Category Archives: BBC bias

Huge hostility to the media at #Grenfelltower – @jonsnowC4 is being mobbed. pic.twitter.com/6Tiv2mSXrw

— Victoria Cook (@victoriacook) June 15, 2017

C4’s Jon Snow met with an angry reaction as he showed up to report on the London fire…

“Right, you didn’t come here when people were telling you that the building was unsafe! That is not ‘newsworthy’.

“You come here when people die. Why?”

Not surprising really as you might well ask where have the media been all these years?  You have to be pretty sure the residents of these flats, the resident’s association, contacted the media when they were trying to get work done…what response did they get?  Only now after this massive fire do they get any attention…and somewhat an irony that the media, the BBC itself, keeps mentioning the fire at Lakanal House in 2009 and the subsequent inquest outcome in 2013 but where was any wideranging investigation into other potential death trap blocks of flats?  It’s a bit late now raging at politicians for complacency when those who supposedly ‘hold power to account’ failed to do so themselves on the same issues.

The BBC is here to help it wants to assure the residents….better late than never…

I hope people know that @BBCLondonNews is here to HELP not hinder -please contact me if you want to appeal for missing people #Grenfell pic.twitter.com/kjQQYpsK2t

— Victoria Cook (@victoriacook) June 15, 2017

So who comes out well in all of this?  The emergency services of course, but also the locals and those who came from wider afield who rushed to help and volunteered themselves, their time and possessions to help the victims of the fire.

The politicians are decidedly also rans as they either, as in May’s case make a huge error in not visiting the victims firstly because it is the right thing to do and second because she must know that Corbyn will milk this for every drop of political advantage he can, he will, and has, visited the people with what may be sincere sentiments but the reality is that his visit is 90% political grandstanding for the TV cameras weaponising the deaths of people in the fire even before the building has stopped burning.

Labour has shamelessly exploited the deaths from the start well before even the initial cause of the fire is known let alone the reasons for the rapid spread of the fire.  Ken Livingstone was on the BBC early Wednesday claiming the fire was the result of cutbacks to the fire service and he was rapidly followed by Harriet Harman who didn’t let good judgement, sentiment or respect for the dead get in the way of her immediate politicisation of the fire, appearing repeatedly on the BBC to blame cuts to council spending for the fire [which the council denies…having just spent £10 million on the building].  The BBC has been happy to provide endless opportunities for Labour to come on and make such political statements even knowing and encouraging them to do so as they did with David Lammy who was invited onto the Today show to talk about the fire and anyone he knew who might be caught up in it and then jumping deliberately to the political as they asked him for ‘political’ comment….which we got in a very intense angry set of remarks that those responsible should be locked up and its corporate manslaughter…obviously we do not need an inquiry into this fire…Lammy, and his Labour colleagues, have already decided what went wrong and who is to blame.

Corbyn presents himself as a new politician with a new approach to politics, an ethical politician.  But he’s not.  In fact he’s worse than the old lot precisely because he presents himself as ethical and sincere but is in fact just as dishonest and ‘political’ as they are.  Look at how he lied about his beliefs about the EU.  A long term critic of the EU he suddenly became a soft supporter or someone who wouldn’t commit either way in order to try and win both Leave and Remain votes by confusing them about Labour’s stance.  Then there’s ‘terrorism’…a long term supporter of this approach to politics he suddenly discarded decades of cheerleading for the murderers when it was politically expedient to do so, not only abandoning lifelong principles for short term political gain but prepared to tell huge lies about the causes of terrorism and misleading the public on the government’s response. He s a man who blatantly lied on TV in an interview with Peston as he lied about his stance on shoot-to-kill claiming he had only said he opposed it in the 1980’s…that was a lie…he had stated quite clearly he opposed it in the present day even in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.  Now he launches a highly political attack on the government in what is an indecently short time as the emergency services are still searching for bodies and the facts about the causes of the fire are very obviously still unknown..and yet he and his Labour colleagues are filling the airwaves with accusations and conclusions that are solely intended to portray this as the government’s fault…never mind that Labour ignored the issues themselves….from the Grenfell Action Group 2015…

It was incumbent on the Labour opposition to raise this issue with the Council and at least try to create some kind of stir. To our horror she responded:

“The Labour Group would need strong evidence to request a further investigation of the TMO, particularly given the stream of favourable monitoring reports that have gone to the Council on the TMO’s performance since Memoli (see latest attached). I am afraid largely anecdotal dissatisfaction on the Hornet would not be sufficient evidence.”

