

    This is hilarious – Robert Peston, not even trying to write a balanced report on the Conservative Manifesto. He just picks 4 things he doesn’t like, and critiques them. Many of the comments on there point out the obvious bias. He later updates his blog, because clearly a senior Conservative party member called him up and told him he totally missed the point.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32303686

    You can compare that to his review of the Labour manifesto:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32291251

       12 likes

  26. SR says:

    And whilst I’m at it, Nick Robinson’s reports on the Labour manifesto:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32288498

    And the Conservative manifesto:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32303134

    The Conservative manifesto apparently “does not spell out is who will pay. Which budgets will be cut (police, colleges, councils…)? Which benefits will be stopped? Whose taxes will be raised?”.

    And the Labour one did, Nick?

    On Labour, he says this:

    “His mission as your prime minister would, he said, be simply summed up: I will always stand up for you. It was one of the most powerful speeches I’ve seen him make.”

    Much more skeptical with the Conservatives (emphasis added):

    “The question after this manifesto launch is raised by David Cameron’s own rhetoric – do you really see him as leader of the workers’ party? Do you believe that the Tories can deliver the Good Life?”

       18 likes

  27. AsISeeIt says:

    Early afternoon today a BBC-ette mic-in-hand was out for a quick vox pop on the Tory right-to-buy policy.

    Why on earth we get so much vox pop from the BBC is hard to fathom – unless one takes the uncharitable view that it’s cheap, looks democratic, and is oh so easily twisted to the approved narrative.

    Of course at that time of day you weren’t going to get many out and about ‘hard working people’ as they like to say.

    The choice of venue for BBC day time vox pop had me sniggering.

    Hampstead Heath, no less – the very venue Ed Miliband chose for his former perambulation for inspiration in search of worried British voters.

    ‘Gareth’ I believe was the nice young man our Ed bumped into.

    “A stroll on Hampstead Heath appears to have inspired Ed Miliband’s conference speech as he quoted from chance conversations in the park with software worker Gareth, chef Xiomara and two students who wished he was the actor Benedict Cumberbatch”

    Link to Guardian (pass the frittata) : http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/23/labour-party-conference-gareth-ed-miliband

    A shocker of a speech never again to be mentioned by the BBC but it obviously made an impression and gave them ideas for a good vox pop venue. A case of ‘predistribution’? (Labour to BBC) Predistribution is something Ed used to like to say…

       14 likes

  28. johnnythefish says:

    Back to the ‘global warming spells the end of fish and chips’ story posted earlier.

    And it’s the usual ‘inconvenient facts’ you never hear on the BBC:

    ‘The laughable thing about this study is that they don’t seem to be aware of real-world variables, such as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and its effects on fish stocks, either anecdotally from the fishermen, or from the recent peer reviewed literature, “Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) modulates dynamics of small pelagic fishes and ecosystem regime shifts in the eastern North and Central Atlantic….’

    http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/04/14/oh-noes-fishy-modeling-study-says-fish-and-chips-to-disappear-in-the-uk/

    Roger and out!

       15 likes

  29. johnnythefish says:

    Here’s something else from the Watts Up With That website which makes you wonder why our ‘impartial’ BBC, with so much information at its fingertips on the internet, fails to ‘educate and inform’ us about the real state of ‘climate science’ (IPCC version) and in particular the need to take account of natural variability.

    The article is basically an open letter to US Senators and questions the obsession with failed climate models and asks why they continue to be funded when they do not incoroprate real world, natural variability factors.

    The fact that the IPCC has focused all of their efforts on “understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change” is very important. The IPCC has never realistically tried to determine if natural factors could have caused most of the warming the Earth has experienced over the past century. For decades, they’ve worn blinders that blocked their views of everything other than the possible impacts of carbon dioxide. The role of the IPCC has always been to prepare reports that support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels. As a result, that’s where all of the research money goes. The decision to only study human-induced global warming is a political choice, not a scientific one.

    As a result of that political choice, there is little scientific research that attempts to determine how much of the warming we’ve experienced is attributable to natural factors. We know this is fact because the current generation of climate models—the most complex climate models to date—still cannot simulate naturally occurring ocean-atmosphere processes that can cause Earth’s surfaces (and the oceans to depth) to warm for multidecadal periods or stop that warming.

