Midweek Thread 22 April 2020

It’s a month to the day that Boris Johnson made his TV appearance announcing the ‘ lockdown ‘ and that ‘ people will die ‘ . Seems a long time ago . Since then the Biased BBC has been unrelenting in broadcasting bad news and criticism of the Government . We can but dread what effect this has had on the mental health of the UK .

Today is a big day for the Far Left BBC . It is Lenin’s birthday . Taxpayer funded Champagne For the comrades in Broadcasting House .

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644 Responses to Midweek Thread 22 April 2020

  1. Sluff says:

    First?
    Wow.

    My virtue-signalling diary is getting fuller and fuller.

    Clap for Carers
    A minute’s silence for NHS worker deaths.
    Singing Happy Birthday to Captain Tom.
    And now there’s more.
    Sir Lenworth Henworthy no less is telling us how Children in Need and Comic Relief are joining forces for a must-watch BBC event.
    It’s more and more like Room 101.

    Soon there’ll be no time for anything else.
    Such as to think independently.
    Which is of course what they don’t want us to do.

       116 likes

    • BRISSLES says:

      Excellent stuff Sluff ! Room 101 love it !

         35 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Backlinks to previous thread
      page 4 started 8am Tuesday
      page 3 started 6pm Monday
      (that’s the one I’m reading now. I am so far behind)

         8 likes

    • Stevie m says:

      My theory is the government is deliberately taking a pounding from the BBC, so that when this mess is all over then they can justify the killing off of the bustards. Let’s hope its latest Cummings masterstroke

         22 likes

  2. Burgsey says:

    Just to help kick things off, I see that Laura continues NOT to learn, further stupid questions at today’s briefing. Also entertained by Peston forgetting to unmute his computer before asking his stupid question!

       57 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Interesting thread, again evidencing just how dire the MSM is.

         55 likes

      • Northern Voter says:

        Is she getting her orders from labour HQ, or the Guardian speaking newspaper?

           16 likes

      • lojolondon says:

        This whole “EU Scheme” thing is entirely fake – the EU doesn’t make any PPE – all they are going to do is buy equipment from manufacturers (both inside and outside the EU) and get it delivered. Very unlikely this will happen faster or cheaper than going direct, and extremely likely that some products will be chosen for some reason that does not interest the UK, so, once again “better off out than in”.

           4 likes

  3. JimS says:

    Just write it here because there is nowhere else; sadly isthe bbcbiased has gone down the Disqus route so its pages will be filling up with trolling twits with their multiple identities and singular views.

       31 likes

  4. taffman says:

    “Coronavirus: Deaths at 20-year high but peak may be over”
    So what happened twenty years ago , we didn’t go into lockdown then ?

       51 likes

  5. Sluff says:

    Well I never.
    The EUBBC and MSM have been scenting blood over the claim that the government took a political decision not to join a panEU PPE scheme. Not that that ought to be an issue, even if true. But I digress.

    It turns out the civil servant in question is banged to rights and has fessed up.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52369916

    What a surprise. The government undermined by senior civil servants.

    I think the phrase required is ‘Drain the Swamp’

       66 likes

    • taffman says:

      ‘Heads should roll’ – Boris better get tough or Nigel Farage will be back.

         35 likes

    • JimS says:

      Well it sounds like the EU civil service didn’t speak to the UK civil service so the UK politicians aren’t to blame for not joining the scheme.

      But our Laura won’t let it lie: “McDonald says that there was a ‘misunderstanding’ and ministers weren’t briefed by UK mission in Brussels – but doesn’t say whether ministers were briefed on it by anyone else.”

      McDonald also didn’t say whether Boris’ Italian hairdresser might have mentioned it in passing either.. the negative possibilities are endless but it does give Laura a chance to throw a kick at Boris.

      I am a bit dubious about the benefit of the EU procurement scheme anyway, manufacturing capacity isn’t unlimited so putting in a bigger order might mean waiting longer for it to be completed and we might not have been top of the list for delivery anyway.

      Also it is a myth that buying in large numbers gets lower prices. An order from the whole of the EU can only be fulfilled by a large company, possible only one large company and they can set the price. Small orders can be placed with many companies and they will be keen to get the business.

      The EU procurement process isn’t fast anyway, they will have had to post notices throughout the Union and wait for responses. If there is more than one bidder there could well be complaints from the unsuccesful bidders and that can get very political if a nation feels that their country has lost out – national feeling trumps the EU everytime.

         53 likes

      • Sluff says:

        Jim
        With logical and eminently sensible comments like that, one thing is certain.
        You’ll never get a job in the civil service or NHS as a buyer.
        Having closed deals with public and private companies for many years it was clear that the tenacity and homework and negotiating skills of the buyer were always more important than mere order size. Company owners, who had a direct financial stake in the deal, were particularly tough.
        A tick-box paper-pushing jobsworth in the NHS? I somehow think rather less so.

           17 likes

      • tarien says:

        I would most definitely be more than dubious about the benefits of the European procurement scheme Jim. The incompetence of those in Brussels would use the procurement scheme as a way of pushing a closer EU/UK link situation. As has been shown these past few days the UK is quite able to meet all its medical equipment needs. There are hundreds of manufactures ready and prepared to meet the requirements. Why on earth do the Government procurement divison consider it necessary to seek supplies form Turkey, China (for heavans sake) and India. We must use our own people and not trust anyone else no matter.
        It appears the Imperial College London have made a major breakthrough in developing a vaccine to combat the Coronavirus-various trials are being undertaken now but in a small controlled way. Let us pray this will be available to us all very soon.

