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Midweek 23 February 2022
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- Zephir Nov 2, 12:34
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Funny how in GB News world there is no news in any county south of the Midlands. Nothing happens in… - atlas_shrugged Nov 2, 12:24
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Jewish and European lives don’t matter: https://twitter.com/i/status/1851913585393316264 - Lazy Cat Nov 2, 12:23
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One hopes for a judicial reckoning for Starmer one day. - Zephir Nov 2, 12:15
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If you don’t have a drive, don’t get an EV…. “I’ve lost £7k after the council banned me from charging… - Zephir Nov 2, 12:13
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Further to the above, in Germany: “Father ‘impregnates his 12-year-old daughter while living together at refugee accommodation, forcing her to… - Deborah Nov 2, 12:04
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Last night on GBNews was a report of a 13 year old girl in East Yorkshire who was attacked by… - Fedup2 Nov 2, 12:00
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Yep – never plead guilty – and just remember the system is a game for everyone apart from the accused…
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Rod Liddle and Dan Wootton discuss the exodus of ‘talent’ from the BBC. (I use the word ‘talent’ loosely. Very loosely.)
Basically they put a well aimed boot into the beeb’s backside.
I was going to say ba**s but the beeb don’t have any.
Let us hope that Rod’s prediction that the days of BBC News are numbered. The sooner the better.
“ Russia announces special military operation in Donbas”
Well what a surprise: Pathetic Joe didn’t deter Mad Vlad.
Vlad – have a word with your namesake ….
The snowflakes and the wokes and the liberals and the lefty stop the war traitors may all go strangely quiet as reality of death and destruction hits in 2022.
Maybe even america will notice but since it’s a long way away won’t care or do anything . But perhaps Americans will notice that Biden has presided over shame in Afgee and now far worse in Europe ….
….time to Pray ….
There s a War Thread – never thought I’d be putting something like that up …
Meanwhile – Fidel Truedoe has withdrawn the Emergency Powers Act which crushed dissent in Canada – the MPs who backed him 48 hours ago need to be remembered and punished by the woke electorate ….
TOADY Watch #1 – in which the BBC tries to make their gratuitous waste of taxpayer money and increased CO2 ….
…. seem important to the R4 listener. Nick Robinson goes unnecessarily to Keeev and another Beeboid (sorry forgotten name already – fog of war with Simon in the Ssssst tooodio) – unnecessarily plays sound of air raid siren. Everyone of a certain age (and even young people who have watched war films and documentaries) knows what they are and sound like. Beeboid 3 (Nick) talks to Beeboid 2 about what they haven’t heard and haven’t seen.
Beeboid 3 (Nick) talks to Beeboid 1 (Lyse Doucet) who has been in Keeev for sometime (experienced War Correspondent – note the capital letters – you know) gabbles at a Spike Milligan rate of 300 words a minute. Poor dear is shell shocked already (by the shelling that hasn’t happened yet) and hyperventilates in fear for the listener.
I switch off.
Serious times demand serious people in positions of power and responsibility. Including media.
Yes yes but wot about the Parties?
Will the betis v zenit match go on?
Did spurs really lose ?..
Maybe the media might ponder the wisdom of uncritically backing idiots and, in the case of The Mirror’s Pippa and ITV’s Brando, endlessly obsessing about cake when the clowns in charge we currently have here are trying to deal with stuff.
At least they are not Abbott. Small mercies.
Keef? I think it is now spelt Chennai.
Holding power to account.
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/licence-fee-non-payment-the-bbc-lets-the-cat-out-of-the-bag/
A more venal gaggle of weasels, overseen by OFCOM, dcms, nads and, ultimately, nut nut’s will warmer… hard to imagine.
Bizarre that many Canadian liberal journos were backed by tens of thousands of their supporters
when they made the obvious false claim that Ottawa police didn’t draw guns.
https://www.canadaland.com/canada-does-not-want-to-see-itself-this-way/
The June 2020 bbcNews article is surprisingly fair to Baden Powell
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-53007902
It seems to accurately quote the historian mentioned who is in the Telegraph video.
