286 Responses to Start the week thread 22 March 2021

  1. Dover Sentry says:

    I’m pleased that Krankie will be leading the SNP to electoral defeat.

       36 likes

    • Docmarooned says:

      Well said Dover. Krankie and the SNP are a vile cancer. She behaves like Stalin and anyone who believes the nonsense put out by this QC
      regarding her innocence is deluded. At least a substantial number up here are now realising what a lying hag she is.

         35 likes

  2. Fedup2 says:

    A cut and paste from the DT by Simon Heffer on the BBC and the country it infests –

    STARTS
    Sadly it will shock or surprise no-one that two BBC Breakfast presenters should find the display of the Union flag and a picture of Her Majesty the Queen in the office of a cabinet minister to be a suitable subject for mockery.

    Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt seemed to find it frightfully funny that Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary, had these national symbols on display in his office while they were interviewing him. Mr Stayt teased Mr Jenrick about the size of the flag; Ms Munchetty found the picture of the Queen entertaining.

    Sadly, the attitudes of the two presenters appear consonant with those of an activist, self-regarding, bullying and fanatical minority. They by no means, however, represent the feelings of the mainstream of British people.

    Tim Davie, the recently-installed director-general of the BBC, is clearly trying to clean up the Corporation’s act. Large swaths of the Corporation run without causing offence and do an entirely respectable job. Regrettably, other large swaths do not. On some news programmes presenters react with barely-concealed disbelief when a conservative viewpoint is expressed, or anything contrary to the woke metropolitan orthodoxy ventured as an opinion.

    Mr Davie announced this week – indeed on the very day Mr Stayt and Ms Munchetty thought it clever to mock our national symbols – that to make the Corporation seem less metropolitan some of its operations would be moved from London altogether. However, the programme these two journalists present already comes from Salford. All that has been achieved by moving it to Greater Manchester is to export the very virus Mr Davie wishes to kill.

    A week after the Brexit vote in 2016, a renowned BBC presenter told me of the scenes in Broadcasting House as the outcome of the referendum became clear. Grown men and women were in tears; others staggered around in various degrees of disbelief, denial and rage at what an insolent British public had done. It is that same insolent British public – who, to judge from the 2019 general election result, are even more pro-Brexit than in 2016, and are doubtless now even more so as they witness the catastrophe of the EU’s vaccine roll-out – that pays the BBC’s running costs, and the salaries of supposedly big-name presenters such as Mr Stayt and Ms Munchetty. Sending such people to work in Salford, Leeds, Cardiff, Birmingham or Glasgow won’t make the blindest bit of difference.

    About 10 years ago a very senior BBC executive expressed her frustration to me when I raised with her an incident by a journalist for whom she was responsible. The journalist had been disciplined but not sacked because, as she told me, there was a production line of such people with inherently biased views and, if this man had been given his cards, another with an identical mindset would be whistled up from central casting to replace him. Mr Davie clearly knows there is an institutional Leftism in the BBC that can only be dealt with by recognising it and admitting it and setting different criteria for recruitment.

    In his statement this week, Mr Davie said there would be a “‘meaningful target” for working-class representation in the BBC; that artificial intelligence technology would be used in the recruitment process to detect bias (good luck with that); that there would be more “diversity” at executive level and that 100 BBC staffers would be selected as diversity role models. The success of this will be measured by how far the public stop reaching for their social media accounts and complaining about egregious incidents, such as the mockery of the Union flag; and that success will only be achieved by re-thinking what is meant by diversity.

    might actually mean putting some white, middle-aged people who have occasionally voted Conservative (and even, shocking though it might seem, voted for Brexit) into executive posts at the BBC, or on screen and on air. I commend the BBC for having ensured that members of ethnic minorities, sexual minorities and disabled people are recruited; all it has to do now is stop ticking boxes and start appointing people of similar talent who happen to be white, middle-aged and who don’t despise their country.

    The move to the provinces may help, since some staffers simply won’t go, thus freeing up jobs for a genuinely talented and genuinely diverse set of replacements. And the BBC must take care not to throw the baby out with the bathwater: if the relocation provokes highly-regarded people to throw in the towel, that would only undermine the Corporation further.

    Also, at least one and possibly two new satellite news channels are planning to open, and the publicity surrounding them has been that they won’t swallow the BBC’s increasingly bizarre view of the world and its detachment from the feelings of most of those who pay for it. If they also sweep up high-quality disgruntled BBC staff then the Corporation’s news operation could be holed below the waterline. It is notable that one who swiftly condemned the Union flag incident was Andrew Neil, not only a long-serving BBC presenter of repute and unimpeachable absence of bias, but also the mastermind behind one of the proposed news channels.

    Sometimes,” Mr Neil wrote, “the BBC forgets what the first B stands for.” It takes us back, too, to the pitiful episode of the Last Night of the Proms last year, where senior executives threatened to dismantle the traditional programme of patriotic songs. Confronted with the reality of hardly anyone watching or listening, they backed down. Robbie Gibb, who used to run the BBC’s political programming, has talked about the Corporation’s ‘sneering and cynical attitude towards our monarchy and flag’.