    ….The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) relies on climate models to attribute global warming and climate change to emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases and to simulate how climate might change in the future based on estimates of future emissions. But climate models are not simulating Earth’s climate as it exists now, has existed in the past, or might exist in the future. The climate science community understands this well, but few persons outside of that close-knit group have the faintest idea that climate models are not simulating Earth’s climate.Also from that quote above, we can see that the language of the IPCC reports was intended to support an international climate-change treaty.

    That treaty is known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It was signed in 1992, a year after the IPCC’s First Assessment Report. That timing is very odd, because the results of that first report were inconclusive, inasmuch as the climate science community could not differentiate between natural and anthropogenic contributions. This put the U.N. in a precarious position. They had a treaty in place to limit emissions of greenhouse gases but it was without scientific support. Thus, each subsequent politically motivated report had to increase the IPCC’s certainty that greenhouse gases were the primary factor driving global warming. Otherwise the UNFCCC was dead.

    Because the objective of the UNFCCC treaty was to limit the emissions of manmade greenhouse gases, and because the goal of the IPCC was to prepare reports that supported the treaty, it safe to say the IPCC’s sole role is simply to write scientific reports that support a politically motivated want to limit greenhouse gas emissions. I underlined the word want for a reason. Because climate models are still not simulating climate as it exists on the planet, the IPCC has never truly established there is a need to limit emissions.’

    http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/04/14/open-letter-to-u-s-senators-ted-cruz-james-inhofe-and-marco-rubio/

       16 likes

    • Richard Pinder says:

      Scientists, mostly Astronomers, Henrik Svensmark, Nir Shaviv, Ned Nikolov, Karl Zeller, Ed Fix, Carlo Tosti, Nicola Scafetta, Paul Vaughan, Ian Wilson, Enric Palle and Piers Corbyn may have an idea of how to correct the Computer Models to “correctly simulate climate as it exists on the Earth” and even other Planets. And most of these Astronomers are paid by the taxpayer to do Astronomy, with a solution to Climate Change coming as a bargain bonus. And I don’t think they really need much more funding than usual.

      ALL THEY WANT IS AN END TO CENSORSHIP

         17 likes

  30. Merched Becca says:

    Thousands more migrants heading this way –
    Britain is facing housing crisis and needs quarter of a million new home to be built .
    There is nothing that this government or the EU can do, or will do, to prevent this country being swamped . How many from Lybia are checked for security ? How many are IS terrorists ?
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32311358

       16 likes

  31. Geoff says:

    BBC democracy in action, UKIP candidate snubbed in bBC debate…

       31 likes

    • Angrymanupnorth says:

      Biased BBC in all its overt and resplendent glory.

      An affront to the democratic process. Again.

      All those standing in the constituency should be given a fair and equal opportunity to speak and be heard. Public broadcaster? LibLabCon facilitator more like.

         21 likes

      • Chris P says:

        That’s not quite true.

        I’ve met Caroline several times and unfortunately she has very low support in the Stroud constituency, where I live. The Green Party are very popular in Stroud – that’s why they were at the debate and UKIP weren’t. The English Democrats have about as much support as UKIP in Stroud – very little.

        In other Gloucestershire constituencies UKIP are far more popular and will doubtless be invited to these debates whereas the Greens wont.

        Caroline is a pleasant enough lady, but she has much to learn. I attended a residents meeting protesting about an unwanted housing development recently – non political – and unfortunately Caroline hijacked it and gave a highly political speech, which didn’t go down at all well.

           12 likes

        • Geoff says:

          Isn’t that all a bit presumptive? That what I hate about this country, just like the fact that its assumed that he PM is going to be just one of two. Not too dissimilar from the bBC Question Time special with just the three ‘main’ leaders taking part.

          Its a bloody closed shop sublimialy telling the voter that only one of these can win, how are things ever going to change if other parties are never given fair exposure?

          I also hate the notion of ‘safe seats’ high time we woke up before before its too late..

             6 likes

          • Demon says:

            I think we’ll find that Wee Eck will effectively be PM after this election due to Cameron throwing away Conservative chances of winning outright. Plus Miliband hasn’t got the wotsits to stand up to the Fishies’ demands. The prospect is alarming and frightening – thanks Cameron.