Another issue was that Powell had designed a swastika reward badge that was used for 6 months.
However that was years before the swastika had any Nazi connection, rather it was an innocent symbol.
The December 2000 Radio 4 documentary “Camping with Hitler” seems to have been removed from the BBC website.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1376716/MI5-feared-Hitler-Youth-was-recruiting-Britains-Scouts.html
There may be a Kipling link here: Kipling used that emblem on the binding of his books – I think he had adopted it during his residence in Indis – and of course Kipling’s Jungle Book mythology was incorporated into the Wolf Cubs.
CBC makes the BBC look almost impartial.
Almost. For the BBC is currently not on the news front map.
“Lubov Chernukhin, the wife of a former minister in Putin’s government, and energy firm chief Alexander Temerko have donated thousands of pounds to Conservative MPs.”
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-report-donors-boris-johnson-conservative-party-2020-7?r=US&IR=T
The report said Russian influence at the highest levels of society was “the new normal.”
MM, they can’t donate if they are not on the Electoral Register. If they are on the Electoral Register then that means a Civil Serpent has given those two the ‘Right to Remain’ and they may have obtained permanent residency status or even have become British subjects.
Suppose you can funnel through watches and cars!
A type 0 battelaxe weighs in.
Who is the fascist ?
Emma Kenny did a hate tweet
that puts the lives of her targets in danger
Tuesday afternoon Gay Times did a “sources say” article that claims gays may be among those Putin might take to concentration camps.
Thursday gay ITV reporter promoted that article
Thursday Emma Kenny retweets that
but then adds a second tweet that makes a HUGE accusation that Farage, Banks, Daubney are Putin apologists
yet offers no evidence of that.
Then thirdly slags off GBnews
She didn’t get the idea out of nowhere
Byline Times remainiac cultists
have been tweeting that exact phrase “Farage, Banks, Daubney” since Tuesday
after a Bylines Times reporter Adam Bienkov said that Daubney predicting a Russian invasion, counted as him supporting a Russian invasion.
whereas Daubney was clearly calling for greater action again Putin, but action that didn’t give him excuses to claim victimhood.
… https://www.twitter.com/AdamBienkov/status/1496072271819165697
Jeremy Corbyn may no longer be Labour leader but he’s still parroting the Kremlin’s lines. It seems like just yesterday the former Leader of the Opposition was accused of siding with Moscow over the Skripal poisonings, having suggested that Novichok samples from the Salisbury attack should be handed over to Russia. Undeterred by the opprobrium he received in 2018, the Islington North MP is one of the usual suspects arguing that the current crisis in Ukraine is the result of – shock, horror! – those dastardly democracies in the West.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/jeremy-corbyn-sides-with-russia-again-
Replying to
@andrewsberry68
@andrewsberry68
Try Russia Today. Free of Royal Wedding and more objective on Libya than most
9:09 AM · Apr 26, 2011·Twitter Web Client
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Re Emma Kennedy Would it upset her to learn I had to Google who she was?
Record number of LGBT characters on US TV, study says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-60429942
Under the section ‘Room for Improvement’:
Characters with HIV were found to be rarely represented.
I notice the elephant in the room – how it is grossly higher than the percentage of LGBT in society – is not mentioned.
I know I keep saying it, but I’m continually stunned by what complete hypocrites these people are.
According to racial equality activist Richard Lapchick, the NBA in 2020 was composed of 74.2 percent black players, 16.9 percent white players, 2.2 percent Latino players of any race, and 0.4 percent Asian players.
The study found that 97.4% of men identified as heterosexual, 1.6% as homosexual and 0.9% as bisexual. For women 97.7% identified as heterosexual, 0.8% as lesbian and 1.4% as bisexual.