    Ms Munchetty appears to think her status gives her the right to behave in a way that few of her better-disciplined colleagues would dare. After her co-presenter ridiculed Mr Jenrick’s flag she tweeted that he would have upset the “flag shaggers”. The BBC later reminded her of her responsibilities – a nice phrase – about social media use. She later admitted to having liked tweets that were “offensive in nature”; she removed the “likes” and said they had not represented “the views of me or the BBC. I apologise for any offence taken.” She is clearly a highly intelligent woman, so if her “likes” did not represent her views, what on earth did she post them for? And as for the apology: one does not wish to imitate Piers Morgan, but how on earth can anyone believe it?

    Mr Davie knew, and admitted he knew, he had a problem with the culture of parts of the BBC when he took over last September. I suspect now he is finding dealing with that cultural problem far harder than he imagined. He needs to wrest back control, and his latest proposals just aren’t enough. Otherwise, all that will remain to be seen is whether the Government manages to start the inevitable dismantling of the BBC before almost everyone has stopped watching it.ENDS

       68 likes

    • JohnC says:

      When I got my first job at British Aerospace (an old defence-based organisation) as a software engineer, I naively thought the culture could be changed just by putting a decent manager in at the top.
      I since learnt it cannot. It is endemic right through the staff and self-perpetuates. Any change to their ‘easy life’ is resisted and made difficult at every stage right down all the layers of middle management. Those who don’t like it and have something about them leave and get jobes elsewhere. This merely concentrates the percentage with the same existing attitude.
      I now know you cannot change the culture of a big organisation without tearing it down and starting again. Unfortunately the BBC think they are untouchable and I suspect they are right. Too many powerful friends, especially in the liberal-infested Lords.

         28 likes

    • dafydd says:

      As an ex serviceman who served for years in the British Army i find that type of behaviour, ie mocking our flag, bloodywell disgraceful.

      The likes of Stayt and Munchetty are nothing but over rated, over paid parasites.

      I am sat here tamping mad.

      Munchetty and Stayt have serious leftie luvvie history and i find it jaw dropping these parasites are still employed by the BBC.

      Says it all about the pathetic discipline procedures the BBC hold.

      Lumps of Primordial Slime

         25 likes

      • Lefty Wright says:

        dafydd
        Yes mate I totally agree and we are forced by law to pay for this shit whether we watch it or not. Criminal.

           3 likes

    • Lefty Wright says:

      Fedup2
      More diversity of viewpoints would be welcome.

         1 likes

  3. StewGreen says:

    On the Marr show, Mairead McGuinness the “Could we please REMOVE the flags” lady
    had her big BLUE flag
    ..Marr did not sneer

    ExBKOa-WQAUs4OQ?format=jpg&name=small

       34 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      And that is why the cowardly useless incompetent Tories are never going to allow Nigel Farage into the House of Lords, because they are rightly scared to death of his conservative politics showing them up for the far left assholes they really are.

         24 likes

  4. Fedup2 says:

    That woman is a monster – no doubt …

       24 likes

  5. JimS says:

    The subject of the so-called Bristol slave trade came up with next-door’s 7 year-old yesterday accidently.

    Cautiously I explained that pots and pans got sent to Africa and the Africans paid for them with people captured from the neighboring village. These people were sold to Americans to work on their farms and were paid for with tobacco, which was shipped back to Bristol, which is why they had so many cigarette factories there.

    As this child had just been taught about Ancient Egypt where pyramids were built by armies of slaves she was quite happy with that explanation.

    It occurs to me that just as children are born non-racist(?) they quite naturally accept the idea of kings, queens and pharohs and the serfs and slaves that came with them.

    After all they are subject to the will of the parents, teachers and school bullies, ‘might is right’. No doubt they are born with common sense, the natural order.

    Then the BBC comes along with its ‘bitesize’ conditioning which must be totally confusing to them.

       31 likes

    • JohnC says:

      Except that the modern version does not include the bit about Africans catching and selling the slaves themselves. Nor does it go near the subject of slavery by other nations which dwarfs our own.
      Basically because the people complaining over here have nothing to gain from it. Which shows just what complete hypocrites (or gullible idiots) they are.
      Our actions as pioneers to abolish slavery go unmentioned.

         35 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      I’m afraid Jim this is BS and you’ve been indoctrinated with the propaganda as well.

      Contrary to what you have been told, hardly any slaves were taken to North America. The numbers involved appear to shock people when they realise just how great the lie has been.

      The Slave trade lasted from 1525 – 1866 a period of approximately 350 years only 388000 slaves were landed in North America ! Or to put it another way, just over 1000 a year.

      And what about those horrible slave ships where we are told death was rife and many many died?

      Well I’m afraid that’s a lie too. Slaves were valuable carge and they weren’t going to lose money by allowing needless deaths.

      The attrition rate was just 16%, which when put into the context of the time, was lower than the attrition of sailors who were in merchant ships.
      This was a period when an Atlantic sea crossing was a dangerous business where many people met their deaths.

      You would do everyone a massive favour by making sure the truth is known and dispelling the lies the people of Britain have been told.

      https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/how-many-slaves-landed-in-the-us/

         15 likes

      • Beltane says:

        I’m afraid the only response to this, Thoughtful, would be ‘How dare you confuse the issue with facts!’
        As you say, fortunes were made at the time, and that simply could not have happened if the workforce had been ill-treated, ill-fed and under-regarded. So much misinformation has over centuries become established as facts, the work and living conditions of slaves high on the list.
        The actual fact that they were referred to as cattle – for all the modern horror at such a term – should show that, just like any farmer involved in good husbandry, his stock was well tended and capable of returning consistent value for the initial investment. Simple economics, minus humanity – but that didn’t apply at the time.
        The bullish Whoopie Goldburg epitomises the mindset of those who think that BLM will change the world. It might, short-term, adversely affect the West but when as seems inevitable China enslaves us all, she will no doubt howl the loudest.

