636 Responses to START THE WEEK OPEN THREAD

  1. Dazzy Boy says:

    I was watching the Kill the Christians documentary last night on BBC2 and thought Jane Corbin was giving a decent account of how Christians have been terrorised to almost extinction in the Middle East. A land where Christians and Jews lived for around 800 years before the narcisistic Prophet came up with his brand of evil. Just when I was thinking this was a surprisingly balanced piece of journalism by the BBC we got the usual BBC blame game, where they stated almost as fact that the American / British led allied invasion was the cause of the whole region being de-stablised. We were told that under the despot Saddam Hussein Christians were treated equally and were safe, and that there were no sectarian problems between Sunni and Shia. There was no mention that SH treated the Shia majority like second class citizens, and tortured many of the. There was no mention that he invaded Kuwait twice, there was no mention that he dammed the Euphrates river to make it infertile for the Marsh Arabs, there was no mention that he di use WMD killing thousands in Halabja. The BBC has selective memories. I suppose the documentary did highlight how barbaric and intolerent that Islam is.

       14 likes

    • noggin says:

      Yep! but don t forget … youtube/bbc trendy twitterfarties
      “women defends Muslim on train” from being offended, re talk of ISIS etc…. now that’s news …apparently
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-32335647
      I just switched over to LBC, without realising that its personality bypass, Toryboy, patronising “quare” Ian Dales show! …
      and he informs us its trending right now on the LBC website …
      he s amazed by the outstanding dignity, on show etc
      … that’s it! no more, off switch.

         2 likes

    • Odo Saunders says:

      A feature of this election is that none of the parties are mentioning foreign policy in their election addresses. So who cares about the persecuted Christians and other minorities in the Middle East? Did anyone read the report in the Daily Telegraph this morning about how Yazidi girls aged 8 to 30 were raped and abused by these Moslem monsters? Why is it that our politicians are not interested in the fate of these girls? Having read this report, I have felt greatly saddened and upset all day. Yet apparently all that the gutless and immoral British public wants to know about is how can they screw another short-term financial benefit from the government, a sentiment that is shamelessly pandered to by the BBC as well as our so-called political representatives. Instead of continuously moaning about the Bedroom Tax, the BBC and the mindless public need to turn their attention the plight of the teenagers abused by Moslem gangs in Rotherham and other places and to demand that some of the money currently wasted on foreign aid is directed to them, so as to enable them to re-build their lives. As President Kennedy once said, “…ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

         8 likes

      • G.W.F. says:

        Very true, but there really isn’t much interest or political debate about the girls raped by muslim gangs within the UK

           5 likes

      • IsItMe? says:

        You’d think Michelle Obama and other celebs could at the very least start a new twitter campaign: #pleasedonotrapeourgirls. After all, that was a great success for the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram…

           4 likes

  2. George R says:

    More about INBBC’s campaign to get its Muslim ‘migrants’ into Europe-

    ‘Sky News’-

    “Migrants Held For Throwing Others Overboard.

    “African Muslim migrants are held after witnesses say they threw 12 Christian passengers into the sea after a brawl.”

    http://news.sky.com/story/1466131/migrants-held-for-throwing-others-overboard

       5 likes

  3. Guest Who says:

    BBC News
    Hands up, who got their first choice of primary school?

    The BBC picture editors seem to be vying with the Guardian today to see how many Finnish nurses’ sprogs can be crammed into shot.

       5 likes

  4. Guest Who says:

    http://order-order.com/2015/04/16/miliband-forgets-the-deficit-again/

    Well, at least it spares BBC editorial and CECUTT dreaming up ways and excuses for not mentioning it either.

    The Labour website is also a less than easy to navigate effort too. Maybe just as well given what’s not on it.

       2 likes

  5. Geoff says:

    Off topic but its funny none the less, not the reply the champagne socialist was wanting.

       9 likes

    • Geoff says:

      No doubt his parents can now expect a call from the social services, with a view of putting him into care and program of re-education…

         14 likes

    • hadda says:

      Suddenly I’m warming to the idea of lowering the voting age . . .