           17 likes

      • The General says:

        As I have posted elsewhere, if we had been part of the EU procurement scheme, would they now be demanding their ‘share’ of the PPE just delivered from Turkey?

           5 likes

    • lojolondon says:

      This would be the moment the liar starts to look for a new job – if Boris had the balls!! – send a very important lesson too!!

         0 likes

  6. MarkyMark says:

    It’s all turning out nice for 2020 … 1984 … 2020 … 1984 …
    148e334b242e6a3950d78f0c4f968ae55443c72ac30b3e787a04d65985710ae2.jpg

       20 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      MM, our NHS has many obese, clinically obese and morbidly obese workers. Have been told the stats but sorry cannot remember them right now. It appears the US Health System is the same: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52359101

      It must make working efficiently more difficult but also make it more likely to have time off work due to illness, make the worker more likely to catch infections and in the case of Covid-19 infection and other serious diseases, be a threat to life.

         29 likes

    • JimS says:

      Stuck in my house with not much else to do but convert flour, sugar and fat into eatables hasn’t done much for my weight control.

      Walking and swimming both burn up the calories, as well as cutting down the time available for converting flour, sugar and fat into eatables.

      We might ‘save the NHS’ but condemn the survivors to a life of obesity and diabetes – well done Neil Ferguson!

         34 likes

      • Deborah says:

        Where you getting the flour from – none available from supermarket delivery? No deliveries seem to be available either unless you have the NHS letter – and which I am pleased to say I haven’t received but as an asthmatic, I am not going out. Do you think if I phoned Laura K she could make a story out of it?

           17 likes

        • Up2snuff says:

          Deborah, in general terms ie don’t give away an address or anything else that you do not wish to reveal, which part of the country are you in? County and town (if large) or geographical part of county will do.

             1 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Jim, you are allowed to exercise outside. You are really unlikely to catch anything germ-wise except on the most windless of days and then only in range of an infectious person.

        Or am I missing something about your situation?

           1 likes

    • Kaiser says:

      love the they live reference
      rip mr piper

         8 likes

  7. Nibor says:

    Crisis . State of emergency . Essential travel only . Stay Home . Protect lives .
    But still allow bogus asylum seekers to arrive here , be allocated sparse (?) PPE to look at them , and then what ?

    Come on , get real

       66 likes

  8. taffman says:

    A multi choice ‘O’ Level question for Al Beeb news policy team………..

    The UK has many foreign health workers . Why do you think this is ?
    Chose one of the following answers ……………..
    a) They feel the need to come to the UK to help us out.
    b) Former colonials inherent duty to the British Empire.
    c) A well paid job with benefits much better than their own country.

       83 likes

    • EUTV says:

      taffman,

      d) To join the fight against racism and xenophobia

         33 likes

    • Ian Rushlow says:

      taffman

      f) Saves the government the expense and bother of training our own staff. Far easier to plunder staff from countries such as the Phillipines, Thailand, Poland etc, who’ve already made the investment.

         36 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Newsnight is on it, going straight where the stirring is at its peak…

        #CCBGB

        Recall many diverse staff at my parent’s care home. Mostly great, and for sure not paid well, but medically trained. Almost all walking diabetes factories.

        Just saw a ‘nurses protest’ outside the WH, and the spokeswoman selected exceeded our widescreen.

           38 likes

    • Sluff says:

      ……..but O levels (well GCSEs) have been cancelled this year.
      Which means they don’t want you to answer questions like that…………..

         7 likes

  9. BRISSLES says:

    My blood pressure always rises when listening to the lefties on Press Review, and hearing the words disastrous, monstrous, outrageous etc when answering the ‘egging on’ questions by the presenter. Tonight it was almost pleasurable to hear measured and sensible responses to the clearly prejudiced questions asked by Anna Jones, by Stephen Bush of the New Statesman and Kate Andrews of The Spectator – (sorry its Sky not BBC), but instead of saying the government should burn in hell, there were reasoning answers we all know, that it simply isn’t only the UK who aren’t coping with equipment needed its a global crisis. Blood pressure remained steady.

       52 likes

  10. Up2snuff says:

    Slightly Worrying Department

    1. The ONS are very late with today’s statistics
    ~ or ~
    the BBC are late putting them up.
    2. Johns Hopkins Uni is messing about with the charts and interactive that they make available
    ~ or ~
    it is the BBC doing it.

    One of the most important things with a Virus situation such as this is being consistent with the way information is presented. The BBC do have form on obfuscation as do some of their favourite causes, such as ‘Remain’, the Labour Party, Greens/ AGW/CC/XR, etc..

       22 likes

  11. Celtic_Mist says:

    An eagle-eyed viewer rumbled the BBC –

    Screen-Hunter-144.png

       49 likes

  12. Celtic_Mist says:

    I’m not at all sure what is going on here

    The bottom line is correct though we didn’t get anything from EU

       16 likes

  13. StewGreen says:

    Why hasn’t Richard Burgon replied to this Andrew Neil tweet ?

       31 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      The answer would be population size: 8.something (nearly 9m) versus any number you like from 67m to 80m in UK.

      plus

      Geography that spans 280 miles approx top to bottom, not 800 miles.