           9 likes

      • JimS says:

        Where did I say anything contrary to that?

        Bear in mind that I was giving a simple answer to a child, not a lecture.

        My point really was that young children totally accept the idea of Egyptian or Roman slaves, of Kings and lords directing serfs.

        The natural order is ‘might is right’, children know it. Yet somehow in the West it is now ‘minorities rule’. (Probably more precisely, people working supposedly on behalf of minorities rule. By definition there aren’t enough minor, minorities for a majority vote).

           9 likes

      • StewGreen says:

        for context you should add on the British slaves sent to the Caribbean.

           1 likes

  6. StewGreen says:

    The BBC is helping to publicise Ed Davey’s Green-Perpetual-Motion-Machine
    Granny subsidises Big Green Corps
    then Ed will tax those corps to make a Green Fund
    to create more Green Corps
    which granny will subsidise to make a profit
    then Ed will …

       12 likes

  7. StewGreen says:

    Craig Charles opinion

       30 likes

  8. JohnC says:

    Clive Myrie to replace John Humphrys as Mastermind host.
    https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-56484185
    “I can’t imagine they would have got me to present Mastermind if it was just seeing me in some refugee camp in Yemen,” he said. “It’s that other side of my personality that I think they noticed.”
    Nope. Look in a mirror and guess again Clive.

       53 likes

  9. BRISSLES says:

    According to the media, all travel abroad is off until at least July, thus preventing those who want to holiday overseas to forget it.

    Well, is it just me ? because who in their right minds would WANT to holiday abroad anyway ? most of Europe is in lockdown, those countries that are on the ‘edge’ cant be much fun, with entertainment at a minimum and shops and restaurants on restricted opening. God on a bike are the public really that thick and desperate.

    As for holidaying in this country, well, I’ve never found it that exciting tbh, yes you can trek through National Parks, or schlep around some grubby amusement park on the coast, or have a wander around Dunelms in most towns, but at the end of it you invariably get stuck on the M4 / M25 / M1 for hours on end, and wishing you’d never left home.

    I have however, booked a cruise holiday – for November 22 ! I’m hoping that in another 19 months, it gives the world time to get back on its axis, and vaccinations will be roughly completed everywhere. I just need to stay alive until then, – or I lose my deposit 😉

       32 likes

    • JimS says:

      Going by the Diamond Princess experience you should do OK.

      Unless they hire Jay Blades to lead the entertainment.

         16 likes

    • Rich says:

      Brissles,

      I cancelled our holiday to Mallorca at the start of August on Sunday night, before the ban on travel was mentioned. This had been rearranged from last year having been booked in August 2019. Decided to cash out having weighed it up over the past couple of weeks and having received an email from TUI on Friday with rearranged departure times and dates.

      Luckily we’re within touching distance of some of the best beaches in Britain on Northern Ireland’s North Coast but, with our unpredictable weather and three teenagers to keep occupied for two months, I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.

         9 likes

  10. JohnC says:

    Child migrants: First photos emerge of Biden-era detention centres
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56491941
    So instead of children being separated from parents while they are processed, Bidens solution is for them to be separated permanently as parents send their children across the border unaccompanied. Opening them up to who knows what before they get detained. With a cast iron guarantee for any abducters that no inquiry will ever be made.
    Absolute madness.
    I wonder if Time magazine will put these pictures on their front page. It would be a step up : at least they are not fake like the one they used against Trump.
    F*cking shameless hypocrites.
    That article will be gone from the front page before everyone gets home from work.

       36 likes

  11. taffman says:

    “Covid: UK marks one year since the first lockdown”

    It looks like another virtue signalling evening coming up? Get your candles and mobiles out.
    Are we being prepared and softened up for another lockdown.?

       26 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      A #wefiles special if ever there was one.

      BBC News

      A year into the pandemic, we look at countries that have had some success in tackling the virus and what we can learn from them.

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56455030?

      Covid: The countries that nailed it, and what we can learn from them

      ****

      Utter bollux.

      #ccbgb

         21 likes

  12. taffman says:

    “Coronavirus: Third wave will ‘wash up on our shores’, warns Johnson”

    Does he mean it will be coming across in dinghies? Another Kent version perhaps?
    Do Tory voters still exist?

       41 likes

  13. taffman says:

    “Covid vaccines: EU tussle with UK over AstraZeneca escalates”

    “Tussles”? That’s an understatement, if ever there was one .

    I understand that the Republic of Ireland are on side with the UK for a change ?

       20 likes

    • Northern Dreamer says:

      Yes, I remember we had a tiff with Herr Hitler, and a slight misunderstanding with ISIS.

         21 likes

      • Northern Voter says:

        Yes and the Korean War was a police action and we also had the Borneo and Malay Peninsular confrontation.

           4 likes

  14. AsISeeIt says:

    Lies, damned lies, and politicians

    Sturgeon “did not mislead parliament”‘ (Daily Telegraph) – and rarely was a set of scare quotes in a headline more appropriate.

    The FT goes with the verdict: ‘Scot free. Inquiry into Sturgeon ends‘ – one considers the auld Scots verdict of “not proven” is about the best one could in all honesty say about the slippery Ms Sturgeon.