“Director General-This is BIG BROTHER from the Diversity
Department.” If we are to cover this collateral damage in
Ukraine extensively . We must present more diversity
than we are showing now on the BBC. Sending Clive
Myrie is a good start. But I want to see more
inclusivity in interviews with experts in the field and
the general republic.” ” Big Brother I fully take on what
you are saying. But Kiev is not like London. There are not
thousands of women walking around in burkas to
interview. I promise you that we will try and use as little
as possible any pale stale males to discuss the issues. But
please understand that this is difficult. ” ” Ok Director General
but i will be watching you.”
Kyle Rittenhouse to Sue “Politicians, Celebrities, Athletes,” Launch Foundation to Hold Media Accountable
Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of all charges stemming from a Kenosha shooting in 2020, announced his plans to sue for defamation those who labeled him a murderer and a white supremacist. During an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, the 19-year-old said , “We are looking at quite a few politicians, celebrities, athletes, Whoopi Goldberg is on the list. She called me a murderer after I was acquitted by a jury of my peers.” Rittenhouse also mentioned Cenk Uygur from The Young Turks as a potential target of legal action for continuing to call him a murderer after jurors found him not guilty.
Rittenhouse also plans to create a foundation, The Media Accountability Project, as “the official fundraising vehicle for holding the worst offenders in our activist media accountable in court.”
“In the long term, I want to provide a platform for independent journalists who are actually committed to the truth, but for right now, accountability is priority No. 1.”
When will Ukraine start fighting back?
Or was all that training and free weaponry gone to waste?
We are only going to get told what it is deemed in the interests of the agenda to tell us. At the moment is is ‘The Russian Agressor’.
The heroic underdog chapter will come later. Particularly if they can get pictures of any women holding rifles in trenches.
Later it will be how badly the women are being treated. Maybe the odd interview with a schoolgirl who can’t go to school at the moment. But you can be sure the deaths of the true heros – the male soldiers doing the fighting – will barely merit a mention.
What I look for these days is a common theme across all the media. For example, how they all suddenly started writing ‘false claims’ for Trump at the same time, even when they couldn’t know it was false. They have all been avoiding any mention of the root cause of this crisis : wooing Ukraine to join the EU and NATO right on Russias border. They knew this would happen. Will the EU feel it has a moral obligation to step in or will Ukraine be left to it’s fate ?.
On 4 June, the insurgents began their efforts to capture Mosul. The Iraqi army officially had 30,000 soldiers and another 30,000 federal police stationed in the city, facing a 1,500-member attacking force. The Iraqi forces’ actual numbers were much lower due to ghost soldiers, severely reducing combat ability.[10] After six days of combat and massive desertions, Iraqi soldiers received orders to retreat. The city of Mosul, including Mosul International Airport and the helicopters located there, all fell under ISIL’s control. An estimated 500,000 civilians fled from the city.
If the old fool in the White House hadn’t left billions of dollars worth of weaponry in Afghanistan, he might have had a few bits and pieces to offer the Ukrainians, but all he seems to do is follow nutters like Macron!
Luckily, Boris is the most prominent politician with a grasp on the situation, and his ‘Falklands war’ is just starting!
The mid-terms will show the US where they went wrong, but sadly The Ukraine will not be saved by then.
Mahyar Tousi : Andrew Neil’s Biggest hypocrisy EXPOSED After Joining Channel 4 News
Surely it’s the Fox News of the left = Lefty Fourx News
… https://youtu.be/epJUWSnX-X8
I made a comment on a bBC webpage forum, my comment was removed by the bBC, all I mentioned was “go woke”
The amount of times people are allowed to slag Boris off and these comments are never removed
3 mins hate is only allowed for those who hate the correct haters.
Rather like Mike Wendling of The BBC justifying blocking on a BBC account for people being ‘political’.
As opposed to ‘not finding their voice’ as current staff do. Apparently.
He epitomises what Rod was referring to. And yet is employed and in charge.
Getty excels itself.
Why that particular picture?
I thought it odd that people are saying don’t fly and Bezo goes to space in a penis shaped rocket.
That’s a classic BBC ‘f*ck you’ aimed at people like us.
