Author Archives: David Vance

BBC IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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Last night, BBC Northern Ireland ran a very important “Spotlight” programme which raises fundamental questions concerning the behaviour of Northern Ireland’s leading political dynasty – the Robinson family. This is causing seismic tremors in the local political topography and I think the BBC should be congratulated on finally producing a programme that has the consequence of challenging the political status quo. As I say, there are many issues flowing from this and some of these may limit my time here in the days ahead…..interesting times, folks!

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A HAPPY CABINET?

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You can’t beat the Today programme for sheer pro-Labour entertainment value. I caught Shaun “Where’s my Butler?” Woodward being interviewed by James Naughtie this morning on the issue of Gordon’s leadership (or lack of) and yesterday’s fun and games with Hewitt and Hoon. Woodward naturally dismissed this all as a distraction from the real issue (Cameron’s dithering) and declared (hand on heart, scout’s honour?) that he sat in “a happy cabinet.” This surreal statement was not challenged in any way by Naughtie and so a line in drawn through the winter revolution in Labour. As an add-on, Woodward was also gifted an easy question concerning Northern Ireland’s First Minister Peter Robinson which was designed to allow him to wax lyrical on the wonderful relationship between the DUP leader and the IRA in the form of butcher boy Martin McGuinness. All one big set-up, and a complete disinterest in asking hard questions.

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LOVING THE SAUDIS

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For years now, the BBC has been a proud champion of the left wing political view that Guantanamo Bay must be closed and that the majority of those interned there are innocents whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. B-BBC readers will recall how the BBC has helped turn “Brit” Binyam Mohammed into a virtual hero after his release from that place. Of course it is a tad tricky for the BBC when it turns out that some of those released from Gitmo then revert to type and rejoin the Jihad ranks from which they came so I was interested to listen to Owen Bennett Jones report @ 7.37am this morning on the pesky problem of those Yemeni Jihad enthusiasts. I was amazed at the bit in which he reaped praise on the Saudis for the great job they do in turning Islamists away from Jihad. I wonder has he ever heard of Wahhabism and it’s central role in the promulgation of global jihad?

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B-BBC ELECTIONWATCH

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Yes, this IS going to be a long series but with the General Election campaign now well and truly underway, I think we should take the time to dissect exactly how the BBC covers it. Today started in fine fettle this morning by contrasting on the one hand Conservative “confusion” over tax policy for married people with Labour vision to help our farmers. Nice, especially when one considers how Labour has screwed up farming over the past 12 years. I hope any farmers reading this will share just how wonderful Labour has been for their industry but in the BBC worldview, Labour offers hope whereas those bad evil Conservatives will return us to the wilderness of the Thatcher years. Vote Labour, you know it makes sense….

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