    No wonder the Guardian quotes their client (as it were) as being: ‘“Obviously relieved”‘ – she ought to have been relieved of her job.

    Never lock back‘ says the Sun as the tabloid quotes bluffer Johnson’s promises on lockdown which yesterday he vowed to end: ‘”once and for all”‘

    Meanwhile: ‘Overseas travel ban extended until July‘ (Times) – seems the PM’s promises are like pie crust – easily broken.

    ‘Fines of £5,000 for trying to leave the country‘ (Times) – there’s still free naval escort across the Channel available plus on arrival free board and lodging for succeding in entering the country illegally, of course.

    Statistics can be tricky and tiresome and too much immersion in such details tends play your opponent’s game. So we won’t ask what’s the current death rate or is the NHS currently overwhelmed – or any such morbid detail.

    However, we could speculate why on earth the Daily Mirror shrieks: ‘3rd wave fears‘ in so large a headline that there’s no room to spell out the word “third” on a day when the Telegraph orders: ‘Care home staff to face compulsory vaccination‘ and the architect of lockdown Prof Ferguson confesses: ‘Why I broke the rules

    Yes, the answer is we’re one year into lockdown and government policy is to blockade in British holidaymakers and chat with the EU to: ‘…stop vaccine blockade‘ (Mirror)

    Lockdowns eh? I suppose just like Clive Myrie the BBC’s latest diversity pick to host the played out old quizz show Mastermind, we’ve started, so we’ll bloody well have to finish.

    Our Clive is your frontpage pin up in the Times today. Oddly he has ditched his BBC teleprompt anchor seat suit and tie and seems to be channelling his inner Jamaican ragabond inspired haute couture look, by donning a fashionable baggy flat cap and loosely knotted fashion scarf. He completes his connecting to his people image with a hang dog downward tilt to the head. Yeh, mon, one luv.

    Government propaganda is a powerful tool. It can have us doing all sorts of peculiar things. They have even persuaded kids to give up their toys: ‘Skye, a 10-year-old from Gwynedd… launched a campaign to persuade publishers to stop giving away… disposable toys in magazines.‘ (BBC)

    What’s a disposable toy, as opposed to a non-disposable toy?

    That’ll save the environment, I guess, as I note the dozens of discarded face masks strewn about on our city pavements, caught on trees and bushes and trodden into the ground along country lanes – are those things biodegradable, one wonders? They are certainly disposable.

       34 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      The Graun you say?

      Maybe Marianna could investigate.

         22 likes

      • taffman says:

        May be Sturgeon wants to be Prime Minister of the UK ?

           14 likes

        • jazznick1 says:

          BREAKING.

          Might be difficult as she’s just been found GUILTY of misleading parliament by Holyrood.

             16 likes

    • theisland says:

      No ‘travel’ issues at Dover

         21 likes

      • taffman says:

        this island
        More Kent variants?
        Is this the “Third Wave” that we are being told about ?
        The Prime Minister, The Home Office and Border Farce are a Joke.
        Are there any Tory voters left ?

           26 likes

        • Rich says:

          Taff,

          Perhaps, as I’m sure many Britons have already thought, some of those 10,000 troops that we’re losing could be used to create a proper Border Force rather than the ferry service and welcoming committees that we have at present.

             17 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      The theme to ‘mastermind’ is going to be changed to an oil drum version with a reagae? Beat …

      There will be more diverse bob marley questions and minority groups will be given hints …

         24 likes

      • Foscari says:

        The default position on the BBC to have more
        diverse presenters is now in full flow. I expect
        A question of sport will follow Mastermind.
        And very much expect that Gary Lineker’s days
        are numbered at Match of the day before we
        see either an ethnic male presenter, a woman, or
        any combination of the two.

           23 likes

        • Guest Who says:

          Champion Ash to replace BS?

          Owen the Pink to replace Lewis?

          Eddie Izzard to replace Harpie?

          That would be funny.

             11 likes

      • JimS says:

        Q. What do you call it when a footballer kicks a ball to another player?

        A. Pass?

        Q. Complete the well-known saying, “Up the Khyber..”

        A. Pass?

        Beep, Beep.

        Mr. Lammy you have scored 32 points! With 32 passes! You are our new Champion of Champions!

           23 likes

  15. Guest Who says:

    Toast seeks BBC gig?

       10 likes

  16. Up2snuff says:

    TOADY Watch #1 – In which Nick Robinson admits breaking the Lockdown rules

    Nick Robinson asks a selection of people in Newcastle what they are looking forward to doing when Lockdown is lifted in stages to June 21st. No-one mentions worshipping God in Church with a full congregation without masks. Only one person mentions hugging someone although a young lass does talk about being in the same house with her boyfirend again and going to see a film together.

    Nick mentions that breaking the Lockdown rules and travelling to Newcastle was so enjoyable for him. Will the Metropolitan Police be waiting on the W1A doorstep to question him on his return?

    I wonder …..

       28 likes

  17. theisland says:

    https://order-order.com/2021/03/22/labour-shadow-cabinet-member-to-speak-at-rejoin-eu-conference/
    Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland – Ian Murray – is to speak at The European Movement annual conference next Saturday.
    Adonis says Great line-up in support of our campaign ‘step by step towards Rejoin’.