         5 likes

  14. StewGreen says:

    9am R4 More Or Less
    – We compare Covid-19 rates around the world.
    – Headlines say NHS staff are dying in large numbers, how bad is it?
    – And is it just us, or have the birds started singing really loudly

    … It’s supposed to be a maths science show I wish the BBC would stop putting in non-maths stuff

       19 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Then at 3:30pm Similar topics are raised
      “- There’s been a lot of discussion about how to get accurate numbers for the people who have died from the virus outside hospital and one issue that’s been raised is whether doctors are wary of putting Covid-19 on a death certificate..

      – Amidst a host of trials to find effective treatments against Covid19, are there existing drugs which no one has thought of yet?
      We hear from Dr Lindsay Broadbent whose team at Queens University are testing more than a thousand drugs on human lung cells infected with Covid19 in the lab, to see what might work for both mild and more severe infection”
      Inside Health

         15 likes

      • G says:

        SG,
        I sincerely hope that all the UK Uni’s investigation teams into a solution will have removed any chinese students from their CCP virus research teams. To prevent any theft.

           8 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Analyst “the peak in deaths was April 8th” about 800
      then 700 a week later
      ..we cannot tell if the lockdown caused this decline”
      Jason Oak , at Oxford

      Tim H “that means peak infections were three weeks earlier on March18th which was before lockdown, so it shows government measures were probably already working”

      (reminder, he is looking at real death day data, not Daily Reported deaths which lag reality)

         5 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Stew, also deaths with Covid-19 or entirely due to Covid-19. A big difference.

           6 likes

  15. Halifax says:

    Its got to be remeberd that the BBC actually want more UK citizens to die exactly the opposite of what the government are trying to achieve.

    More people dieing suits thier narrative, it being……….if only more ( preferably white over 50) prople die then perhaps we can get rid of this Tory government and install a Labour government that will ‘re negotiate our return to the EU …….

    I don’t think the above is an exaggeration of the BBC position, they really don’t want to see the government succed and success will be measured in lives saved.

    They are the national disgrace.

       79 likes

    • Foscari says:

      Halifax-The BBC is an enemy of the state.It’s as simple as that.

         42 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      Totally agree. The BBC and the rest of Remainer MSM are using the pandemic as a vehicle to undermine the government and install Starmer as PM so as to engineer rejoining the EU. But I don’t think it stops with the MSM. I strongly suspect that civil servants are doing the same, as are some senior NHS staff. How far Remainers are prepared to go to get their way is an open question? Making the most of every difficulty is normal politics, exaggerating and lying is an escalation of that , but how many of the difficulties in PPE procurement for instance aren’t due to incompetence but due to deliberate lack of action by civil servants?
      After the last GE there was much speculation on this site about how far would the Remainer elite be prepared to go in wrecking the country to force a return to the EU. The general consensus was a pretty long way. I see no reason to change my view about that. Every difficulty presents an opportunity to push the rejoin agenda and if there aren’t enough problems then why not create some?

         64 likes

  16. StewGreen says:

    Oh Wednesday Radio4 8pm – George Monbiot & Christiana Figueres
    The two Top water melons are on
    basically telling us to be green and save the planet we have to crush capitalism.

    Also featuresr : Professor Steven Pinker (can be quite good)
    and Diane Coyle, Professor of Public Policy at Cambridge
    If we can change our behaviour to fight this Covid19 emergency, could we also do it to avert a climate emergency ?

       19 likes

  17. StewGreen says:

    Wrongthink to be kept off YouTube,
    only WHO line is acceptable

       30 likes

    • taffman says:

      StewGreen
      Big Brother is watching you.

         28 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Math guy @EricRWeinstein replied
      It’s *imperative* in the midst of a public health crisis
      .. that we able to question and CONTRADICT “Authoritative Sources”
      like the WHO when they appear to be lying to us
      or covering for endangering the public.

      Google, Facebook & Twitter are expendable.
      … Freedom & science are not

         40 likes

  18. StewGreen says:

    Taffman I saw the Welsh Government has had to give up its Covid19 test target.
    cos it wasn’t getting anywhere close.

       22 likes

    • taffman says:

      Exactly .
      The people of taffland will be happy to see the abolition of Assembly .

         23 likes

  19. taffman says:

    Our Laura is asking “Fresh Questions” for Al Beeb.
    Anyone get the feeling that she is preparing the way for a job with the Labour Party when Al Beeb goes down the pan?

       36 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      BBC Radio 4

      Vital daily coverage of the biggest pandemic in recent history, with Adam Fleming, Laura Kuenssberg, Fergus Walsh and Chris Mason.

      ***

      #CCBGB

         20 likes

      • tarien says:

        The BBC often claims to know the views of the interviewee better than the interviewee knows them him or herself. When the person explains their view to them they counter argue by asserting the interviewee must believe something else, because they have invented a caricature of the person as a “right winger” or “left winger”, or “Eurosceptic” or whatever. It makes the interviews foolish, with the BBC setting out their version of the person’s view and the interviewee denying it. The BBC then seeks to suggest that their version of the view is the real view and so the interviewee is in some way dishonest to say otherwise. Creation of a caricature. These words were written by Sir John Redwood-how right he is.

           18 likes

        • Up2snuff says:

          I’m afraid I have given up on BBC Radio 4.

          Their only wish, at present, is to be subversive. It is extremely unhelpful. I may not be posting much in the near future.