Hello Guest, I wonder if the figures for “ditching” air travel, were taken during covid and the lockdown, typical bBC reporting, not biased
Just the default BBC internet general public image.
How do I put this?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-60512449?
Cambridge Beer Festival cancelled due to Covid and Brexit
Desperate, even for the BBC.
Cambridge Beer Festival cancelled due to Covid and Brexit
“A combination of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and other factors have led to unresolvable supply chain issues for critical elements of the festival infrastructure,” organisers said on Twitter.
Omission …”and other factors” is the “and other factors ” greatest “and other factors ” lie
Tonight’s TV
BBC1 ..local news got moved to 7pm
but The BBC consider The One Show so vital they moved it to BBC2 and cancelled the normal 7-8pm show
9pm We Are Black and British
Six black Britons from very different backgrounds and viewpoints come together under one roof,
at a time when race and racism in the UK has sparked a nationwide discussion about what needs to change.
Including a political commentator, security guard mother of two, drill rapper,
– university professor Kehinde Andrews has a revolutionary idea black only workplaces … isn’t the BBC piloting that ?
– NHS doctor feels pressured to only marry within “the black community” (doh there is no such thing, the term is racist)
– litigation contractor who is mixed race says she gets racism from both sides of her family
https://fass.open.ac.uk/economics/news/new-bbctwo-series-we-are-black-and-british
11pm Channel4 ep1/3 Documentary about Putin
Russel Brand videos are routinely getting 1million, 1.5 even 2 million views
Yesterday’s has 0.5m already .. https://youtu.be/WUdg-qn7WjE
and he’s easily selling out theatres at £33 a show.
I don’t like him and see he can be a wacky conspiracy theorist, but free speech and all that.
Meanwhile Tony Heller basically says YouTube fascist
’40 million views yet now they routinely demonitise my videos ..heres a list of all the other platforms I’ll be on … Newtube.app … ”
.. https://youtu.be/0i4V37FRXTo
.. https://newtube.app/TonyHeller
Maybe Global should hire him instead of two aging luvvies who few listen to?
Thursday night was troll night but the infantile cut and paste on race ( yawn) seems a bit trivial in the face of a war which could kick off bigly … but what should be expected from a woke kidult ….
Anyway Toady Watch
Ukraine is a long way away but distance doesn’t prevent the transmission of ‘Robinson’s war ‘…. He has his flak jacket on – he is in his happy place – and could even be a POW by next week.
Every time the air raid alarm goes off Robinson gets on a ‘high’ ….
…and has the cheek to go on about ‘should ‘we’ have seen this coming ‘ – no Nick – you were too busy with your vile BBC playing swamp games about trivia around parties and Chinese virus restrictions and for ever running anti Brexit propaganda ….
How long will it be before the BBC gets bored with Ukraine ?
maxi holds another masterclass in nit-picking and pedantry.
We can take the fact he NEVER responds to the real meat of what we accuse the BBC of as evidence he has no argument against it.
I often wonder what kind of person is happy to be a blatant troll like he is. It’s an unpleasant, thankless job driven by hate and spite. And it won’t end there : it’s how he will live his entire life. We should pity him.
You can be sure the BBC will weave their agenda in with human tragedy at every opportunity. I’m quite certain they are oblivious to their role in enabling it to happen.
JohnC
I agree – it is just thoughtless metro froth but it gets comfort from being recognised and written about . It’s like the phenomenon of people who get confidence from ‘upticks ‘ because they really are not sure about themselves ….
…. As for the domestic situation – as I said before – I wonder how long it will be before the likes of the BBC trash get bored with Ukraine .?
I’m guessing it will be when the party investigation / gray report is published .. which I reckon is next week ( via referall to the CPS ) .
Personally I don’t give a damn about wine and cheese and this sort of trivia – blown up by emotional lefty kidults .
I’m more interested in whether the west show a real reaction to Putin by cutting off Russia completely – including no oil or gas or anything to do with his country …
Otherwise sanctions are just meaningless noise….