         6 likes

  6. Glenn says:

    I am surprised no one has mentioned that appalling “interview” by Evan Davis with Cameron.

    I have never witnessed such a display of left-wing bias. Every “question” was just an attack from the left.

       7 likes

    • Wild says:

      His approach and tone in his interview with Ed Miliband will be quite different. It always is with Evan Davis, who makes little or no effort to tune out his political bigotries. Cameron was barely allowed to get a word in edgeways.

         8 likes

    • noggin says:

      Well …why?, how? does he deserve any respect?
      don t let him start his usual B/S?, don t let him filibuster?
      straight answers, or dog him … he deserves it.
      He couldn t lie straight in bed, there is simply no connection between the things he says and what actually happens.
      There is not even a connection between how he believes he presents himself – decisive, prime-ministerial – etc … and the reality of the inept, incompetent government he leads.
      The reason this soundbite, waste of oxygen is avoiding TV debates is because they involve rigorous and sustained scrutiny. Given that the carefully constructed image of this government could not be further from the actual truth of its ideological driven incompetence, he simply has to run scared, chicken out.
      Camoron’ s refusal to take part in the TV debates is just part of the toryboy pattern of avoiding scrutiny, this needs to be hammered home, tonight along with, the facts, as to why,
      ie their lies on the deficit, the rest of the economy, the NHS, jobs, the effects of their version of welfare. Immigration.
      The biggest … why? they can t tell the truth about any possible future tory plans?
      I know, the governments orchestrated plan, is to get squabbling
      between those in the debate, and heat off of Camoron
      … but If its done right it could bury him, and there should still be the “empty chair” to highlight his cowardice.

         4 likes

      • Merched Becca says:

        He’s afraid , very afraid of ‘The Peoples Army’ leader. I am surprised and amused that Al Beeb does not exploit this ?

           2 likes

        • noggin says:

          One can suppose that, to complete the No10 orchestration of this whole embarrassing charade.
          They will have those very people who have weasled
          out of this debate hilariously pontificating over it, at the end,
          The BBC ought to be ashamed … No10 want a Tory free debate, so after keep it that way … stick it to them on their lies, and no Tory/Lib commentators post debate

             1 likes

  7. George R says:

    “BBC to allow product placement on World News channel.”

    By Dominic Ponsford.

    http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/bbc-allow-product-placement-world-news-channel?

       3 likes

  8. Merched Becca says:

    Al Beeb is reporting a windfall of £1.3m for UKIP . Al Beeb is not going to very happy.

       8 likes

  9. Guest Who says:

    http://order-order.com/2015/04/16/1-3-million-facebook-views-for-savage-miliband-take-down/

    ‘Labour have managed to get Jo Brand to do their latest election broadcast.’

    Gosh, HIGNFY on early this week?

       9 likes

  10. Odo Saunders says:

    This morning on Radio Five “gets much worse” Live, Nicky “Gameshow” Campbell was greatly enthused about tonight’s opposition leaders’ debate. Why was this? Was he asked by his bosses to promote this meaningless debate, knowing as they do that very few sensible people would wish to waste their lives away listening to the banalities that will pour out of the mouths of the participants? According to John “Red” Pienaar, Mr. Ed has spent two whole days preparing for this debate, which according to his simple mind makes Mr. Ed obvious prime ministerial material. If he has to spend this amount of time preparing for a debate with opposition leaders, then clearly he is not up to the job. The so-called political content on Radio Five Live nowadayas is so banal as to make anyone turn off completely from this election. Clearly time to abolish the licence fee and to send “Gameshow” bck to the gameshow circuit. I rest my case!

       7 likes

  11. Dave666 says:

    The six O’clock news and someone from Save the children pops up yet again. “We can’t watch people drowning of the coast of Europe”.
    School places next somehow the reporter dumbs this down to the lowest level by somehow weaving the old woman who lived in a shoe into the story. Rising birth rates and immigration. Hang on a second rising birth rates caused by….. Yes school places reduced by immigration I think.