             14 likes

  20. taffman says:

    Al Beeb must be haemorrhaging viewers . Netflix are ‘cleaning up’ ! That will be less telly tax customers. What’s more the Telly goons are presently ‘confined to barracks’ because of the pandemic.
    Every cloud ………..

       40 likes

    • G says:

      Taffman, I heard the figure of + 16 million new subscribers to Netflix.

      Hopefully Imperial College et al. will not find any antidote which will help the BBC in its now, slow demise.

      But can’t the BBC put a dedicated reporter on to this to ascertain why Netflix are making the claims they are. And in particular why the public are migrating.

         16 likes

  21. Oaknash says:

    Taffy – I think you could be right
    Not that I watch BBC these days but every time I see her in the paper or on a video (and no it wasnt “Laura Does Luton) Her face looks more pinched and angry and bitter. She has what I call the “SWP” stare.
    I expect she will want to publish a couple of books first to give her a bit of “gravitas” before joining the rest of the Labour coven like Jess Phillips and co preaching about inequality, poverty and the virtues of single “mumness” whilst living in a nice part of town with a hubby and kids in a large house and a salary most of us would dream of.

       38 likes

    • taffman says:

      “SWP” ?

         7 likes

      • Oaknash says:

        taffman
        The good ol Socialist “workers” party from yesteryear much beloved by the luvvy “workers” such as Vanessa Redgrave!

        Always angry but God knows why!

           25 likes

  22. Guest Who says:

    Jez was pushing Tone.

    Could have gone better.

       46 likes

    • taffman says:

      Alistair is looking for a job . He doesn’t realise that Blair is toxic.

         24 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Alistair knows who pays.

           15 likes

        • Up2snuff says:

          Oi vey! You vant to make it worse? Yeah, bring back Gordon Brown to sell all our PPE for sixpence, while you’re about it.

             11 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Speaking of looking for jobs.

        Lewis and gang liked, of course.

        Subtle.

           20 likes

    • tarien says:

      Goodness why have a photo of the perhaps the worst Prime Minister this nation has ever had-a traitor to his country.

         19 likes

    • EUTV says:

      He might be useful. Especially if the rumour that Iraq is sitting on stockpiles of aprons of mass protection.

         19 likes

  23. Guest Who says:

    Easy to see why the bbc needs so many essential staff.

    ***

    BBC Hereford & Worcester

    With IKEA revealing their recipe for meatballs lots of people have been having a go at making them.

    What well known dishes have you been having a go at during lockdown?

       22 likes

  24. Guest Who says:

    She should probably go back to OMG! or Boom!

       12 likes

  25. Celtic_Mist says:

    “Megan Closes a Car Door”

    What way should we read this headline? One would need access to inside the head of the author and whether or not it is an AI robot or a real human being. I’m inclined to think the former, programmed to fawn over Royals and when it learns that Megan is no longer royalty then it becomes almost human

       23 likes

  26. Guest Who says:

    And who in the U.K. is not transfixed by news from the the bbc extended family?

    ***

    Desperate workers

    We’ve talked a lot about the impact of the pandemic on the economy, and migrant workers, in particular, have emerged as a very vulnerable group. In India, millions are trapped away from home with no jobs or money, as the BBC’s Geeta Pandey explains. For businesses themselves around the world, it’s often a question of adapt or collapse. Read some of their stories, and see the owner of one plus-size fashion company explain her strategy.

    ***
    Widescreen. Going large? No pre-existing conditions.

       16 likes

    • Rich says:

      Guest,

      Among the pre-existing conditions that the NI Civil Service class as making their employees at particular risk to the dangers of COVID-19, and therefore entitled to remain off work on full pay, are of course serious underlying health conditions like auto-immune conditions and ongoing cancer treatment.

      And Obesity. I kid you not. Being fat.

         11 likes

    • tarien says:

      Sad it is for them but frankly at this time I don’t reallt give a dam, I’m more concerned as to what is happening in Britain. All monies that this nation so generously gives to the worlds countries, must stop absolutely and be used here-what were the reasons this wonderful old chap Captain Tom undertook to walk around the grounds of his care home for?, but to raise money for the NHS (20 £million+)-that must be used and used well. Charity begins at home.

         21 likes

  27. Doublethinker says:

    I see that TR has lost the first stage of the libel hearing about his remarks opposite an immigrant school boy in Huddersfield. TR has no chance of winning, the state has decided to get him and the deck will be stacked against him. Tommy would be best advised to continue his work to alert the country to the dangers of Islamification from outside the UK. If he stays then one way or another he will be silenced.

       56 likes

    • Wink1 says:

      I remember this at the time .TR was on FB then and the sheer media hysteria surrounding it. The same media were not keen to inform that Bailey , the boy who through water over the refugee, and his family had had to leave their home due to death threats and gangs of Muslim men threatening to rape and kill his family. It was TR that found them a safe house and even gave them Christmas presents as it was around that time. The media whipped this into a frenzy then left a young boy and his family to be thrown to the wolves!

         29 likes

  28. Guest Who says:

    Remember, even in these unique times, do not forget to pay your licence fee.

       29 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Ha ha
      Guest – the commentator Is just right for BBC news …

         17 likes

      • Rob in Cheshire says:

        Apparently this patois is called “Multicultural London English”. Good to know it has a name.

        Anyway, fair play to the lad, at least he doesn’t use metric measures, maybe he is a fellow Brexiteer!

           6 likes

  29. Guest Who says:

    The BBC does like to generalise.