I heard a bit of the commons coverage from yesterday – the likes of Eddie Davey saying there needs to be a bigger army ?as they sayWTF?
Fed, am with you in not being fussed about ‘Partygate’ anymore but we should recognise it for what it was. It was a coup organised by Remainer elements in the BBC, the print media, especially the Mirror and the Guardian and the Civil Service with a compliant Labour Party with an ineffective leader, against Boris Johnson. They were hoping to remove a democratically elected leader of a Government with a democratic mandate that extended to an 80 seat majority in Parliament.
bBC goes to Russia to chat to people…
Comments from people..
These two friends were still trying to absorb what has happened.
This man said he and his friends felt ashamed by the government’s actions.
This woman said politicians were thinking of themselves rather than the public.
This man was unusually vocal about his opposition to Putin.
Selective interviewing, or maybe just biased
Hotlips Dead .RIP
It’s Sally Kellerman, who played the part in the original film, Fed! Great film it was too!
She was 84, and had dementia!
Loretta Swit is still going strong apparently – good for her, she’s fabulous in M*A*S*H!
Scrob
Yes – was appalled when swit took over the role and mash turned into something different …
BBC sent a delegation from Stonewall yet to join Toenails with his armoured butt plug helmet?
Bryant against the Russians – sums up blighty at the moment ..
…i wonder if the Labour ‘stop the war ‘ traitors will get much airtime – apart from on RT of course
10 March 2021, received £2,000 for speaking at an LGBTQ+ webinar on my book, from Goldman Sachs International, Plumtree Court, 25 Shoe Lane, London EC4A 4AU. Hours: 2 hrs. (Registered 15 March 2021)
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10761/chris_bryant/rhondda#register
If Lammy and Abbott do not get on Bryan’t case about this there will be a riot. Mostly peaceful. Maybe a few toppled statues.
Turn heterosexual?
Sex worker?
Sigh…
Labour MP is told she is ‘historically wrong, factually wrong and morally wrong’ to make comparison between Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Israel and Palestine
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10548723/Labour-MP-told-morally-wrong-compare-Ukraine-invasion-Palestine.html
The stinking putrid left are using this conflict to blame Brexit and anything else they can think of in their sick and twisted minds
EU should invade UK to stop it being independent?
Meghan and the PRettes?
The enemy of Vile’s enemy might be vile, but…
He and Toenails should do a Two Knobs routine.
Pay BBC license or pay for heating.
Maybe Jez, Marianna and gang should try ITBB?
https://isthebbcbiased.blogspot.com/2022/02/february-open-thread.html#
H/t Robnotts
Interestingly, as suspected the report mentioned has already been updated, now reading:
‘However, Russia has not been banned from the Swift global inter-bank payments system, as Ukraine’s foreign minister has urged countries to do.’
Though there is now also an indented ‘Reality Check’ (sic) via Chris Morris who does reference that the UK support the suspension, but ‘some European countries fear it could damage their own banks.’ NOTE: European NOT EU obviously
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/366ed63469a02f04b6c6af25a4f9f82a52c98700b059b6cda0f76364fd258fb2.png
***
The degree of BBC propaganda and ‘not news’ in this is astounding.
Protected under group names – EUropean – why not list the countries?
There are 2 BBC pages that guy mentions
The Live page
And https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60515626
8 edit stages : https://www.newssniffer.co.uk/articles/2270821/diff/0/1
There is also
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60521822
That starts
“The UK repeated calls on Friday for Russia to be banned from the Swift payment network, which is pivotal for the smooth transaction of money worldwide.”
Twitter comments
Interesting that @BBCNews doesn’t want to name Germany as the country blocking the SWIFT disconnect for Russia.
Dear @vicderbyshire, SWIFT is not a “massive financial system”. It’s a messaging system.
Could @BBCNews please stop spreading the myth that SWIFT makes payments? SWIFT sends payment instructions and confirmations, but the actual money is transferred by central bank RTGS systems.