    NHS funding crisis. Now there’s a story we’ve never heard before.

       11 likes

    • D1004 says:

      Only they are not “drowning off the coast of Europe ” . As Pounce of this site has shown they are drowning a couple of miles off the Libyan Coast. If the Libyans could stop slaughtering each other for a minute they might be able to run a coastguard service of sorts, might even run a police force to stop the boats being launched. No, Europe is the victim here, being taken for mugs by all involved, the “refugees” , the criminal gangs, Libyan political groups, the whole bloody lot of them. It is because Europe is run by a bunch of political pygmies that this mess is happening. Not that the bbc and fellow common purpose groups will tell you.

         9 likes

  12. Merched Becca says:

    It is all starting to fall apart ! Shortage of school places and NHS in crisis .
    Al Beeb finally admits its due to immigration/migration (I am amazed! ) but dilutes this statement by adding ‘growing birth rate’ and aging population.
    More boatloads coming this way soon – what is our ‘so called’ government doing about this ?
    Vote UKIP

       15 likes

    • JimS says:

      Aging population?

      Didn’t you know that Birmingham is the ‘youngest’ city in Europe?

      Seventy-seven percent black or brown twenty-three percent east European too?

      Envision-Welcome-to-Birmingham1-640×425.jpg
      picture

         2 likes

    • feargal the cat says:

      The ‘growing birth rate’ is skewed. A shortage of Gar(r)ys and a surplus of Mo/u/hamm/i/o/uds. Perhaps some of the 8000 churnalists in the ‘Living Room Tax’-funded news and current affairs cubicle farm could find out why?

         3 likes

  13. Dazed & Confused says:

    Just turned on the T.V to a party election broadcast by the Labour party, but initially I assumed that it was BBC “comedy” because the disgusting Jo Brand was sneering on about voting Labour in her usual snide way……

       4 likes

    • Dave666 says:

      Saw that I didn’t comment as it’s not just BBc. Well when I saw I saw it I mean the minute or so I could stomach of it.

         4 likes

  14. hadda says:

    Bowen just can’t help himself.

    Nasty, sly little shit.

       7 likes

    • chrisH says:

      Quite right hadda.
      Heard this slimeball imply that the Israeli state was possibly a factor in the persecution of Christians in Palestine and other places in the Middle East.
      Heard him say this on the Today show a few days back, as Mishal Husein attempted to handle the need to “advertise” Kill the Christians with the need to speak of “certain minority groups” that seemed not to find favour with the Muslims.
      Let`s not mention the fact that the Jews and Christians were once NOT “minorities”-just allowed to live and worship in the Holy Land that Islam took for itself.
      Bowen may well have been lazy and clumsy-my wife thought so-But having heard Bowen over many years-he`ll not be unhappy to be smearing Israel en passant.
      Creep!

         12 likes

  15. logie bored says:

    BBC political correspondent Vicky Young interviews Mark Reckless prior to the debate, where Mark makes the point that Nigel Farage will take politics back to the centre ground. Cue Ms. Young tailing her interview stating
    “There we are, you heard it here, Nigel Farage taking politics to the centre ground”…. followed by smirk.
    Cut back to Ben Brown, who cannot help himself with a dismissive laugh. He of course was the hapless **** who got both barrels from Victoria Ayling (UKIP candidate) when he interviewed her in Grimsby. Truth still hurts obviously.

       15 likes

  16. Geoff says:

    Farage says social housing for British nationals only, next to no one applauds, so if (its a big ‘IF’ is a bBC audience remember) the audience is an accurate cross section of the UK, the vast majority are fully prepared to give up our housing stock to brand new arrivals?

    WTF?

       17 likes

  17. petebogtrott says:

    anyone notice how much time ed is having on the bbc debate

       6 likes

  18. Steve Jones says:

    Keep sticking it to the lefty ‘carefully’ selected audience Nigel.

    Appalling left wing bias of the BBC laid bare.