               8 likes

            • Essex Man says:

              How can , it be Cam`s fault , the Scottish hate , the English , both Tory & Labour . Labour`s answer is to join up with the SNP , & give em what they want . English Cash .

                 1 likes

        • johnnythefish says:

          Chris – is your impressive knowledge of politics across the county of Gloucester the result of journalistic employment? Or maybe you are yourself a politician?

          Just curious, you understand.

             3 likes

        • Angrymanupnorth says:

          An interesting response Chris P. One which indicates an unease at listening to alternative opinions and reveals your basic misunderstanding of representative democracy and the BBC’s legal obligations.

          It is not hard to get your head round so follow carefully: Elections are for the people (ie not political parties and not MSM) to choose a representative who will represent them in the HoC. (Within certain restrictions) everyone and anyone can put themselves forward (as a Candidate) to represent the constituents of a constituency. In order for the electorate to determine who will best represent them, each of the Candidates needs to get his message across. The BBC is a publicly funded broadcaster and has a duty to be impartial and has a job of work to do to give access to the people of their potential representatives (without bias and or favour). Therefore, once the date passes when Candidates have been confirmed, all should be treated by the BBC with equal attention, politeness and access. Who the BBC deem that each candidate may or may not represent is not relevant and presumptive.

          Should the BBC be broadcasting a hustings within the election period, it is catagorically unacceptable for the BBC not to invite all candidates. If you do not understand this, then you do not understand English history, or the basic meaning of democracy.

          This is why people blog on this site, because you are not alone in this misunderstanding. It is a feature of many BBC staff to be ignorant of basic issues associated with democracy, truth and justice.

          I’m not sure what you perceive to be ‘not quite true’.

             7 likes

  32. Thoughtful says:

    Very interesting article on http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/ about the different effects polling methods have on results.

    “So all three companies who have been showing a Tory lead are done by phone, all the online polls have been showing an average Labour lead. ”

    With Labour vs Conservatives the difference between phone and online polls is a matter of a few points. With UKIP there is a vast gulf between the figures from different pollsters…

    The companies showing lower UKIP scores are all telephone. The companies showing higher UKIP scores are all online.

    there is a gulf of 9 points between the highest and lowest ends of the scale.

    There’s no conclusion drawn, except a report of the effect and a few possible reasons, however if people have been reporting that they intend to vote Tory when their real intention is to vote UKIP then it could have a major effect on the out come of the election.

       13 likes

  33. Cockney says:

    Bit bizarre that as traditionally the “feeling guilty” voters telling porkies to pollsters have really been Tories so you’d expect their score to increase in a more impersonal online poll, unless the “feeling really guilty” real ukippers have all felt the need to shift to Tory on the phone but can’t quite bring themselves to pretend to be labour…

       7 likes

  34. dave s says:

    The media is a disgrace. The word must have gone out. Marginalise UKIP. It seems to be working.
    The major parties are determind to keep control .Their manifestos are irrelevant rubbish competing to take take take and then give give give. The Greens are insane would be returners to the stone age and profoundly anti human and the Nats are just that -far left socialists . We are not being offered a real choice except for UKIP and that is what this appalling elite fears above all else.
    I have had quite enough of it and so have many of my associates. I hope the UKIP vote stays solid. It is a necessary corrective to those who have a real contempt for democracy and us.

       27 likes

    • Chris P says:

      I think that UKIP need to publish their manifesto soon as they’re getting drowned out by the noise made from the Lab, Con and Green manifestos.

      Why haven’t they brought one out yet? If they intend getting onto the front foot they need to sort it out. The media can hardly be accused of ignoring them if they’re not saying anything.

         5 likes

      • Just Sayin' says:

        Nigel Farage said at the start of the campaign he’d be releasing the UKIP manifesto as late as possible because ppl get bored to death of the election. He took a lot of stick from the press incl the BBC pinkos at the time for saying so

        Every time a leftist journalist interviews him from the BBC, he does get constantly asked that question. If youre going to comment on politics, do please keep up with events. The manifesto will be released later this week

           17 likes

  35. the heroic cat says:

    White police kill Black man; white police kill black man; my god white police kill black man… documentary after documentary, endless resources spent covering that.

    but it’s in a foreign country called America..

    you ever heard racist class hate BBC say.. Brown child molesters targeting under privileged white children, you ever saw a documentary by the BBC on the issue..

    this child sex slave trade is operating all around you..

    end lefty tv; end lefty tv; end lefty tv;

       34 likes

    • the heroic cat says:

      it’s a rosa parks moment; we have to get rid of lefty bbc tv; enough crimes have been committed and can’t be covered up any longer..

      so lets end lefty tv..