That FALSE phrase
#1 But Mr Johnson did not say that the UK would ban Russia from the Swift global inter-bank payments system, as Ukraine’s foreign minister has urged countries to do.
was in edit 1 and 2
but at edit 3 was REMOVED
At the same time this phrase was added down the page
#2 However, Russia has not been banned from the Swift global inter-bank payments system, as Ukraine’s foreign minister has urged countries to do.
Then that was changed between edit3/4 to
#3 Mr Johnson said the UK and its allies’ mission was to ensure through diplomatic, economic, and eventually military means that the “hideous and barbarous venture of Mr Putin” ended in failure.
The Reality Check bit was added at stage 2 and kept in
#4 “And the Ukrainian government wanted more – in particular moves to disconnect Russia from the international payment system known as Swift. The US and the UK back such a move, but some European countries fear it could damage their own banks.”
So you can see at edit 2
The page contained BOTH those contracting phrases #1 & #4
The page doesn’t use the words EU, European Union, nor Germany.
TOADY Watch #1 – in which the large kettle calls the pot black
I listened to TOADY from just 6.30 to 7 a.m. and in the clip from Parliament yesterday there was a wonderfully ironic and humourous moment when Ian Blackford MP, leader of the SNP in Parliament, called Vladimir Putin a Nazi, a National Socialist.
So, Ian Blackford, do you agree that the First Minister in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, is a Nazi? Not the sort of question that a BBC presenter will ask although maybe Nick Robinson, after he has over-dosed on adrenaline in Kyiv, will put on his flak jacket again in Broadcasting House and ask Blackford that very question?
MI5 file links former SNP leader to Nazi plan
THE former SNP leader Arthur Donaldson plotted to set up a puppet Nazi government in Scotland, according to a recently released wartime spy report.
By The Newsroom
Monday, 7th November 2005
Zelensky leaves Ukraine, heading to Munich to rally Western support.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/19/world/europe/ukraines-president-is-leaving-the-country-to-rally-western-support.html
Much of the international community has condemned the Russian assault, with G7 leaders calling it an “unprovoked and completely unjustified” that violates international law.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/19/world/europe/ukraines-president-is-leaving-the-country-to-rally-western-support.html
Germany’s economy minister said the country could do without Russian gas. But that won’t be easy. Europe’s industrial powerhouse (GErMANY) currently relies on Russia’s Gazprom PJSC for more than half its gas. And if anything, demand will only grow as the country phases out nuclear and coal-fired electricity.2 days ago
Despite widespread condemnation of the Russian military aggression, some EU countries were split over sanctions. Germany, Italy and Cyprus are believed to want to leave some measures out of the first package of sanctions.
Before Russia launched its invasion, Germany suspended the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on Tuesday, which was going to supply cheaper Russian gas to Germany.
For Germany, halting the pipeline was an unpopular domestic move in the northern region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which was going to be the landfall site for the gas line.
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/russia-ukraine-war-sanctions-europe-putin-measures-hurt-us-too-1482168
#YouAndYours on @BBCradio4 doing their “rent your tech” item
That sounds very WEF “you will own nothing”
BBC goes along cos they are addicted to pushing fake Green religion of “shop yourself green”
They have Dan Sodergreen their black expert https://twitter.com/dansodergren/status/1496841898106839044
Rent your body to prostitution?
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/you-believe-you-entitled-sex-23218317
No words for this other than my utter contempt at the cowardly useless incompetent Tories for allowing him and his family to remain in Britain and claim benefits while he is in prison. A civilised country would immediately deport him and his family regardless of their privations as he is a clear danger to women in the UK.
‘The real reason for the BBC brain drain – ‘from the DT
STARTS
The sweater was a mischievous move. In a publicity shot announcing that she and Jon Sopel were quitting the BBC for Global radio, Emily Maitlis chose a £300 Bella Freud jumper bearing the slogan “Oh!” That was indeed the reaction at New Broadcasting House, where BBC bosses were startled by the news that two of their biggest names were heading for the exit.
