Whatever Ed Miliband says goes….straight onto the BBC News.

A ceiling collapses in a theatre and instantly Miliband is there posturing for the BBC which happily reports his every word….nobody expected him to say anything or wanted him to…no doubt his PR people thought it a good idea….but isn’t it just Miliband ambulance chasing for headlines which he was given on a plate by the BBC?

Now Miliband has ‘vowed to give councils the power to ban high stakes roulette machines from bookmakers’ shops if Labour wins the next election.’

I heard that on the radio news bulletin…but there was no mention of Labour’s part in legalising these machines in the first place in those bulletins….so giving credit is given to Labour for attacking them but failing to place the guilt where it should be.

A couple of weeks ago we had Labour’s Tom Watson on the BBC, Derbyshire I believe, admitting that Labour ‘dropped the ball badly‘ on this:

“these pernicious machines are destroying the lives of the poorest in society”.

Strangely in the following news bulletins Labour’s part in that wasn’t mentioned…Watson claiming to be the moral scourge and that only Labour  would seek to ban the gambling machines seemed to be the story.

You would have had a completely different view of who was to blame if you relied solely on the news bulletins for your news.

Either the BBC is being manipulated by Labour…in which case the supposedly highly experienced BBC should know better and be able to counter that…or the BBC is a useful idiot willingly going along with Labour’s  narrative.

This short segment from the Simon Mayo film review show (14:41)    perfectly encapsulates the mindset of our betters in the BBC…and why the NHS fails:

They are discussing ‘Anchorman 2’ with Will Ferrell when Mayo gets onto the subject of the US and UK news broadcasters….

‘We have the BBC [hurray!]…..we don’t have your Fox News….do you think we are missing out?’  [Said of course in tone that suggests that is really quite funny thing to say…so very ridiculous!]

Ferrell, Democrat,  replies, when the laughter slows:

‘It depends on your belief systems…hahaha…personally no, you’re not missing out.’

Mayo continues:

‘There’s a key moment in the movie when you say ‘why don’t we give Americans what they want rather than what they should have‘…probably that conversation did happen [with Rupert Murdoch]...and is still happening.’

A perfect illustration of the patrician and arrogant BBC Liberal mind at work….‘We know what is best for you.’

Ferrell earlier said of the ‘Anchormen’ that they ‘Bang through life with no self awareness or emotional growth…they are at war with the way the world is with no idea that people think differently to the way they do.’

He thought he was describing a satire of ‘Fox News’….but that is in fact a good description of the BBC…stuck in the leftwing student politics of the 60’s, completely out of touch with real life and what people think and want.

The BBC deciding to provide us with what we ‘should have’ leads to this…from the Telegraph not the BBC….which has presumably decided you ‘shouldn’t need to know this’:

NHS on brink of crisis because it became ‘too powerful’ to criticise

Head of health and social care regulator David Prior says NHS has been damaged because criticism was not tolerated

Time for a new Open Thread to see us off into the run up to Christmas week…the floor is yours…

Guest Who links to this from Conservative Home:

The BBC reports that Hammersmith and Fulham Council claims that “tenants” have found “disgusting” and “offensive” a card sent out urging them to pay their rent. They manage to come up with two. There was Tina Buckley – who is a prominent left wing local activist – and her mother.

I represent hundreds of council tenants in this borough – none have complained to me.

Oddly the BBC have not featured other councils who have been running similar campaigns. Labour-run Luton Council is sending out the festive message to their tenants that if they don’t pay their rent they will lose their homes. Cllr Tom Shaw said:

“Most people are feeling the economic squeeze at the moment, but please make paying your rent and council tax a priority over Christmas and New Year and don’t risk losing your home. Pay up or seek help immediately before allowing debts to spiral out of control so we can cut the eviction rate, as well as our arrears bill.”

Why do the BBC present this as a great controversy regarding Hammersmith and Fulham but not mention Labour councils doing much the same?

I fear it might only add to the suspicions some hold of a left wing bias in the Corporation.

Like Santa Claus it seems our Tina comes out to play at Christmas each year:

No one, but no one has the right to deny any person, wether they are disabled or not, the right to live an independent life. I’m not disabled, so have very little insight into the work and support of the ILF. I’m so angry with this government for the stress & fear they are causing so many people who just want to make the best of their lives regardless of what restrictions they are under, be they disability, financial or mental health issues

The Ed Balls’ ‘Turkey Taunt’ story is still on the BBC’s frontpage in a prominent place….strangely this story, via Guido, is nowhere to be seen on the website as far as I can see, not even on the ‘Health’ page….you have to dig for it:

NHS Accuse Burnham of ‘Misreporting Facts For Political Gain’
Senior Official Says Shadow Health Secretary Misled Commons

A senior NHS official has accused Andy Burnham’s office of ”misinterpreting and misreporting” evidence about taxis being used as ambulances “in order to present a grossly inaccurate picture for the purposes of apparent political gain”.

