Author Archives: David Vance

CZECH MATE

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A B-BBC reader notes;

“The BBC claims here that the President, Prime Minister and people of the Czech Republic are all against the pact.

“The country’s influential – and Eurosceptic – president, Vaclav Klaus, has already told Mr Necas he will not sign Czech accession to the fiscal compact. So even if the Czech prime minister wanted to join it (he doesn’t), the president would not let him.” “even if the Czech people were in favour of more budgetary oversight from Brussels (they are not), simply organising a referendum could take months, possibly years.”

But then the BBC attributes the rejection to Mr Necas’s Civic Democrats..

 “…who are, like Britain’s Conservatives, deeply divided over Europe. Like the Tories, the Civic Democrats are plagued by a right-wing, viscerally Eurosceptic fringe.”

I don’t know if what they say about Czech politics is accurate or not, but I do know that opinion polls show a clear and consistent majority of Britons opposed to the EU. To the BBC however MPs who represent the majority constitute a plague and visceral fringe. The BBC’s choice of phrasing tells you everything you need to know about where they are coming from on the EU issue. They don’t seem to be at all aware that their blind obedience to the Brussels agenda shows that it is they who form the visceral fringe of opinion.” 

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SHREDDING FRED…

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Ok, I think it is important to be fair and I have to say that I thought this discussion regarding the de-Knighting of Fred Goodwin was in fact pretty balanced. Michael Fallon was on the defensive and rightly so in my opinion and at least the BBC allowed Sir Jackie Stewart his say. Of course one could also see this as a convenient ruse to bash the Coalition using the subterfuge of feeling sorry for Goodwin when in fact the BBC has been to the fore in portraying him as the central villain in the piece – so absolving a certain Mr Gordon Brown.

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WHEN GOOD NEWS IS NO NEWS

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The BBC really is the last bastion of defence for bloated Public Sector finances. Biased BBC contributor Alan notes;

‘Public sector workers will be “dramatically” better off in retirement and receive significantly higher wages than those in the private sector.’ 

Not so, suggests the BBC. 
Fascinating example of BBC deliberately down playing good news for the public sector employees and choosing words very carefully to give the facts but in a way that almost reverses their true meaning.

Regarding the IFS’ latest report on pension reforms….

For the BBC the reforms reduce pensions and increase working life for all…..

‘The government’s latest public sector pension changes will make “little or no difference” to their long-term cost, an economic think-tank has said. However, it points out that the earlier decision to shift the inflation link for pension increases has substantially reduced costs and expectations.Unions point out that, overall, public workers must pay more and work longer. The report said that lower earners in the public sector were better protected that higher earners.’

Contrast that with the Telegraph’s report in which it reveals public sector workers will not only get higher pensions than now but also get over 8% higher pay than their equivalents in the private sector...and that it is only higher paid workers in the public sector who will see a reduction in pensions…..

‘Public sector workers will be “dramatically” better off in retirement and receive significantly higher wages than those in the private sector despite government attempts to scale back the generosity of their pay and pensions, ministers have been warned. The institute’s findings will call into question the widespread disruption caused by trade union protests over the treatment of public sector workers. “In general, lower earners in the public sector will actually get a more generous pension as a result of the recently announced reforms. That is, they will be able to retire at age 65 with a higher annual pension than they would receive under current arrangements. Conversely, higher earners are likely to lose out.” ‘

Of course this is the BBC in which a gloating Evan Davis tried to claim that RBS boss, Stephen Hester, refused his bonus because of Labour plans to have a Common’s vote on the subject…..where was his proof of that decision making?….more likely it was Hester’s wife who made him refuse it! Let’s also not forget that Hester (who is overpaid like all these people) received over £4 million in 2008 and £6 million in 2009…..wasn’t that when Labour was running things?…how soon they forget!

‘Mr Hester’s huge potential bonuses come on top of a total pay package of £35.54million since joining the bank in 2008. Brought in to turn the ailing bank around after a £45billion taxpayer bailout, Mr Hester was handed £4.99million in restricted shares, forgoing pay and bonuses. The next year, 2009, his pay package was worth £6.9million, and in 2010 that rose to £8.16million.’

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NONE SO BLIND….

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A Biased BBC reader observes;

“Sean Coughlan,BBC education correspondent, reporting here on the BBC web page today about a Twitter-linked session of the Education Select Committee: “… when Mr Gove was asked about a campaign against turning Downhills Primary School in north London into an academy, he accused the protesters of being linked to the Socialist Workers Party – and described them as the “enemies of promise”.

Mr Coughlan interposes his own opinion about this exchange. He writes: “But when #AskGove responded, it was in the old-fashioned language of right and left, haranguing the Haringey campaigners.”

On the BBC, Socialist Workers party argues; Mr Gove harangues; Gove acts like old-fashioned rightist when he argues back. SWP are just running a campaign.

Condemnation of Gove, but zero investigation by Mr Coughlan of the crux of this story, which any newsman should go after: is Mr Gove’s complaint that the discussion, and genuine parents’ views have been hi-jacked by the extreme left SWP, justifiable? “

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THE RELENTLESS DRUMBEAT

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Day in Day Out, some within the BBC produce a relentless drumbeat to accompany the narrative that the Coalition is wrong in everything that it does. Take these consecutive items ran on Today this morning. First up is the a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)  which claims that the government’s public sector pension reforms are unlikely to save money in the long term. It looks like we just have keep finding the unaffordable. Then comes the item that the government’s plans for NHS reforms have damaged and destabilised services. So, leave the dysfunctional NHS alone. This monotonous criticism of everything that the Government tries to do must be joy to Labour but hardly the mark of a balanced broadcaster.

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A DYMOND GEEZA!

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Here’s a rather wonderful instance of anti GOP bias from our old pal, Jonny Dymond in which he characterises Obama’s opponents as the Party of  “old white America.” Gosh, that sounds almost a tad…racist. It seems that Jonny has concluded that the Democrats have the election won so perhaps Romney, Gingrich and co should just give up now and keep Obama in the White House? No agenda being pursued here, clearly.

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BBC – THE BIG QUESTIONS

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I got into a bit of a twitter debate with BBC Presenter Nicky Campbell yesterday. It started off with my tweet that I believed “same sex marriage is an oxymoron if you believe that Marriage is Biblically ordained”. Note the word IF. Anyway, Nicky seemed interested in this and started to pursue the subject of the Bible with me. I am an unapologetic believer in the Bible and Mr Campbell trotted out the usual inanities asked by the Atheist class. I was surprised by how many Atheists seem to follow Nicky and predictably they also wanted to join in the mocking of my Faith. It seems Christianity is all about Dinosaurs and God making the universe in the space it takes to prepare an edition of “The Big Questions”. Anyhow I moved the subject to ISLAM, and in particular the failure of his programme to tackle REAL issues like whether Islam and democracy are compatible. He responded that he has “done it, done it, done it” and so any suggestion that the Big Question does not tackle issues surrounding Islam is invalid. So, I thought I would open this issue up to B-BBC readers – what subjects would you like Nicky Campbell to cover on his programme and do you think that he treats all Faiths equally? Has he fairly dealt with the Islam issue? Please detail your views below – as I want to go back to him with some helpful suggestions. The stage is yours…

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