    ***
    Everyone wants to know how well their country is tackling coronavirus, compared with others. But you have to make sure you’re comparing the same things.

    ***
    Comments suggest their claim is not supported by all.

    But the last sentence is… ironic, given Hugh and Cry and Laura as Max Headroomies.

       14 likes

  30. StewGreen says:

    more BBC “PR not news”
    “Climate change: World mustn’t forget ‘deeper emergency'”
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52370221

    “Despite the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the world mustn’t forget the “deeper environmental emergency” facing the planet.
    That’s the view of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in remarks released to celebrate Earth Day.

    That is a short excerpt from Mark Hodgson’s post on BH Unthreaded where he always posts the day’s list of BBC and Guardian Climate Alarmist PR .. take a look
    http://bishophill.squarespace.com/unthreaded
    There is is just too much to cross post here

       16 likes

  31. StewGreen says:

    Yes we know the rule
    : EVERYONE has to pay for the BBC, but only libmob voices are allowed on its airwaves.

       13 likes

  32. G says:

    I see a junior Health Minister was today delegated to, ‘Run the Gauntlet’ from Robinson with his, ‘Gotcha’ Marxist style of so-called ‘interviewing’. She did a pretty good job as I see it but failed utterly in one response to the torture. The point in question that all the media (led by our ‘Worlds Envy’) concerned why did the UK not join the EU’s collective endeavours to secure PPE. The Minister explained that the EU Collective had had no success to date in securing any items of PPE. That might spike the guns of the media for today when they realise that their ‘Gotcha’ point is blunted.
    The Minister failed in not saying to, ‘our Nick’ – Perhaps you could set your Katya Adler on it to ask ‘Gotcha’ questions of the EU. (And see how they tolerate that style of interviewing).
    I’m out at 2000 Hrs tonight to clap vigorously for, for, for………. the Government which, in the circumstances, is coping as well as any other imbecilic Government around the World is even when the media has stepped up its ‘Hyena Pack’ Marxist condemnation approach.

       18 likes

  33. Fedup2 says:

    I found myself in the news today .
    It seems I’m one of the millions signing up to Netflix during
    The Chinese virus tragedy . £6 a month no contract .

    It easily replaces the BBC and whatever they claim their popularity / viewing figures may have increased they know that is a temporary phenomenon which happens at times of crisis .

    When viewing twitter it is obvious that large numbers of people are frankly disgusted by the attitude of the BBC/MSM in unquestioning uncritical acceptance of anything anyone with an NHS badge Says -coupled with a constant and unremitting attack on the government .

    The government doesn’t get 10 out of 10 for its’ performance and the use of hindsight is a vicious weapon deployed at every possible moment by BBC staff . They stoke fear . They are disgustIng.

    I’m glad I have joined the many on this site who find out about the BBC through this site because I can’t stand it any more .

       49 likes

  34. Sluff says:

    A follow up to Taffman at 0636.
    Netflix have put on millions of new subscribers.

    Now the BBC have had several weeks to reschedule in the light of the lockdown. For example, how about putting on a few feel-good movies? Some decent comedy? We could I think accept repeats.

    But no. Sclerotic, off the pace, fixated on their anti-government agenda, and oblivious to the needs of the wider audience, all we get is the daily News conference (which has the merit of being live so cannot be edited by the so-called newsroom) followed by the likes of Laura Doomsberg spinning what has just been said to be as pessimistic as possible. The rest of the schedule is as dire as ever.

    I suppose the ‘Schedule Committee’ only meet every quarter.

    An ossified and unresponsive nationalised industry, the BBC’s unfitness for purpose is ever more apparent.

       45 likes

    • JamesArthur says:

      Too right Sluff

      My nearly 80 year old mum and father in laws have stopped watching BBC and now just watch youtube 🙂

      I cannot take more than 2 minutes of either Breakfast or Piers Morgan now..
      Netflix and Amazon for me..
      and I think more and more people are now wondering why they bothered with BBC
      Which hopefully means Boris will take some action…

         44 likes

    • Rich says:

      We have Amazon Prime, Netflix, and now under duress and pressure from three teenage girls, Disney +. I haven’t paid for a TV licence for almost a year.

      This now may add up to about £20 a month, a bit more expensive than the tv licence I know but a lot cheaper than equally risible Sky, and the amount of stuff on there, especially that mine of information YouTube, really is incredible.

      I just don’t know how the TV licence can continue to be justified in its current form, with so many easily accessible alternatives offering similar and often superior programmes. We now plan what we are going to watch together, are far more selective in our viewing, watch a wider range of programmes on continually discovered subjects and while watching less television,as a family we enjoy it much more.

      As for Britbox. Why? Loads of the stuff that is on it can be found on YouTube already, along with programmes that are currently being aired on the bBbc, and the other providers have content from all over the world, not just the stagnant, parochial pool in which the bBBC wallow.

         39 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        Rich – you are missing out on “the Joy or painting – which is being shown twice daily on BBC4 .For some reason it doesn’t feature a BBC stalwart like Rolf Harris – but has an American chap ….. the credit says it is a WIPB production from Muncie Indiana copyright 1987 .That is not a typo 1987 …..

           17 likes

        • TrickCyclist says:

          Fedup2,
          Is that Bob Ross? His shows were made for PBS, America’s free-to-air, non-commercial broadcaster. Seems to have a following on YouTube among people who like ASMR videos (for the uninitiated: Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response or “the tingles”). Maybe this is the kind of thing that influences BBC programmers?
          Didn’t we have our own Yank TV artist in the seventies? Nancy Kominsky?