       13 likes

  18. Guest Who says:

    She’s got a new fame cover to push. #CCBGB

       16 likes

  19. Fedup2 says:

    Listening to Toady

    The BBC anniversary addiction is alive and well – today is ‘a year ‘ after something . So clap or something . They want an approved statue .

    There is an assumption that the chinese virus is coming to an end and that nature has no sense of humour – with variants .

    The new reason to extend lockdown is our incompetent EU ‘friends ‘ – translation ‘enemy’ .

    BTW ‘Only ‘a third of a million jabs sunday …

       15 likes

  20. Guest Who says:

    ‘Had to stay open…’ to….?

       13 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Just think – all over the BBC there are ‘ documentary teams ‘ preparing one hour specials on the pandemic – telling us ‘pulling together ‘ is the way ‘ how wonderful the NHS is ‘( at giving people covid ) and the like . ….

      I cant see too many people wanting to be reminded of the last year .. especially when professor hindsite will be conducting affairs …

         25 likes

  21. Up2snuff says:

    TOADY Watch #2 – In which the Archbishop of Canterbury fails to mention worshipping God

    A one-time Anglican turned Baptist of my acquaintance used to mention some of the old Anglican ordinances, the leading one being in the form of a question “What is the chief end of man?”. Quick thinking responses might come from the same denomination’s funeral service at the interment stage and voiced by William Cobblers of the Goon Show (am listening as I type): “Dust, mate” with “I’ll get me broom and sweep it up, mate” added for effect.

    The Nick Robinson item in TOADY Watch #1 morphed seamlessly into Thought for the Day which today as a Lockdown Anniversary Special was presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev. Justin Welby. The Archbishop manged to get through the three minutes pretty much without mentioning God at all but mentioning all that we have missed during Lockdown instead.

    Omitted from his list was ‘Worshipping God in a full church without masks and able to sing hymns and voice prayers of thanks for God’s help in a time of trouble and asking for His help in the future.’. I would ask the good poor Archbishop: “What is the chief end of man?”

    I wonder if he knows?

    The BBC bring me news on R4 that the German national Government has banned Church services this Easter citing as reason the increase in Covid cases. One cannot help but conclude that Europe and the UK are de-Christianising at some pace, assisted by Covid, governments, lacklustre Archbishops and the BBC.

       31 likes

    • Banania says:

      I think “the chief end of man” is a Scottish Presbyterian expression, perhaps from a catechism. Hence the Episcopalians’ taunt against the Presbyterians for refusing to kneel to pray:
      “Presby, Presby, canna bend,
      Sit thee down on man’s chief end.”
      (There was naturally a “Pisky, Pisky” counterpart, which I have forgotten.)

         1 likes

      • JimS says:

        In Scotland, Episcopalians used to be taunted with:

        Pisky, Pisky, say ‘Amen’,
        Doon on yer knees and up again

        To which the reply was:

        Presby, Presby, canna bend,
        Sit ye doon on man’s chief end

        [The Invention of Childhood: Hugh Cunningham. p. 241]

           0 likes

  22. Guest Who says:

    How long before a Champion and Media Star duo is launched to save the BBC?

       8 likes

  23. Guest Who says:

    7 hrs. Fewer than 30 reactions.

       17 likes

  24. StewGreen says:

    9am Evan Davis has Mrs Stephen Kinnock* on
    But for some reason the experts names have been left off the webpage
    “What leadership styles have worked best during the pandemic ? ”
    with
    * @HelleThorning_S ex PM of Denmark
    @RoryStewartUK ex MP now at Yale reckons he would have locked down much sooner
    @POPPYTROWBRIDGE former SkyNews then SpAd to the Chancellor, now PR firm
    Prof Charlie Jeffery of York Uni

       13 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Opening Claims
      – The righties are the baddies eg Bolsonaro, Trump
      – The women are goodies, Merkel #1, but they left Belgium PM off the list (worst performance in world)
      – Cummings was baddie for going north .. Ferguson was not mentioned

         16 likes

  25. Guest Who says:

    Jon Sopel’s feed is rich.

    Especially on what he is not going near vs. what he is.

    Still getting an audience of tens for his masterclass of faking with Marianna?

       15 likes

  26. StewGreen says:

    9am BBC local radio stations are all broadcasting the same Sir Tom tribute hour prog

       6 likes

    • Tabs says:

      That is the longest period that Hannah Ingram-Moore hasn’t been on BBC. Reset the timer and try again…

         7 likes

    • Old Goat says:

      Has The Voice snuffed it, then, or is this another Sir Tom?
      Oh, wait – I remember – he was the anychess stooge who walked round and round his garden, earning them millions. Fat lot of good it did him

         15 likes

      • Piku says:

        Great comment Old Goat – absolutely terrific and true to the ethos of this website.

           2 likes

  27. Vonbedda says:

    I dont post often, i do come here to read all of your lovely thoughts tho.

    Question: Why is the BBC trying desperately in the US, surely it should be focusing on the dwindling support from the people that pay to keep it running over here the UK

       32 likes

    • G says:

      Von,
      They can do the former, paid for by the latter.

         3 likes

      • Lefty Wright says:

        G
        And their pay is guaranteed so why should they bother about quality or fair play or any part of it’s original remit.
        Is there any other organisation that is absolutely guaranteed it’s funding no matter what? The whole setup is nuts.

           2 likes

  28. Tabs says:

    There are currently 10 open Have Your Says on the BBC and 7 of those are Covid related.