We were appalled by this dismissive response, not least because it misrepresented and minimised what we believe Cllr Blakeman and her colleagues already know to be widespread and deep dissatisfaction and distrust of the TMO among their constituents.

Ultimately one has to wonder why the Labour opposition would fear to challenge the utterly discredited and despised TMO. Even the dogs in the street know that the TMO is rotten to the core.

The BBC doesn’t come off so well either as it passes grand and very premature judgement upon all it surveys….as with Labour without knowing any of the facts.  Almost immediately as news of the fire broke the BBC was trying to invent a narrative and cast blame, often having to be smacked down by guests who had to remind them that the facts were completely unknown and judgements could not be passed.  The BBC gave Labour massive airtime whilst the government got almost nothing….was that the government’s fault or the BBC shutting them out?….I didn’t hear a word from May and the government on Wednesday at all….all we got was Harriet Harman moving from BBC studio to BBC studio spreading  her lies and inflammatory comments as she went.

I heard Chris Warburton trying to whip up some anger amongst residents suggesting they were ignored because of their race and class. I thought this may be a slip in the heat of the moment but no, it’s a line the BBC seem to be taking…..

London fire: ‘The working class aren’t being listened to’

Again, as said many times, the BBC suddenly supports an issue that it normally scorns and dismisses when it suits its own narrative…in this case the poor and disadvantaged being ignored and put upon by the rich, powerful and elite.

Odd how the same BBC is happy to malign this same class of people as uneducated racists when they vote for Brexit….for years and years the BBC was more than happy them to ignore and dismiss their worries about immigration and the EU and to blame them for an almost mythical rise on ‘hate crime’ turning Britain into a ‘nastier and more racist place’….apparently.

Suddenly now though the BBC wants to hear their voices, to listen to their concerns and to fight on their behalf against the serried ranks of corporate, elitist and government vested interests that oppress and impoverish them.

Oh…maybe you didn’t know…the fire was a revenge attack by white supremacist Islamophobes on Muslims…blowback, a racist backlash against innocent Muslims…Reporter just nods and says ‘OK’…..

As Jeremy Bowen tells us of the charismatic, legendary, young revolutionary freedom fighter that was Arafat who took on the ominous might of the Israeli oppressors, becoming the father of the Palestinian nation that genuine peacemakers would miss upon his death [a death possibly, probably, due to Israeli poisoning]…quickly brushing over Munich and all that, we can thank our lucky stars to have such a trustworthy, accurate and impartial news broadcaster that fights the tidal wave of right-wing [and it is ony right-wing] fake news that engulfs us with its own brand of truth and real honest news.  Thank God.  However if you should spot any isolated occasions where the BBC lets slip its high standards please be good enough to identify them here…..all yours….

Battle of Medway: The English defeat that’s largely forgotten

Still relevant to our modern times.

“The problem is that our naval history inevitably focuses on the wars we won and the great heroes who fought in them,” said historian Dr David Davies.

“By any criterion, it’s one of the worst British defeats of all time.

“Personally, I’d say it’s important to know about it in this country as an antidote to triumphalism – the idea that English, and then British, history has been a largely unbroken succession of victories.

“Nothing brings home that message more clearly than an attack which brought enemy ships right into the heart of the country’s main naval base, and which saw the fleet flagship towed away as a trophy.”