             7 likes

          • Nodding Dog says:

            Now you mention it TC I remember ‘Paint Along With Nancy’
            If they remade it today I’m sure it would be a different type of ‘Nancy’ presenting it!

               7 likes

        • Rich says:

          Fed,

          Bob Ross, rocking’ an Afro. Legend.

          Watched a documentary about him and his artwork on YouTube not so long ago, every painting seemed to have birches in it. Perfect hangover television, I remember him well from my student days.

             4 likes

          • Fedup2 says:

            Trick /rich – yes it is what I believe kidults call ‘retro ‘ . Someone called my VHS recorder ‘retro ‘ once – I still don’t get what they mean …..and the same guest sneered at my TDK C90s …..

            Was mr Ross a Cold War spy using his pictures of birch trees to note the location of the ‘drop ‘? – ( I apologise for my writing as I’ve just got back to spending an hour in a Sainsbury’s car park queuing to buy jam donuts ( essential shopping ) .

               5 likes

        • Nodding Dog says:

          I’m another one who’s watching more and more stuff on YouTube.Have found quite a few excellent travel blogs on there plus other content just one person with a camera and more importantly no agenda.

          My radio listening is also in severe decline since I downloaded a couple of podcast apps on my phone.I’m able to listen at work via an earpiece and now have tens of thousands of hours of listening at my fingertips.Whats better is the content covers the complete political spectrum.

          One podcast that came up on my recommended list recently was Triggernometry (also available on Youtube) quite a few guests which include the likes of David Starkey,Doulgas Murray,Laurence Fox,Rod Liddle to name a few give the BBC a good slating.If you do listen to the Rod Liddle one the language gets quite fruity but is a jolly good listen/watch

             7 likes

          • theleftwilleatitself says:

            Al beeb’s schedule for today, and pretty much every day, on 1 & 2 is truly dreadful from what I can see on a TV app that I have on my phone.
            We packed in the telly tax a year ago tomorrow and for fun sometimes I check this TV app to see what we as a family are ‘missing’ ????
            Not fuc*ing much is the answer every time!!
            2 hours of classic snooker from 1986 is on this afternoon – not is this house it isn’t!
            Give me strength ????

               9 likes

  35. davylars says:

    BBC news this morning.
    Victoria D. Delightfully reading the headlines.

    PPEdelays.

    RAF plane arrives at Brize Norton containing ppe equipment, due to a serious of delays. No mention of this (reported by Sky)
    ‘A commercial supplier in Turkey did not have enough stock to fulfil an order for 84 tonnes of protective equipment supposed to be bound for the UK, Turkish officials have said.’

    Eu equipment row

    Government criticised over time it took to join EU scheme
    No mention from the BBC that not a single piece of ppe had been delivered by it.

    Keir Starmer

    Keir Starmer gets chance to challenge s the government in parliament today.
    I thought Keir Starmer was supposed to be working with the government.

    But in the BBC mindset he needs to challenge them.

    No bias here….

       43 likes

  36. theisland says:

    This is shocking if true.

    Theresa May was still signing up the UK to continued ‘off-the-books’ payments to the EU AFTER the British people had voted to leave the EU, including to Merkel’s ‘Facility for Refugees in Turkey’ in 2018. Concealed payments will continue to be paid to the EU by the Treasury after December, when the Transition Period is supposed to end, unless we extricate ourselves.

    We would just remind Boris Johnson and his Ministers of one thing. The rules of the EU Treaty on leaving the EU say that :-
    “The Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification referred to in paragraph 2, unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period.”
    There is nothing in Article 50 about having to make voluntary, off-the-books payments to the EU for years after we have left.

    I assume Rishi is aware of this [?] and will put the £billions to better use
    Why are Treezer, Hammond and their cohorts walking free?

       42 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      I think when the inquiry into the UK response to the Chinese virus gets going I think the blame for lack of preparedness – at government level ( not the NHS where the real blame lies ) will go the Jeremy Hunt who was health secretary from 2012 to 2018 – and is now in charge of the parliamentary committee overseeing the NHS –

      Together with Mr Hunt will be his predecessor as head of the parliamentary committee – a certain dr Sarah Wollaston – who as you may recall was an MP and one of the traitors spending her time fighting our democratic leaving of the EU .

      Mrs May feature as well somewhere along the line .

      In view of this I don’t think much blame will be apportioned anywhere with regard to the complete failure to make basic preparations for a pandemic – namely a few million quids worth of PPE and contingencies for getting kit when needed .

      The failure has led to a country watching RAF planes flying to the likes of Turkey and China to ‘beg ‘ for kit .

         24 likes

  37. vlad says:

    Manna from heaven for the beeb, allowing it to simultaneously criticise the government’s handling of the pandemic and to drag its beloved EU and Brexit into the debate:
    “Coronavirus: Questions over decisions made at start of outbreak”

    By our very political editor, Laura Kuentssberg

    The BBC now resemble a pack of hyenas, snarling and growling as they rake over every past pronouncement and decision by the Government in what was, and continues to be, an inevitably imperfect response to a novel, fast moving and chaotic emergency.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52377079

       29 likes

    • The WestWyvern says:

      Vlad, has anybody told that Kuntsberg thing the UK left the EUSSR in January this year?