    Whether the BBC is biased or not is up for debate but one thing is for certain, the BBC are boring.

       23 likes

  29. Zelazek says:

    So, we’re having a minute’s silence at noon for the victims of Covid.

    Why should we have a ritual to remember Covid victims but not any other disease?

    This is a secular country run by the wokerati. These people generally despise religion but nevertheless their unconscious sense that there is such a thing as the sacred still manages to seep out. It takes the form of these one minute silences they keep having for various types of victims.

    What they don’t understand is the distinction between the SENTIMENTAL and the SACRED. Death is part of life, it is in the natural scheme of things. Of course we mourn those who pass in the natural course of events. But we have traditionally recognised a special kind of category – those who SACRIFICE their lives for the good of others or for their country. Only the deaths of those who willingly laid down their lives in the defence of the country have traditionally been honoured with the ritual of communal silence.

    I want to ritually remember everyone including my own relatives who died in wars to defend the freedom that I enjoy today. I have no good reason to do the same for strangers who died from diseases, sad as these deaths will be for their relatives.

    As someone who respects our traditional sacred rituals, I find these modern-day sentimental rituals nonsensical and literally sacrilegious.

       42 likes

  30. Fedup2 says:

    Need a laugh ?
    This cut and paste is from the Uk press gazette

    Starts

    BBC director-general Tim Davie has said its values of impartiality will help it withstand competition from Andrew Neil’s upcoming GB News channel and streaming shows being launched by Rupert Murdoch’s News UK.

    Davie said “bring on the competition” after being asked whether he fears the new entrants, particularly GB News which plans to bring a more opinionated style to its news programming, will change the way TV news is viewed in the UK and mimic the partisanship seen in the US.

    END

    One of the precious weapons the new TV channel will give us – the BBC – the government and the taxpayer –

    Is how much the BBC is now avoided by people . A valuable resource in the battle coming as the charter arrangements are discussed across the next 5 years …

       19 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Media News

      BBC News’ Eleanor Lawrie is now LGBT producer. Eleanor was previously output producer, business unit for the broadcaster.

      ***
      Cripes, and GB only just got its first Pidgin Wombat Correspondent.

         17 likes

  31. Thatcherrevolutionary says:

    After changing mind a couple of times, my jab appointment was today at 10.30am.
    I decided not to go, as ultimately this virus has a mortality rate of under 0.5%, considerably less than the flu or the chances of contracting cancer.
    Several colleagues and friends have already had the jab, as well as all my siblings, and the worst reported is a hangover type feeling for a couple of days.
    The same people who told me ‘two weeks to flatten the curve’, ‘Biden won fairly’, ‘BLM protests were mostly peaceful’ are all pro-vax.
    This was another reason in my mind to avoid.

       28 likes

  32. StewGreen says:

    Tip : The Telegraph has taken down its paywall for 24 hours, until 8am on Wednesday, to mark one year since the first coronavirus lockdown
    (They keep sending me emails saying that I can read 3 months for £1 etc.)

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/22/bbc-chief-insists-staff-proud-british-presenters-mocked-union/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/03/23/forcing-bbc-treasury-staff-north-wont-break-londons-hold-britain/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/03/22/bbc-demands-150m-borrowing-boost-tackle-netflix/

    BBC Two to show England’s final Women’s Six Nations fixture
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2021/03/23/england-women-poised-terrestrial-tv-bow-six-nations-finale-live/

    Women’s football sign deal with the BBC and Sky Sports, understood to be worth more than £7million-a-year.
    Up to 18 Women’s Super League matches per season will be shown live on either BBC One or BBC Two
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/03/22/wsl-seals-landmark-7m-tv-deal-bbc-sky-sports/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2021/03/22/courageous-survivors-spoke-footballs-darkest-secret-deserve/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/tv-guide-tv-television-tonight/

       7 likes

  33. Rich says:

    The Chinese can describe the bBbcers and the rest of the liberal left in one word.

    “BAIZUO – (pronounced “bye-tswaw) is a Chinese epithet meaning naive western educated person who advocates for peace and equality only to satisfy their own feeling of moral superiority. A baizuo only cares about topics such as immigration, minorities, LGBT and the environment while being obsessed with political correctness to the extent that they import backwards Islamic values for the sake of multiculturalism.

    The Chinese see the baizuo as ignorant and arrogant westerners who pity the rest of the world and think they are saviours.
    Justin Trudeau’s worldview is a low-resolution caricature of an adult’s worldview.

    “Oh yeah. He’s a total BAIZUO.”
    by ROCKSTEIN February 17, 2018″

    From the online Urban Dictionary. My new favourite word.

       16 likes

    • Old Goat says:

      A recent example was Blinken’s “performance” at Anchorage.
      God knows what the Chinese thought, as most western commentators think it was dire.

         11 likes

  34. StewGreen says:

    Sargon video ‘Bristol is Britain’s Portland
    A city run by lefties
    who kow tow to antifa-types
    eg stand by while people topple a statue
    ..and get no real punishment

    The local politicians stirring up hate for the establishment and “let protesters get away with it” approach, leads overtime to the situation escalating to become molotov cocktails, burnings

    Starmer “Black Lives Matter is a million miles away from the lawlessness we saw in Bristol”

       20 likes

  35. StewGreen says:

    Torquay Devon PC Geraint Jones case : The trial of a British police officer facing criminal charges for sharing an “offensive meme” of George Floyd on a *private* Whatsapp group May 30 has begun, and the court is expected to deliver its verdict next month.