That’s pretty much the Left’s approach to Britain and British history…everything that Britain did is bad and if not, never mind, they’ll write it up as bad anyway.  The BBC is a fellow traveller on this journey of historical revisionism and relativity.  We can’t have any pride in Britain, no celebrating ‘Britishness’ [might offend, alienate or marginalise ‘the other’], no Union flags, no national identity or loyalty….poisonous concepts that need an antidote.

Of course Britain hasn’t contributed anything to the world, if you discount sport, science, engineering, exploration, knowledge of the world, Art, literature, culture, language, Monty Python, and of course the BBC…who could forget them eh?

As for triumphalism?  What’s not to like…we thrashed the tyrant Napoleon and freed Europe from his ‘union’ [oh…that’s what they don’t like], the Kaiser’s grand plan for the EU stopped in its jackboots [oh sorry BBC] and Hitler’s blitzkrieg to unify Europe blasted [again…sorry BBC].   Not to mention the Japs nuked, the Boers and Zulus crushed, eventually and oh yes…slavery abolished in the enlightened West….and the biggest empire the world has ever seen, mostly harmless, benevolent and enriching [arguably]…and all accidental sort of. And of course we brought down the Soviet empire and its Berlin Wall…and kicked the Argies in the Junta so that they’re a democracy now.

Rule Britannia!  Make her great again!

Prime minister @theresa_may does a delayed Mexican wave. pic.twitter.com/kVQrPNdnpP

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 13, 2017

Loved this instant comment…..

Worried about losing her seat

— Alick Cross (@alickc) June 13, 2017

There was a story in the Sunday Times this week about a film that reported on the rise  of anti-Semitism in Europe and linked it to Muslim immigration [no way!] as well as neo-Nazism.  The film has naturally been axed in Germany by the Public Broadcaster [much as the BBC binned its film on the 7/7 bombers as it told the truth]…as told to us by Is the BBC biased?.

The paradox?  Merkel let in all these Muslim migrants because she was guilty about Germany’s anti-Semitic past and she wanted to make amends.

Odd way to do it…by increasing the very anti-Semitism that she was so guilty about, allegedly.

The road to Hell…should be a long procession of idiot politicians who destroy their own countries, and others with them, with their ‘good intentions’….or cowardice.

Merkel…the Russians’ most successful spy?  They must be happy with her whatever…if she’s not a spy, just a useful idiot, at least that saves them a few roubles and the odd brown envelope.  Putin loves Merkel not Trump.

Nick Robinson…clever chap eh?  Apparently Corbynmania is ‘religious fervour’, the Followers believe in the ‘good book’… Labour’s manifesto [yeah…made up fantastical drivel…..feeding the 5000 with a few loaves and a couple of small fish…. water into wine…very Corbyn-like] Corbyn is taking them to the ‘promised land’ [is Robinson taking the piss…..a man accused of anti-Semitism and Robinson gives us a Jewish iconic theme to explain him?]…he then calls him ‘JC’ in a knowing, smartarse way….genius.

Panorama.  As all too often it’s terrible.

It asks…

Election 2017: What Just Happened?

And the answer?  Brexit.  It was all about the Brexit….despite the fact that many people in the film said it was mostly about the economy, paying for care, fuel allowance, pensions, austerity…oh and the great unmentioned, which is odd when the film concentrated on the young so much…the Great Tuition Fee Freebee.

Who did the BBC bring on to comment from the Tories?  Osborne, zealous Remainer who boasted that his Standard headline on the care u-turn destroyed the Tory campaign, Soubry…fervent Remainer, Heseltine, Fanatical Remainer, Gavin Barwell…rabid Remainer.  Are you getting the idea that the BBC invited in people who would spin a certain pro-Remain, anti-Brexit narrative…oh and not to mention Tory comms chief, Katie Perrior , who resigned when the election was announced, so likelihood is she was going to be critcial of May…though you could question her judgement having said this last year…

With Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader the threat to the Tories is minimal – there is no need for Boris The Saviour.