      We are now in a negotiating stage to define our future relationships with the EUSSR, given the virus and the responses to it did not kick in until February, then the provision of PPE, and the UK joining a pan-EU response would have only been considered as part of the afore mentioned an ongoing negotiations.

      Its not a piece of legislation or article of intent we were bound to follow as it happened after we ‘left’

         27 likes

    • fakenewswatcher says:

      vlad – what hugely irritates me is how inept and almost useless government ministers are exposed as every day, and by implication the bureaucracy that supply them with info and take actions on their instructions.
      The bbc know exactly what they’re up to with the constant afternoon briefings: raking in cash, and discrediting government, increasing their own control by ramping up the fear agenda -thereby creating a new beeb addiction for the unthinking.
      Regrettably, government has set itself up for beeb to shoot it down , like at one of those shooting alleys at a funfair, every single afternoon. And beeb are having a lot of fun with this one.
      Could it be that the public move from ‘Labour wouldn’t have done any better’ to ‘This is so bad, Labour couldn’t have done any worse, so let’s give them a try next time?’
      Also, a question that will never be answered: how would that very same bureaucracy- possibly still riddled with Blairites in the upper echelons, have served a Labour government? The same? Much better? Hard to believe it could have been any worse.
      Across the pond, this virus will have inflicted equal damage on the Trump administration. Just when the economy was coming along nicely in election year, bang -all gone!
      This is indeed a Communist Chinese virus, which gives us cause for much reflection!

         25 likes

      • fakenewswatcher says:

        Kaiser: No haranguing public broadcaster, but did Germany make even bigger mistakes? Opening up the Russian front when there was one in the West and the US to worry about – the decision of madmen?
        They even got to the outskirts of Moscow, bus stops from which the city bus service was departing!
        What would have happened in the West, had that foolhardy decision not been taken?
        Still, I saw a forgotten film about Wales recently, and the massive and mass-producing mustard gas facilities in the mountains. Invasion barges would have been welcomed by clouds of mustard gas, presumably?
        What a nasty business war is.

           4 likes

  38. The WestWyvern says:

    Just a quick update today,

    LAX to Heathrow arriving around 09.35 (787)
    Washington to Heathrow arriving around 09.44 (787)
    Istanbul to LHR circa 10.00 (777) Bets as to how much PPE is in the hold…
    Dallas to LHR about 2hrs out. (777)
    A cargo flight from Milan Malpensa to Stantead (737) in-bound about now.
    Farnbough Airport is quiet currently, but I suspect there will be a steady stream of Lear jets and Cessna Citations as the day progresses.

    No military transports airborne (that are squawking ID anyway)

    In other news not widely reported on the AntiBBC.

    Infections/Cases are steadily falling in Australia. A country that banned ALL international air travel.

    What do the Beeb focus on in this piece of good news… yup, the fact that Bondi Beach is to reopen (with some local rules in place) but that this area (a hotspot for backpackers and travelers) was a high infection area originally… concerns are high, could reintroduce, some are saying (yawn yawn).

    Backpackers and travelers.. Air travel, If only the ‘nations most trusted’ could put two and two together and ask a sensible question about the impact in the UK.

    We know they won’t as it doesn’t fit their sick and warped narrative.

       31 likes

  39. Tabs says:

    There seems to be a lot of BBC fake news stories this week. It is getting to the point that anything the BBC say is now probably a lie.

    Examples:
    1. Quoting “died of Covid19” instead of “died with Covid19”.
    2. NHS Trust director calls BBC for Burberry telephone number.
    3. BBC guest Professor of Tory Hating, on Monday, claims that the PPE equipment in Turkey “probably doesn’t exist and won’t be delivered”.
    4. News that the UK didn’t join an EU scheme to source medical equipment without telling us the EU hasn’t actually delivered any equipment.

       43 likes

  40. Fedup2 says:

    Tabs
    And labour activists who work in the NHS being put on the BBC without being identified …….

    I think everyone of any persuasion should be ‘introduced ‘ with details of their ‘allegiance ‘ ….. eg Richard Branson – tax avoiding ex pat….

       36 likes

  41. Chalkywhite says:

    Seemingly “There has been a fourth consecutive night of unrest in the Paris suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne. Social tensions have risen further under strict lockdown rules”.

    As far as I can see this is the only mention on the BBC ‘news’ site.(Why is this non news?). Probably because it doesn’t fit with the theme of the day, trying to criticise our Govt for some failing or other..

       27 likes

    • pugnazious says:

      I didn’t see any reports of unrest in Germany either..apparently lefties…but plenty of BBC interest on the ones in America…Republican supporters mostly, hence BBC iinterest in taking them down.

      Will happen here if lockdown goes on much longer and BBC doesn’t want to ‘encourage’ that by reporting it in other places. Always censoring the news to support its own worldview.

         26 likes

  42. pugnazious says:

    Today programme inventing the news?

    Heard Robinson tell us that Foreign Office mandarin Sir Simon McDonald was ‘forced’ to withdraw his claim about EU procurement schemes being shunned due to political decisions.

    I thought this is the BBC spinning this to make it seem like the story was true all along despite McDonald making it clear he had been wrong …especially when they added that ‘a source’ at a Cobra meeting had said ‘sensitivities’ about the EU had been discussed…no names, no details…and never mind the government has signed up to EU procurement schemes now. Clearly trying to say this is Brexit doing more damage. Sadiq Khan is at the meeting as are all sorts of people with their own agendas. Might be helpful if the BBC named the ‘source’ so we can judge for ourselves rather than be forced to take it on trust that they are credible and honest….not as if the BBC has a good record when it comes to these ‘sources’…so often turning out to be Labour activists.