    Someone replaced the kneeling cop with the picture of a famous naked black man
    and one person was offended
    and it is illegal under Tony Blair’s law to put something on the internet someone finds offensive apparently.

    The case is adjourned until April 21 with the Judge saying that there “are a lot of things” she needs to consider before she can deliver her judgment.

    Custody Sergeant Geraint Jones is on trial after he sent a meme photoshopped with an image of African-American man Wardy Joubert III posing naked.
    Joubert III was an American preacher and football coach who became an internet meme in 2012 after he was pictured sitting on a bed naked. He also starred in adult videos as a side profession.
    https://sputniknews.com/uk/202103201082403706-uk-police-officer-on-trial-over-meme-showing-naked-black-man-kneeling-on-george-floyds-neck/

    Is that really proportionate use of court time ?

       21 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      It is kind of ironic libmob have put so much effort into sanctifying Saint Floyd #WhiteManBad
      Then moved on to politicising Sarah Everard’s death cos she was killed allegedly by a policeman, and somehow all men are responsible. #WhiteManBad

      George Floyd who robbed a pregnant woman alone in her own home by holding a gun to her stomach
      ..so no exactly a symbol of safety to women.

      Jay Beecher “And thanks to BLM campaigning re George Floyd, some of the streets women say are unsafe for them now have memorials to a man who once held a pregnant woman up at gunpoint. ”

      BBC : 15th Feb George Floyd: Manchester mural ‘defaced by racists’ for second time
      (They’re quoting a councillor who doesn’t know who did the defacing)
      Last year someone sprayed it with the N-word
      ..that’s not unexpected thing for a vandal who wants a big effect for an easy effort
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-56073803
      Who authorised that mural in the first place ?
      No one apparently it was street graffiti that just “appeared” one June 2, 2020
      https://aboutmanchester.co.uk/mural-in-tribute-to-george-floyd-appears-in-city-centre/

      Ewb-S0CWUAE9c8X?format=png&name=small

         15 likes

    • Dover Sentry says:

      And if the trial of the US police officer finds him not guilty, then what?

         9 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Stew – yes it is good use of valuable court time . Any unapproved personal expression must be stamped on .

      There can be only one way -forward together in an approved way – in case any one takes ‘ offence ‘.

      I m waiting for the next public order law of ‘ preventing upset’ in a public or private place …

      This plod must be fired and any offspring taken into care . His family must go to the gulag and his neighbours be put on the ‘ watch’ list for the sake of ‘ community safety ‘ ….
      Just checking your thinking ….

         9 likes

    • Kaiser says:

      a private whats app group of 6

      2 of whom replied with lols

      1 of whom went running to senior officers to report the “crime”

      lets hope that 1 nark no longer has any friends, after all who could trust them now

         13 likes

  36. Fedup2 says:

    Im sorry if this offends anyone – but im not doing a ‘minute silence’ or ‘lighting a candle on the door step’ – no clapping – nothing .
    Such acts might make some people feel better because of their circumstances- but to me it is just socialist conditioning .

       59 likes

    • Old Goat says:

      Of course it is, and he majority of the gullible sheeple appear to be susceptible to it, more’s the pity.

         22 likes

    • Ian Rushlow says:

      Germany 1938: “A big thank you to all those who came forward to the authorities to report undesirables living in their neighbourhood. Please start clapping!”

      USSR 1968: “It has been a record year for tractor production in the Soviet Union. Show your gratitude to your comrades – please start clapping!”

      North Korea 1998: “We have more food than any other country. We condemn western imperialist liars who say 2 million have died in a famine. Please start clapping!”

      UK 2028: “It’s been nearly 6 years since anyone caught Covid in the UK. However, experts say it could return at any moment and kill millions, so we must maintain our lockdown and protect the recently privatised NHS. Please start clapping!”

         29 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        Ian – lets have a ‘ daily clap ‘ and the first one to stop gets ‘ re educated ‘ . We are all in it together ….

           15 likes

  37. theisland says:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/22/watch-livearmy-numbers-cut-smallest-history-overhaul-armed-forces/

    The review comes amid heavy criticism from military experts and MPs across the house who have warned against cuts to conventional warfighting capabilities.

    Most of the comments recognise the folly of this.

    “Wanted: an actual Conservative Government. If anybody knows where there is one, please let me know!”

    “The biggest threat to our Military and our safety is our own Government.”

    Small enough for the EU to be comfortable with

       24 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      A lot of black guys have traditionally gone into the army ..and Sikhs.
      So isn’t reducing the size of the army racist ?
      as it reduces job opportunities for them.

         19 likes

  38. Guest Who says:

    One for @BBC Trending, or still on feet?

       7 likes

  39. Guest Who says:

    Ms. Spring?

       15 likes

  40. Guest Who says:

    Qu: What links the Fail, Graun, BBC and Sir Kneel?

       15 likes

    • Tabs says:

      The fact that the start of the UK lockdown last year and the start of the pandemic are 4 months apart is lost on them.

         15 likes

  41. G says:

    Twato today: Lady Brooke introduces, ‘Vijay’ to read the news and following him, their specialist reporter, Faisal Islam reports. Next, first ‘external’ interviewee is the owner of a visiting carers service – an Asian – talking about her business………………

    On realisation, I checked whether I was inadvertently on World Service: reports complements of Mumbai or somewhere similar.