       14 likes

  19. Voice of the Mysterons says:

    The BBC is an absolute disgrace, a partisan audience again.

       17 likes

  20. The Beebinator says:

    what a disgrace the election debate is with its carefully selected SWP/UAF audience

    Nigel farage is up against 4 socialists, ones left wing, the other far left, then extreme left and finally loony left

       19 likes

  21. Lobster says:

    Just saw this on Breitbart
    20:43 Is the audience balenced???

    UKIP does not do well in London, it is far stronger elsewhere in England. Here is the audience selection policy:

    *******

    Format for tonight’s debate

    BBC Election Debate 2015

    4. There will be a live audience selected by a reputable polling company mainly from the surrounding region.

    *******

    That means they are from London, which is a separate BBC region to the South East (where UKIP is strong).

       16 likes

    • I Can See Clearly Now says:

      4. There will be a live audience selected by a reputable polling company mainly from the surrounding region.

      Well spotted! You’ve nailed it.

         9 likes

  22. Tommy atkins says:

    Terrible, terrible sound quality from the uk’s “premier” broadcaster

       6 likes

  23. Tommy atkins says:

    Dimbelby carefully interrupts farage at end of his speel to avoid any chance of applause.

    (Although with this audience he really need not bother)

       16 likes

  24. Steve Jones says:

    So three people who seek power think nuclear weapons are a waste of money because they can’t foresee them ever being used. What do these idiots think the word ‘deterrent’ means.
    The non-argument that nuclear weapons do not prevent all wars has also had an outing. Student politics writ large.

       18 likes

  25. Tommy atkins says:

    this audience is an f’in disgrace.

    But will it lead to many many more people realising just how bias the bbc is?

    It’s just that blindingly obvious.

       17 likes

    • lock13 says:

      This is a comedy show can UKIP send back the silly Welsh,Scottish and Aussie birds

         9 likes

    • Lobster says:

      Dead right Tommy. I think that was evident when Farage’s comment that the majority of people don’t want an International Health Service was met with stony silence. I don’t know ANYONE who would disagree with that statement of his.

         15 likes

  26. Al Shubtill says:

    BBC unfit to host a debate, an absolute disgrace – they have really shown themselves for what they are tonight.

       20 likes

  27. Alex says:

    Two very different takes on this incident, with the BBC being very misleading in their headline…

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32337725

    Now, the Express has a very different headline for the story…

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/570965/Christians-thrown-overboard-by-Muslims-sailing-to-Italy-to-claim-asylum-in-EU-say-police

       7 likes

  28. petebogtrott says:

    david dimblebum just said that the NHS wasnt included in this debate that we’ve chosen.So the cat been let out of the bag.The questions have been picked by an BBC/Mentorn bods.

       13 likes

  29. Robin says:

    Can’t believe what I’m seeing on the BBC debate. Its an absolute farce, a left wing love in as the BBC sit there and gloat.

       15 likes

    • Steve Jones says:

      Robin,

      Sadly, I can believe everything I see and hear. If the BBC audience is truly representative of the whole of the UK then the UK wants unlimited and uncontrolled immigration, no effective defence, medical treatment given to foreigners ahead of Brits, no attempt to pay off the national debt and Wales/Scotland having a disproportionate say in UK politics. Somehow I don’t think that is what the majority of the UK population wants.

         16 likes

  30. Angrymanupnorth says:

    Wow ! 20.50Hrs BBC1. Rigged audience! I’m shocked!

    Cheers and name check between Leanne Woods (Plaid C) on BBC debate after Dimbleby had denied the audience being rigged. Also, just beforehand, when Natalie Bennett summarised about the Middle East (and gave a sterling living example of “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing”), a gaggle of ‘supporters’ yelped their support.

    The audience is shipped in and didn’t read the ‘keep it down’ memo.