Pretty serious accusations you would think….but the BBC clearly doesn’t seem to agree.

It has managed to report it….hidden away on the ‘Democracy Live’ page…under the ‘House of Commons’ sub-section:

Labour criticised over A&E claims

A claim that Labour had “misinterpreted and misreported [the information] in order to present a grossly inaccurate picture for the purposes of apparent political gain” should surely merit a major headline on the Frontpage…instead the BBC has buried the story where no one will ever look or come across it by accident.

No accident that?

All the more curious because it was only a few days ago that the BBC were trumpeting their own investigation into waiting times at hospitals and the use of ambulances….all given lots of airtime on the radio:

Some patients taken by ambulance to A&E departments are waiting in the vehicle for much longer than the recommended 15 minutes, with one case involving a six-hour delay, figures show.

Data for ambulance services in England, Scotland and Wales, obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act, suggest Wales had the longest waits.

Why so coy now?

It’s getting embarrassing this love in between the BBC and the leading politicians of the Labour Party….maybe it’s not just Stephanie Flanders who had a bit of a passion for the two Eds.

Miliband was given massive coverage and airtime for his spat with the Mail and was given the prime spot on Desert Island Discs to further polish his image….never mind all the unappealing or just plain dishonest things about him and his policies that the BBC sweeps under the carpet.

Ed Balls also seems to have the BBC poised at a moment’s notice to leap to his defence as well as being given a primetime slot on Jeremy Vine’s show to come on and play the piano….sorry…but if that isn’t pure political showtime what is?, and the BBC know that.

But the BBC goes further than burnishing Balls’ ‘human side’ to make him voter friendly…extending their services in his defence…..last year when he made a mess of the Autumn statement they were there to smooth things over:

Ed Balls explains hesitant Autumn Statement response

Rather bizarrely the BBC then republished the exact same story to explain his similarly bad performance in this year’s Autumn Statement (see above).

The we hear that even his own colleagues think he is a bit of a nightmare….no fear…the BBC are on hand to downplay that with this story:

Labour united despite ‘Balls a nightmare’ email – Burnham

Followed up a while later with this touching tale:

Ed Balls not a nightmare at home, says wife Yvette Cooper

Was anybody really so interested that the national news broadcaster had to seek out the opinion of Balls’ wife….and what exactly was she expected to say…yes, by God, he’s a bit of a nightmare really?

And today Balls gets booted into touch by Cameron, yet again, and yet again the BBC leaps in to defend him:

Ed Balls pledge to ‘carry on shouting’ after ‘turkey’ taunt

A minor taunt from Cameron and the BBC mobilises its forces to help Labour’s Balls out.

Anybody really interested?  Anybody really care?  No.

So why does the BBC feel the need?

Remember the BBC mantra:

‘An enemy is only someone whose story you haven’t heard yet.’

That’s why they push the family man ‘face’ of Miliband and the ‘all too human’ Balls bashing away at the piano…it’s priceless propaganda and it’s free.

Once you get to know Balls and Miliband as lovely, caring individuals, and so obviously ‘in touch’ with the struggles of ‘real people’, you will start to like them personally…and vote for them.

‘Plan B’ failed miserably, they hope ‘Plan Be Nice’ will be more successful.

The Mirror trailed Tory Lord Hanningfield for 19 days to check up on if he was doing any work for his £300 a day.

Might have been more relevant to trail a Labour Peer…..more of a story if a ‘working man’s representative’ was being greedy…wonder why they didn’t?

The BBC naturally went large and were straight in with BBC Essex grabbing an early interview.

Just wondering if the Leftwing Mirror gave the BBC an early tip off…the timing of the story might indicate to a cynic that this was intended as a ‘spoiler’ and a distraction at a time when the BBC is under attack for its spendthrift ways with tax payer’s money by politicians…Tory ones in particular.

Lefty Mirror and BBC working together?

And finally…Let’s not forget that the less than useless Chairman of the BBC Trust, Chris Patten, takes home a base wage of £143,000…and is expected to work a whole 3-4 days a week for that…so say 3.5 days.

By my reckoning that is nearly £800 a day.  And we have heard alleged that some of those ‘days’ he comes in only to make a phone call.

‘Lord’s A-Leeching’ indeed.

The Mirror’s story is being used to lever in demands for the abolishing of the House of Lords…perhaps the BBC Trust could similarly be put to the sword?

Phew! Now that the Mandelathon has finished, it may be safe to watch the more normal bias exuded by the BBC. Here’s a new thread for you to fill with instances of bias.