    ‘Off’ button post haste

       31 likes

  42. StewGreen says:

    4pm R4 Book show , as usual nowhere near 85% white
    Ah they are maybe catching the two next episodes do seem to be white guests

       4 likes

  43. LastChanceSaloon says:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-56494701
    Shrewsbury 24: Court of Appeal clears picketers’ convictions
    2021-03-23 12:00

    “We were innocent all along”

    The “Scab” whose ladder was kicked from under him, who fell 20 feet, it must have been an act of God.

    Ricky Tomlinson was inches away.

    The same God who threw a block of concrete from a bridge during the miner’s strike, killed another “Scab” driving a lorry.

    Lord Justice Fulford says “verdict unsafe”. I bet.

    From Wikipedia
    “Fulford had been a supporter of the Pedophile Information Exchange”
    “Nominated by Tony Blair”

    Just like Rosenberg, Hiss, Lenin, all innocent.

    Fortunately, the “pickets” were unable to find any “Scabs” when they broke down the fence on the site I worked on. Just us staff members.

    They turned all the desks, chairs and filing cabinets upside down. Fortunately the chairs were not twenty feet high.

       13 likes

  44. BRISSLES says:

    Calls are being made for a Pandemic Memorial Day to be created on this day every year. Well, there seems to be a ‘day’ for everything now, wasn’t it ‘International Happiness Day’ last week ? Then we had International Women’s Day last month. At this rate there’ll be just a few spaces left in the Annual Day business !

    I want 16th March to be “Central Heating Repaired Day” – after waiting ONE month for British Gas to send an engineer out, I finally had hot water and heating on this day 2021 !!! (well I’m getting the Scotch out anyway)

       23 likes

  45. StewGreen says:

    \\ After a four year break from Islamic terror under President Trump,
    ISIS sympathiser Ahmad Al-Issa
    is charged with 10 counts of murder in #Boulder, Colorado.//

    Twitter has a news story page
    His name is not on it

    A top Democrat supporter tweets

       12 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Phew, BBC Crisis Management PR is on it.

      See… ‘mental problems’.

      A quick review beyond the BBC does suggest a few other factors.

      Maybe Shayan was told not to check too much?

         13 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Meanwhile a usually US obsessed BbC here has…

      “Lockdown isolation helped Nathan, 19, come out as LGBT.”

      Quite the achievement for a young lad.

         15 likes

  46. StewGreen says:

    YouTube suggests that I should watch This impression of James O’Brien

    – 10 mins of Laurence Fox on the Rubin report

    – 2017 Youtube put the Rebel News on restricted advertising
    was $400K/year
    now suddenly YouTube Demonetized Rebel News completely
    .. The Channel has no strikes
    Youtube did claim “the harmful or dangerous acts rule” was being broken
    but refused to cite any specific infractions
    he hint was they had on people who criticized lockdowns.

    They had reapplied for authorisation 2 months ago.. and had been accepted.

       8 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Well last night they put out a video “After seeing the reports from Montreal last weekend, Rebel News determined we needed a team on the ground in Quebec this weekend to cover the protests against COVID restrictions in Montreal. ”
      The had media accreditation and drove in town at night filming
      Montreal police stopped them and said they didn’t care about their media accreditation
      And gave them $6,000 of on the spot fines ($1,500 each)

         14 likes

  47. Tabs says:

    Just seen on the BBC News channel a video interview with Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth who said, “…with climate change we are going to see more pandemics.”

    Not challenged at all allowed to go out live with no fact checking.

       30 likes

  48. vlad says:

    The BBC’s latest shenanigans and machinations to silence Alex Belfield with an NDA. But he’s having none of it: he wants his day in court.

    Up yours BBC.

       14 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      A 6 minute 24 second illogical rant .

      I got to 5 minutes before deciding life is too short .

      This character is not ‘the voice of reason ‘ – he is just so up himself that any validity of any claim he make just washes away .
      If he has a case he isn’t much good at calmly telling poor devils like me who bother to listen – but never ever again

      – and vlad – think about whether there is a better way to recount what this character is saying – I will never ever listen to him again …

         5 likes

      • Banania says:

        He will keep going on about the Eric Gill sculpture on Broadcasting House. Eric Gill was unsavoury but he did some good work, and that sculpture is fine; I wish he would shut up about it.

           3 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      I do understand it, cos I am familiar with the backstory.
      It’s a wake me up when something actually happens thing.
      AB is a dramaqueen so he turns a mild thing into a great drama.
      What is happening is just normal BBC corporate lawyer stuff;
      first they play hardball hoping you’ll submit.
      You have to be tough back, then as ever they try to string it out
      ..Then later it’ll either get to court or they will realise and cut their losses, probably not cos they are afraid to signal to others, so they’ll chuck more money at it.
      It’s not the biggest deal , jus BBC getting drawn in to wasting a hell of a lot of money over playground stuff.
      Look how they played Cliff Richard.

      (it takes me 2.5 minutes to watch
      cos I always skip the first minute summary and watch the rest at double speed)

         1 likes

  49. StewGreen says:

    7 min video from those evil deniers at Sky News Australia
    Weather and Ice Age Watch: Ancient mass grave attributed to climate change
    … it’s a summary of recent attributions
    and recent cold weather

       8 likes