The BBC kept insisting Brexit was the real reason for the Corbyn ‘win’ and yet other than those Tory Remainders gave no concrete evidence of that, in fact doing the opposite as said above…Len McCluskey and Corbyn both think it was just people saying ‘enough of austerity’.  Remain voters in a Labour seat voted for Labour…the BBC thinks this is proof the country wants to end Brexit.

Odd ain’t it….the referendum vote that specifically asked one question, the EU in or out?, is constantly said to be irrelevant and invalid because we are told people didn’t know what they were voting for…they did not have a box on the ballot to ask ‘out of the Single Market?’ [even Humphrys peddled this as fact in an interview with David Davis and had to be corrected]…except of course they did…because the Single Market is part of the EU and they voted, knowing full well it meant leaving the Single Market as both sides stated this uncategorically again and again, to leave the EU as a whole.  If you wanted to play the ‘they didn’t know and therefore we can’t do this’ game then they didn’t know that voting ‘out’ in the referendum would then mean gradual backsliding, qualifications and ‘accommodations’…they thought Brexit meant Brexit..thus we must leave completely on Soubry et al’s logic.

But now…now the election, which was about a myriad of issues, mostly the economy and austerity and then majorly terrorism and police funding, is said to be a vote on Brexit….Robinson tells us that ‘the people were angry about Brexit’.   Funny how the terms of engagement change when it suits.  May certainly wanted it to be about Brexit but it just didn’t happen…Brexit was very much an also ran issue…tuition fees, care costs and oh yes, ‘hope’, were much, much bigger issues and vote winners or losers.

The BBC happily ignores the polls that tell us even Remain voters want to get on with it and get it settled….this Panorama is peddling the idea that there must be an alternative, a ‘soft Brexit’…ie no Brexit.

Uncle ‘Joe’:  Listen kids…I’ll give you free tuition, pay off your debts, give you houses, great jobs and a super-model partner [colour of your choice] and all your dreams will come true…and the oldies will pay for it…do I get your vote guys?

Young Hopefuls: Yey!!!!!!

Did Corbyn have ‘youth on his side’ as he claims?  The BBC certainly thinks so but you’d be hard pushed to get the reasons why…such as massive bribery….Panorama decided it was revenge for Brexit…before deciding that Corbyn ‘won’ because he offered hope, change, no more austerity [such as it isn’t]….curiously no mention of those massive bribes on tuition fees.

Brendan O’Neill spots what might be the problem for those young people angry at the DUP, could the same problem explain why Corbyn got their vote…they don’t actually know anything about him or his policies….maybe they should have Googled him or, God forbid, read the Mail or the Telegraph….

One protester’s comment summed up the flimsiness of the fury. ‘I didn’t know who the DUP were, I had to Google them,’ he said. From Googling a party to railing against it in the space of minutes: the modern mindset summed up.

Is this another example of those young who make their educated and informed decisions and vote for Corbyn based on blissful ignorance [Corbyn who?  Yeah man you get my vote…now where’s the cash?]…protesting the EDl, who weren’t at the meet, and against Tommy Robinson…but not knowing who he is…

Similarly those who hate the DUP for their religious bigotry support Corbyn and his Muslim friends….Muslims who have even more extreme views on the same subjects as the DUP….

All those lower than a snake’s belly once were somebody politicians have slithered out to variously betray or besmirch May and her union with the DUP.

John Major and William Hague, not content with trying to derail Brexit, are now doing Sinn Fein’s work as they work the media with tales of terror and economic distaster in Northern Ireland should May join up with the DUP.  Reprising the same old tune we heard at Brexit with an Irish lilt. [and what of those Tory Remain MPs trying to stitch up a secret backroom deal with Labour to block and defeat Brexit?  Can’t see any mention of the plot on the BBC, even in this Kuenssberg report on the subject of Brexit negotiations…she mentions some Tories might like a cross party appearance but that’s it…why no mention of nefarious plots to stymie Brexit?  Does’t look good as arrogant politicians stitch up democracy in their own interest…once again]

Then we had the oily Peter Hain giving a similar message telling us that ‘special deals’ will destabilise NI…does he mean like the secret little deals done by Blair with the Provo murderers not only getting them into the British Parliament but issuing secret ‘get out of jail free’ letters that let them off scot-free?  I’m sure Hain would have no objection to Sinn Fein actually taking up their seats now and an ‘unofficial’ alliance with Labour to stop the Tories.