    It seems that Mr Farage is the only non-fantasist. The only one who can even talk about 300,000 extra people requires x0,000 new homes. What a state our politics is in. The economic incoherence of Ed, Leanne, Natalie and Nicola is depressingly breath-taking. Basic supply and demand. And their faux concern for the poor is sickening considering the impoverishment that would result from the implementation of their ‘policies’ (a term I hesitate to associate with the incoherent ramblings I am being offered.)

    And Nigel isn’t the one who wants to hoover up skilled Liberian/Malaysian/Nigerian Doctors and nurses who mustn’t have sick people to attend to in their own countries. But that’s the nasty, inherently immoral LibLabConGreenSNP idea of foreign aid! Nick all their doctors and send them some aid money that we don’t even have! LibLabCon are people farmers, farming our work through taxes and inflation and bribing corrupt governments, so poor people in our country suffer and poor people in foreign countries suffer.

    Should we not clean up our own back yard and start training our own young people before we ‘help’ the rest of the world, by depriving Liberia/Malaysia/Nigeria of their desperately needed and highly skilled citizens?

    And Special Ed is going race baiting. What a waste of skin Ed Miliband is. He has learned his art well. Divide and rule!

    In case you didn’t realise. I’ll be voting UKIP

       23 likes

    • 60022Mallard says:

      “In case you didn’t realise. I’ll be voting UKIP”

      Really.

      I would never have guessed it, if you had not told us how many times is it now?

         0 likes

  31. Tommy atkins says:

    Only the bbc could get itself an audience from London that is not only left wing, but one which supports the SNP more than Milliband!
    Even the Labour Party will be complaining about bbc bias.
    This is the BBC’s Stalingrad moment.

       18 likes

  32. David H says:

    Watching tonight’s debate, its Nigel vs the rest. He’s way above the rest wrt to honesty, common sense and standing up for the interests of ordinary people, who weren’t remotely represented in the audience!

       20 likes

    • Lobster says:

      I couldn’t help but notice the people asking the questions
      1- White woman
      2- White woman
      3- Black woman
      4- Black man
      5- White man

      How very BBC.

         11 likes

      • Steve Jones says:

        Notice it was a black man who asked the entirely reasonable question that immigration was in danger of putting public services at risk. The left loves to split everything along lines of race and can’t grasp the concept of someone who is not white being a patriotic Brit. How disgustingly racist of them.

           12 likes

        • Angrymanupnorth says:

          I noticed the first questioner, but the gender and skin tone of the others passed me by.

          The first questioner was a pretty young lady with fair skin and light auburn hair. She asked about the debt. The national debt.

          To summarise for that young lady, UKIP acknowledge the problem and given the opportunity will act to cease the increasing debt burden that continues to be accrued by LibLabCon (to maintain their power). LibLabConGreenSNP will continue racking up the debt until many more of the population will be ‘poorer’ and unable to live comfortably in a home that they aspire to make for themselves.

          Young people really should vote UKIP. And go do a science degree paid for by the taxpayer!

          The Future’s Bright! The Future’s Purple!

             9 likes

          • 60022Mallard says:

            “The Future’s Bright! The Future’s Purple!”

            Do you really think we are going to get a national coalition between red and blue parties after this election?

               0 likes

  33. Tommy atkins says:

    Are they dubbing in applause?

    Call me Mr Conspiracy theorist but are the audience not clapping when there is load sounds of clapping?

       6 likes

  34. Al Shubtill says:

    Natalie Bennett tells us she came here as an immigrant and loved our country and way of life so much, she became a British citizen. If that’s the case, why does she want to flood it with immigrants and completely transform it?

       18 likes

    • Angrymanupnorth says:

      She actually said that she ‘chose to’ become British. This makes no sense to me. Surely she should be ‘invited’? Otherwise, we could theoretically have the population of the entire world make this choice. I don’t think the NHS could cope!

      Total arrogance and nonsense from Natalie Bennett.

         15 likes

      • JimS says:

        AD 212
        In orbe Romano qui sunt, ex constitutione imperatoris Antonini cives Romani effecti sunt – Those who are in the Roman world, are made Roman citizens by the consititution of Emperor Antonius

        AD 2012
        A migrant is a Briton who doesn’t live here yet.