         21 likes

    • Chris P says:

      ” Brown child molesters targeting under privileged white children, you ever saw a documentary by the BBC on the issue.. ”

      The BBC made ‘Stolen Childhoods: The Grooming Scandal’ about Rotherham.

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04hcg6z

      It also made ‘Exposed: Groomed for Sex’ in 2012.

         6 likes

      • johnnythefish says:

        Blanket coverage, then.

        As I recall the BBC’s conclusion was nothing to do with religion and nothing to do with racism.

           5 likes

  36. The Lord says:

    Just heard on R4, and I kid you not, a month ago a man in the pub overheard a Ukipper saying Suzanne Evans didn’t understand UKIP’s immigration policy. We’ll be talking to Suzanne Evans about UKIP’s manifesto after 7’o’clock.
    Do you think anyone, who isn’t in the SWP, ‘buys’ this crapola.

       22 likes

  37. The Lord says:

    John Humphrys to some beeboid re UKIP’s manifesto, ‘guffaw, guffaw, can we presume this one isn’t full of drivel, ho ho ho’.
    Absolutely pathetic.

       32 likes

  38. AsISeeIt says:

    The news where you are…. and as far as BBC London is concerned the local news just wouldn’t be the news unless the headline item was some public sector outfit or other putting out the begging bowl telling us how vital to our lives they are whilst bemoaning ‘the cutz’

    No talk of ‘tory cutz’ here however, this story is about a dispute between Tower Hamlets council (that paragon of local authority probity and trust) and an arts-centre-type-thing or perhaps it’s a ‘happening’? Called “Rich Mix”

    So sadly for BBC sub editors there’s no ‘Rich Mix : Tori Cutz’

    But there is : “confusion over whether the funding was a grant or a loan”

    Get used to a lot of that sort hair-splitting viewers should Messrs Balls and Miliband ever get their hands on the nation’s finances again.

    Now a cynic might assume the BBC is bound to always bum up demands for more ‘arts’ spending.

    Or maybe the BBC is already special friends with Rich Mix?

    http://www.richmix.org.uk/latest-news/news/article/bbc-5-live-broadcasts-at-rich-mix/

    Inevitably – didn’t you just know it – Rich Mix is all about ‘diversity’

    http://www.richmix.org.uk/about/about-us/

    Oh, you thought Rich Mix was just for wealthy Irishmen?

    No, begorra, it is…

    “A hub for real artists from a diverse array of countries, let alone backgrounds”

    Don’t run away with the idea that the arts are something you chose for yourself and pay for as and when you want them.

    Such wonderful arts diversity doesn’t come cheap my friends; the players must have their pound of flesh

    http://lovingdalston.co.uk/2015/04/you-owe-us-shoreditch-arts-centre-tells-council/

    ‘Rich Mix has always been controversial. Setting it up early this century took £27 million of public money. The Hackney Road venue opened unofficially in 2006 and officially two years later.’

    Open not open – not quite ‘to be or not to be’. Note once again the dancing on a pin head – in fact such modern conceptual dance moves seem to be a speciality.

    ‘An official bribe – sometimes known as planning gain – given to the council by the developer of a nearby skyscraper, and approved for the arts centre, has yet to be passed over in full, says Rich Mix.’

    I’m guessing that’s a reversal – the planning gain is sometimes known as an official bribe – but I won’t go on that’s not a BBC report I’m quoting there.

    The BBC agenda and narrative is far reaching and it does set the journalistic zeitgeist….

    ‘Critics, however, claim that it is failing to reach out to the local Bengali community at a time when Muslim inclusion in mainstream culture is more important than ever.’

    Yawn yawn yawn.

       15 likes

    • The Lord says:

      God help us. If Labour get in, this sort of nonsense will be the norm.

         5 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      ‘Critics, however, claim that it is failing to reach out to the local Bengali community at a time when Muslim inclusion in mainstream culture is more important than ever.’