    Then I saw the Mail headline and thought maybe the BBC was right….

    Fury from Dominic Raab forced top civil servant to drop explosive claim that snubbing EU procurement scheme on coronavirus PPE was a ‘political decision’

    But no…where’d they get their story? From the BBC.

    And of course Raab would be furious as a civil servant tries to undermine the government by making misleading statements.

       30 likes

  43. StewGreen says:

    Vaccine testing ready to begin, but there is a problem
    … They have to be sure that the volunteers have never had Covid19 already
    but since a proportion of the public have had it already now, without knowing, how can be sure they haven’t had it.
    Ideally you’d give your volunteers an antibody test, but that can’t be done until 28 days after they recovered.

       11 likes

    • theisland says:

         46 likes

      • StewGreen says:

        @drdavidbull TV doctor, former Brexit Party MEP
        Am I the only one who is sick of the MSM’s vindictive aggressive questioning of the Government – trying to trip them up at every turn.
        This is the time for everyone to pull together and not to score political points….

           34 likes

      • Halifax says:

        ….how will you ensure that its given to the BME community first….

           4 likes

    • Kaiser says:

      seriously I know my memories not the best, but even I can remember 2018 with fondeness and my heating bill reminds me of 2019 with unhappiness

         6 likes

  44. Ian Rushlow says:

    Is the BBC helping to kill BAME people and NHS workers?
    Sources who do not wish to be named but are said to be “close to government and health establishment thinking” are increasingly concerned over the possible role of the BBC in Covid-19 deaths. A spokesperson, speaking on terms of strict anonymity, said: “The impact of obesity on conditions such as heart disease, strokes and diabetes is well understood. Now evidence is emerging that morbid obesity may be a significant factor in Covid-19 deaths, particularly affecting ethnic minorties and overweight NHS workers. The role of a responsible public service broadcaster is, surely, not to engage in so-called ‘fat shaming’, but also not to effectively promote, glorify and defend obesity. However, it does this continuously through its programming and through use of provocative and misleading terminology such as ‘body pride’. There is nothing to be proud about putting your own life at risk, plus that of others as a result of your excessive demands on the NHS. As a woman of colour, I am particularly disturbed by the manner in which the BBC often chooses to portray large BAME women – there seems to be something in their collective mindset that thinks we sit around all day eating fried chicken. They would be off better promoting a message of: Think thin. Save lives. Save the NHS”

    https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/CC02/production/_89062225_89061500.jpg

    https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640×360/p07ry2jh.jpg

       25 likes

  45. Northern Dreamer says:

    Laura Canutessberg is still at it….let me paraphrase..

    LK: Minister, is it true you ordered a coffee without milk at Costa, but they couldn’t serve you because they had no milk?

    Minister: Yes, that is correct.

    LK: Why didn’t you change your order to a cup of milk, minister?

       15 likes

  46. The Sage says:

    Just to get things in a bit of perspective and in regard to the worst pandemic in a hundred years (as mentioned by the BBC), it’s worth noting that Hong Kong flu was a pandemic whose outbreak in 1968 and 1969 killed an estimated one million people globally. Of course, the world did not come to a halt and I doubt many folk today are even aware of this seemingly insignificant pandemic. But it killed around 80,000 people in the UK or more than four times what we are currently experiencing.
    Asian Flu in the late 50s killed 33,000 in the UK.
    Furthermore and as recently as 2009, H1N1 is estimated to have infected 1.4 billion people worldwide and killed up to 575,000.
    CV-19 may well be worse, but ain’t there yet. On the other hand, it may not be worse. So let’s get on with life instead of skulking as a result of government diktat in our modern-day Anderson shelters.
    PS. You will notice that all of these pandemics seem to emanate from China or thereabouts. I wonder why.

       36 likes

  47. Ian Rushlow says:

    The BBC – an alleged news organisation – is reporting on the arrest of an alleged gunman in Chatham. For some reason, the report is somewhat light on details. Check the BBC photo with the tantalizing clues on Sly News and the rather more comprehensive one on RT.

    BBC:
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-52379200

    Sly:
    https://news.sky.com/story/man-arrested-by-armed-police-on-suspicion-of-firearms-offences-after-disturbance-11976962

    RT:
    https://www.rt.com/uk/486535-kent-shooting-man-balcony/

       24 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      The guy posted a video himself
      Of his head or something firing into the air from his balcony.

         10 likes

      • Deborah says:

        I am grateful I don’t live in a flat anywhere near this man, the music he was playing would have driven me crazy by now. I hope the neighbours are playing lots of Bach and Purcell – they may find it calms everyone down.

           15 likes

    • TrickCyclist says:

      Ian,
      From the RT report:
      ‘Speaking into the camera the man can be heard saying: “Tell them Tupac Shakur coming for the cops”.’
      Somebody who idolises a dead rapper who lived a life of violence and sexual abuse. What a surprise.

         18 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Ian, the man was shooting from a balcony for about thirty minutes according to a local shop worker. There is a very large Police Station just yards away.

      I guess all the police stationed there were busy sunbathing looking for people to threaten with fines for being out in the local parks.

         9 likes