The BBC knows that Gordon Brown tried to form a pact with the evil DUP because they just mentioned it on 5Live….curiously not a mention in this main story in their frontpage despite copious quotes from critics of the deal.

That story came out in 2015…in, the, Hillary Clinton, Emails.  LOL.  Nooo wonder the BBC doesn’t want to discuss the actual content of those emails and why they damaged Clinton [not just the fact of their leaking….which is all the BBC were concerned about…whodunnit?  Ze Russians…lock Trump up!!!]

From the Irish News:

Hillary Clinton emails: Labour sought DUP election pact

LABOUR sought support from the DUP in a bid to form a government following the Westminster election in 2010.

Newly released emails to Hillary Clinton when she was US secretary of state show the Labour Party tried to win support from the Democratic Unionists.

In a previously confidential briefing paper, US officials said then Labour leader Gordon Brown “is doing whatever he can to hold on to power”.

They said Northern Ireland secretary Shaun Woodward was involved in attempts to build support for Labour following the election.

The email read: “Shaun, for his part, is working on an economic package for Northern Ireland to win support from the DUP and other parties for Labour – a package to be proposed in the Queen’s Speech.”

Why did the BBC not report this before as they trolled the DUP and the Tories?  Must have known about it.  Guess they didn’t want the facts to get in the way of  good bad news story.

Any bets on when the first political book giving us the dirt on the election intrigues, betrayals and stupidity hits the shelves?  Nick Robinson already working on his I’m guessing.  Maybe Osborne will do an ‘autobiography’…‘My Part in May’s Downfall.’

Another open thread, the BBC’s bias is relentless….all yours to lay it bare…..

Marr is absolutely hopeless isn’t he?  Yet another interview with a Labour grandee, Corbyn, and it is red carpet treatment all the way with little in the way of demanding and probing questions…McDonnell was given a free ride and a very smug Corbyn couldn’t have got better treatment if he’d written the script himself.

Corbyn told us he’d had a ‘brilliant manifesto‘….no comment from Marr despite the fact that Corbyn’s manifesto was big, huge, on promises, but failed completely to provide genuine costings….the IFS saying Corbyn would have to impose the biggest tax burden on this country of any peace-time era.  Nor did Marr challenge him on the fact that Corbyn was obviously bribing voters, buying their votes….for someone who presents himself as the ‘ethical’ politician, different from all the rest, that deserves some comment you might think.

Corbyn told us that his approach was ‘challenging an economic consensus that impoverished so many people’.  Marr’s response?  ‘It clearly was’.

What?  Just look at the previous paragraph where it is clear Corbyn is just the same old ‘pork barrel’ politician of old…buying votes and corrupting the democratic process for short term electoral gain….‘challenging an economic consensus that impoverished so many people’ is the very last thing he is doing…he is in fact just entrenching that system.  Marr didn’t notice.

Then we had no challenge to Corbyn’s statement that he wanted a tariff free trade deal…which means no Brexit.  Surely a significant issue…not for Marr who just brushed it aside without comment.

No comment about Corbyn’s support for the IRA and Muslim terrorists despite the issue being of huge significance in the election and Corbyn doing a massive opportunistic u-turn on his support for terrorists.

Similarly Marr raises the subject of the ‘socially conservative’ DUP…but makes no reference to Corbyn’s close ties to Muslim conservatives or indeed his own extreme views.

Marr is well named.  It suits his style of interviewing.  Marred.  Maybe a new verb…to be ‘Marred’…to be let off the hook in a half-arsed interview.