      Ah, those magical words ‘reaching out’. We are forever failures – our arms never seem quite long enough, somehow….

         4 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Maybe it”s in there, but are these critics identified, or more that nicely vague and amorphous blob that a journo with an agenda can project their story and personal biases onto?

      I would dearly love to hear such ‘critics’ debate counter-views as opposed to being offered a booth to gob off without fear of challenge.

         1 likes

  39. Dave666 says:

    Serious face time on the sofa this morning. Another NHS story. NHS faces a crisis as Doctors retire. Serious faces migrants drown. Over to some bint in Italy from pseudo charity save the children . Any one else to comment, no of course not. So who was it amongst those shouting the loudest to bomb Libya & overthrow Gaddafi. Wasn’t that the BBc of course some of us predicted exactly what would happen “Arab spring” now there is a phrase you don’t hear much on the BBc these days. “However, the latest numbers show that the EU’s policy of deterring people is not working, the BBC’s James Reynolds in Sicily reports.” the BBc web site tells us.

       26 likes

  40. Guest Who says:

    These sequential posts from Owen Jones rather telling:

    @johnboystirling No, under no circumstances do I advocate any vote for the Tories, who I want completely defeated

    @itiddly I was on the Beeb just yesterday

    Looks like Owen knows where best to meet his aims.

    Remember when Ed Miliband told the BBC they’d be safe under Labour?

       14 likes

    • Phil Ford says:

      “…Remember when Ed Miliband told the BBC they’d be safe under Labour?

      The BBC certainly do. Labour’s entire Election Media Campaign HQ now appears to be firmly ensconced within the BBC’s Central London bunker complex, spewing non-stop pro-Labour propaganda 24/7, in a very determined and conspicuous effort to propel comrade Special Ed and his fellow travellers straight into Downing Street on May 7th.

      It will be interesting to see how the hated Politburo ‘report’ on today’s UKIP’s manifesto launch. Keep an eye out for that mythical BBC ‘balance’ and ‘impartiality’..!

         19 likes

  41. G.W.F. says:

    Listen carefully to the BBC commentators on the UKIP Manifesto launch. Not merely for the loaded questions but for the inserted chuckle in the voice when asking the questions. It is usually inserted mid sentence giving the impression that any answer will be pointless as the facts already point in an opposite direction.
    Count the chuckles.

       28 likes

  42. Geoff says:

    Live on bBC Parliament now (10.15) the LibDems manifesto launch.

    Nowhere in today’s schedule for that channel mention live coverage of the launch of the manifesto of the party that is polling twice as much as the LibDems …

    What bias? The bBC really are trying to hush UKIP’s message.

       17 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      I’m not saying for a moment that this is right, but the argument they will use, is that the Fib Dems have more MPs, which is an argument based on past performance.

         5 likes

      • Geoff says:

        Always get to hear the Radio 2 2pm weekday news, this month I have been keeping a tab of the content of the first news item.

        When the news has led with the election, so far 71% first sentences have been Labour related compared to just 29% Tory.

        Hardly scientific, but if we followed the same logic, the Tory’s, because they are in Government should get more mentions? Just more of an indication of the bBC’s Labour bias.

        Will attempt to keep a further tab until May 7.

           25 likes

        • 60022Mallard says:

          Well done Geoff.

          It is information like that which effectively skewers the BBC.

          Some time ago someone on here analysed Newsnight’s selection of newspapers and headlines to quote.

          The Guardian featured first and most often, but until you count it up it is difficult to “prove” your gut instinct.

          A similar effort produced the “Interruption index” whereby speakers of different parties on, I believe, Today, were noted for the length of time they were allowed to speak before being interrupted by the presenter. No prizes for guessing which party was the most interrupted, and it was when they were in opposition! You tend not to interject if the interviewee is saying something you agree with and v.v. It may be subconscious, but it’s there and such research is extremely difficult to refute.

             20 likes

    • dave s says:

      Of course. UKIP is a nightmare for liberalism.Whatever happens in this very silly GE the sentiments driving UKIP are not going away.
      It is pointless now to expect a fair hearing for anything other than a view which fits the cosy liberal consensus. They really are some piece of work the liberal media. Arrogant and so sure of themselves. Wait and see what the future brings because it will not be the liberal dream future but something very different.
      In the meantime expect the liberal elite to turn to violence and oppression. Tyrants by inevitability.