They are the latest presenters to join the exodus: Andrew Marr is another recent signing to Global, Andrew Neil left in 2020. With Huw Edwards dropping heavy hints that he is in the market for a new job, Amol Rajan being courted by ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Emma Barnett leaving Newsnight, and Laura Kuenssberg stepping down from her political editor role (she will remain with the BBC, but who knows for how long), BBC News is facing a brain drain.
Insiders point to several reasons why top “talent”, as presenters are known in the industry, have had enough of the BBC. Director-general Tim Davie’s strict new rules on impartiality are endlessly frustrating for presenters itching to share their opinions on political issues of the day.
“I rose in journalism as a reporter and commentator in the fiercely competitive commercial world, where you could say anything you like,” Marr said recently. In his resignation statement, he said pointedly: “I am keen to get my own voice back.”
In Maitlis’s case, this was even more of a constraint. She was regularly and publicly admonished by BBC management for breaching the rules. Mostly, this was down to her use of social media, but famously spilled on to television when she opened an edition of Newsnight with a scorching monologue about Dominic Cummings. Davie may be quietly relieved to be rid of this particular problem, but as one source put it: “Emily brought in the interview of the decade with her Prince Andrew scoop. It’s a big loss.”
Mary Greenham, an agent who counts Marr and Sopel among her clients, said: “There are complex reasons for leaving the BBC when you have been there for a long time. It comes down to a combination of ambition, more opportunities and freedom.” Simon McCoy, a newsreader who left the Corporation last year for GB News, reflected on the loss of seasoned talent: “For a long time, there was a sense of ‘we are the best’. As senior people leave to go to other places, that sense of indomitability is damaged amongst younger people who work there. When you have a BBC lifer like Jon Sopel going elsewhere, it’s quite a strong message: this is not necessarily a career-long destination.”
The director-general’s crackdown on external speaking engagements for presenters and the decision to move journalists to regional “hubs” in an attempt to appear less London-centric, has led to a deeper disquiet among staff. “There is a feeling: does Tim Davie really have our backs?” said one. “He announces all of these things that feel like sops to the Government, whereas staff want to feel that he 100 per cent has our interests at heart. At the moment, it doesn’t feel that way.”
Meanwhile, the scrapping of more than 500 BBC News jobs, part of an £800 million savings package, has led to understandable anger. “Management asked for people to take voluntary redundancy and they’re not bothered where they come from. They’ve got a few people they care desperately about, and never mind the rest. It’s a strange atmosphere.”
was also slow to wake up to the popularity of podcasts. Maitlis and Sopel will co-host an LBC show but their excitement is focused on a podcast planned for the Global Player app. Dino Sofos, who produced their US politics podcast, Americast, for BBC Sounds, will executive produce this one through his own company. Sofos quit the BBC last year.
“At the same time that it’s losing top people like Maitlis and Sopel, it’s also losing the next generation of talent like Sofos,” said one former executive. “That’s a real problem for an organisation that is trying to attract young audiences.” Americast was the fifth most listened-to podcast on BBC Sounds last year, behind Fortunately, presented by Fi Glover and Jane Garvey, and You’re Dead To Me, from the historian Greg Jenner. Sue Ayton, agent for Garvey and Jenner, said the BBC “were quite late to acknowledge” the popularity of the medium.
Ayton also pointed to another reason why presenters are looking beyond the BBC: a re-evaluation of their lives during lockdown, and the realisation that they can have portfolio careers. She pointed to Garvey, who left Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour in 2020 after 13 years and is now involved in projects across different media.
“It used to be the case that people would only leave for the security of another full-time job. But there are so many opportunities now,” she said.
A former BBC star agreed, saying: “There is life outside the BBC. Ten years ago, that might not have been true.” And there is, lest we forget, the money. Maitlis and Sopel may have been paid handsomely by the BBC, but their Global deal is worth significantly more. Not that we will ever know: another advantage to life outside the BBC is that wages are a private matter.
ENDS
( in the comments some said “brain “?)