           7 likes

  35. Tommy atkins says:

    A very green audience.
    A very orange dimbleby.

       11 likes

  36. Steve Jones says:

    Apart from Coco the green clown, they all said they wanted to control immigration. This means they all agree with Nigel Farage who they all vehemently disagreed with. Only career politicians can contort themselves like that.
    Wee Jimmy Krankie’s efforts to cosy up to Milliband by inferring that, as distasteful as the prospect of working together was, they had a duty to keep Cameron out was political opportunism at its most cynical. If Krankie had a shred of decency she would be ashamed of herself.

       13 likes

    • Angrymanupnorth says:

      No chance. She’s Teflon coated. Shame lies elsewhere and always.

         8 likes

  37. Cockney says:

    Farage comes across as a pretty reasonable bloke and has a great delivery. I’m as metropolitan elitist as they come and I think the EU referendum idea would a spectacular catastrophe on every level but I can see his appeal. His misfortune is that the collapse of the hard right means ukip attracts a 10% hardcore of nut jobs and racists thus alienating 50% of its potential support.

       1 likes

  38. Tommy atkins says:

    The one time I attended a Question Time recording in person, the recording took place between 9.30 and 10.30. Which must mean that dimbleby will be using the same bleeding lefty audience for another 1 hour of unbiased shat.

       7 likes

  39. The Old Bloke says:

    Every party has their racists and nut jobs, social media is telling us that now. To be honest, from where I sit, the Labour Party are the biggest racists out there. Why anyone would vote for this shower is beyond me..but then I’m not a racist.

       13 likes

  40. I Can See Clearly Now says:

    Sky News just now: Faisal Islam to Adam Bolton – something like ‘The audience didn’t represent the centre-ground of British politics.’ Cited response on nuclear disarmament, etc.. Remarkable. Dig at the Beeb? Maybe.

       9 likes

  41. I Can See Clearly Now says:

    Robin Brant is well exercised by Richard Desmond’s donation to UKIP. He posted a sarcastic tweet about the Express writing a ‘Farage won it’ headline for tomorrow’s paper before the debate began. Very funny. Brant would be better employed wondering how Beeb headlines are written. Their ‘Miliband won it’ headline for tomorrow was written the day Mili junior stabbed his brother in the back. The ‘… beam in your own eye…’ verse comes to mind.

       6 likes

    • Angrymanupnorth says:

      Judge not and ye shall not be judged. Acquit and ye shall be acquitted?

      Face your judgement Brant! You are biased! Do your job right to earn an acquittal!

         4 likes

  42. Dover Sentry says:

    BBC report on Debate:

    –“UKIP leader Nigel Farage has accused those attending the BBC’s election debate of being a “left-wing audience” before suggesting “the real audience are sitting at home”. —

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32337937

       8 likes

  43. Angrymanupnorth says:

    BBC. Political bias. BBC 1 about 2225Hrs.

    Rita Chakrabati and some ‘worm’ expert telling us that Ed Miliband is coherent on immigration?? (WTF?) and Farage is of course divisive and nasty. That is political science, BBC style. And the boffin guy’s got glasses and a title. Thanks for that BBC, I now know how I ought to be thinking.

    This is bias. The premise of the discussion between these two lefty troughers, is measuring the emotional response (rather than considered response) of a selected (randomly of course) section of the population (no pressure on them then). And the scientific conclusion? That people think the british taxpayer should finance social housing (and lots of it) for non-British people, when British people have a housing shortage? Could you make this nonsense up? Do they even engage their brains? Either the BBC science sucks, or the sample of people have lost their sense and contact with reality.

       8 likes

  44. Matthew says:

    That picture of Sturgeon, Bennett and Wood closing in on Ed to shake his hand at the end was particularly gruesome. It reminded me of the three witches in Macbeth when they told him he was going to be king. The shape of things to come? Cameron better get his finger out.

       10 likes