         22 likes

  43. Thoughtful says:

    The very left wing moaners hour on radio 4 has invited Ed Milliband on for a cosy chat & party political broadcast. It’s a stunning moment when they tell him that ‘women’ (because the BBC Fascists speak for all of us !) don’t think he’s left wing enough !

    This should be counted as one of the Party Political broadcasts its so blatantly biased.

       23 likes

  44. I Can See Clearly Now says:

    The president of the European Commission has ruled out any treaty negotiations on Britain’s relationship with Europe until two years after the referendum promised by David Cameron yesterday.

    In comments that will infuriate the prime minister, sources close to Jean-Claude Juncker told The Times that there was no prospect of formal plans for treaty change until the end of 2019 at the earliest, with negotiations beginning the following year.

    Brussels vows to block Cameron on EU treaty

    It will be interesting to see what line the Beeb take on this, if they decide it is newsworthy.

       13 likes

    • Old Goat says:

      That nice Mishal Husain, whilst busily interrupting the wonderful Suzanne Evans, this morning, when she was outlining the UKIP manifesto (or trying to) said that Juncker had denied this, as Suzanne was telling us all about it, and was being shouted down.

         27 likes

    • Allen says:

      Just remind me, when did I vote for Juncker?

      Seems to have slipped my memory, or perhaps I was on holiday at the time.

         23 likes

      • johnnythefish says:

        The Grandmaster of Unelected Bureaucrats has spoken.

        Down on one knee and bow your head else do 500 revolutions strapped to a wind turbine.

           6 likes

  45. Guest Who says:

    In other news…

    http://tradingaswdr.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/first-find-your-strategy.html

    Speaking of Ed ‘the BBC is safe with me’ Miliband’s ex-colleague and fellow strategist.

    Nice to see the austerity at the top is at levels to really gel with Lord Hall Hall’s commitments. Anyone would think the BBC knows it’s secure and set to grow no matter what the outcome of the election.

    http://tradingaswdr.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/agency-staff.html

    ‘..when asked about possible agents working on the BBC payroll, he says “I’m not going to go there”. Not, you’ll note, “There were none”.’

    Surprised he didn’t pull the old ‘purposes of avoiding answering the question’, so beloved of our the national distrusted, opaque broadcaster.

       5 likes

  46. Guest Who says:

    BBC Radio 4 ‏@BBCRadio4
    Congratulations to @BBCr4today’s Mishal Husain who has won broadcaster of the year at the London Press Club Awards: http://bbc.in/1H6LvAc

    Wonder what there was too much of amongst the judging panel?

    http://bbcwatch.org/2012/11/22/not-enough-israelis-killed-by-home-made-contraptions-for-bbcs-mishal-husain/

    Mishal ‘let me give you the answer the BBC requires’ Husain. Worth listening to the piece again for the utter idiocy of her questions and naked agenda.

    That’s how you win awards, kids.

    Tim Willcox must be gutted.

       22 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      The Today Programme

      70 years ago today, British and Canadian troops arrived at the gates of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany.
      It was the first camp to be liberated by British forces.
      Mishal Husain spoke to one survivor with vivid memories of April 1945. Gena Turgel, now 92 – born in Poland, narrowly escaped being gassed in Auschwitz and arrived in Belsen after a death march across Europe
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02p644p

      I wonder if Ms. Husain got into any number-crunching with anyone on this trip?

         9 likes

      • noggin says:

        Anyone notice the deliberate “detached” attitude of Husain?.
        Compare that to dumpty Humphrey s straight after

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02p644p
        ps
        now, would she be so with … say over Gaza, when speaking to an Israeli spokesman?

           5 likes

        • deegee says:

          Someone should enter the BBC studios and shoot her with a Nerf gun at 60 seconds intervals. See how many foam darts would have to hit her before she completely loses it.

             0 likes

  47. George R says:

    Even more on ‘diverse’ Islamising England, for advocate HALL:-

    “4 family members arrested at Manchester Airport, suspected of terror offences”

    http://rt.com/uk/249821-four-arrested-manchester-syria/?

       8 likes

  48. George R says:

    For INBBC to censor?:-

    “Are BRITISH jihadists responsible for rape and torture by depraved Islamic State?

    “YOUNG girls are being systematically raped by Islamic State (IS) fighters with British jihadists likely to be involved in the depraved acts, according to a shock new report exposing the brutal regime.”

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/570614/Islamic-State-BRITISH-jihadists-rape-torture-young-girls

       7 likes

    • G.W.F. says:

      They probably are responsible. In Britain they can rape young girls without fear of police and the law – got to maintain community relations.

         17 likes

  49. I Can See Clearly Now says:

    One of the great injustices of British broadcasting is to be addressed. Midsomer Murders to get its first regular Asian lead character. Not only a tick for ‘ethnic’ but also a tick for ‘gender’. And a tick for ‘sexual orientation’? – who knows – we can only hope. A creator of the programme was nearly ripped apart some years ago for saying “It just wouldn’t work. Suddenly we might be in Slough … We’re the last bastion of Englishness and I want to keep it that way.” The vile creature had to go, of course, and now normal service has resumed. Isn’t it all just so wonderful?

       23 likes

    • Dave666 says:

      Thank God for that. Many a night I’ve laid awake at nights thinking why isn’t there an Asian lead character in Midsomer murders..

         18 likes

      • G.W.F. says:

        Will there be a murder in the Midsomer mosque?

           13 likes

        • Dave666 says:

          Child grooming and rape by men of Asian origin perhaps, Inspector Barnaby can liaise
          with Upper Codswallops social services. Sorry off topic it’s not the BBc.

             12 likes

          • Midsomer script department says:

            Wide shot pub interior.

            Ordinary, typical muslim man in tee shirt and jeans with ethnically mixed women and men playing darts peacefully and merrily together. Some are reading the Guardian and discussing BBC radio four.

            Long shot. Sinister music.
            We see a hideously white, middle aged man sitting at table with hate and intolerance etched on his balding features. He watches the scene over the top of a copy of the Daily Mail and a UKIP leaflet. Camera zooms to extreme close up of his bloodshot eyes.

            Cut to exterior crime scene, taped off alley behind pub. We see the muslim man lying on the ground. Police discuss the murder.

            “Looks like another case of islamophobia sarge”

            Etc

               5 likes

    • D1004 says:

      ISIS supporter returns from Syria ? Found dead on the pig farm. Oh the horror ! The Racism (wot?) killed by a local nazi white ex Battle of Britain pilot who won the VC and became no 2 to the evil Thatcher ? The plot lines dear, the plot lines, so many possibilities,

         3 likes

  50. Doublethinker says:

    Daily Politicstoday. The UKIP manifesto given virtually no coverage compared to the Lib Dems. What coverage there was was largely taken up by questions about which party they may support in coalition. So a party with twice the votes in the polls gets a much smaller allocation of air time by the BBC. How is that fair or democratic?

       27 likes

    • Geoff says:

      My point above!

         11 likes

    • 60022Mallard says:

      But a party the betting says will get around 25 seats against 3 and likely to be part of any formal coalition.

      First past the post is the way the game is played in the U.K., but it generally produces stable government. Proportional representation produces endless cobble ups for governments with the party providing the last couple of votes needed having hugely disproportionate say.

      Imagine what the Green loons would want for their twopence worth of support if you needed them for a majority!

         5 likes

      • D1004 says:

        A return to steam on the ECML ? Nah, obviously joking ! It will be a full on return of “roarers” all round. Or maybe Bullieds “leaders” ?

           1 likes

      • I Can See Clearly Now says:

        But a party the betting says will get around 25 seats against 3 and likely to be part of any formal coalition.

        We can see what you did there 60022Mallard! It’s what Isabel Hardman spotted from the Tories – ‘throwing a dead cat on the table’ to distract attention. Ofcom ruled that UKIP is a ‘major party’ for this election; the Greens are not:

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31906154

        You seemed to justify treating UKIP less favourably, but that would be breaking the law so I’m sure the Beeb would characterise the coverage somewhat differently! It’s obvious to me that UKIP coverage doesn’t get close to the Greens, not to mention the LibLabCon. Greens not UKIP on Question Time. Greens not UKIP on Any questions. Green manifesto in prime slots, UKIP relegated to the end and spoiled with idiot questions.

           3 likes