Category Archives: Sunday Sequence

I will be on the BBC tomorrow morning discussing the ethics of public sector strikes. I am sure you can guess my arguments. BBC NI Radio Ulster Sunday Sequence around 9.30am. If anyone has views on this please post now!

So, I’m back from the BBC. I was invited on to the William Crawley hosted “Sunday Sequence” show to discuss the issue of water-boarding. My opponent was the local Shamnesty International Supremo. Patrick Corrigan. I am on at 1hr 25mins. I took issue with how the debate was set up by the host and objected to the “so-called war on terror” as William put it. To my mind, that very introduction belies bias. The discussion was very short and came to a quick end as I sought to discuss Amnesty’s support for the Taliban, as revealed by an Amnesty employee here (Now an ex-Amnesty employee). I find these discussion perplexing – the BBC agenda seems clear; Provide a forum for hard leftists like Amnesty to smear the US President and call for his arrest, then try to paint anyone who supports the battler against the Jihadi as an extremist, and then sit back and bathe in smug liberal contentment. It’s in their genes.  

Just to say that those who can tune in to Sunday Sequence on BBC Radio Ulster just after 9am can hear me discuss the issue of journalistic protection of sources. This is the background. My own view is that given the neo-Totalitarian desires of those little Hitlers in the local devolved Assembly, I am grateful for those journalists like Suzanne who show an independent mind and who, via their sources, reveal truth to the public that frequently annoys the political elite. That’s worthy in my book. Should a journalist protect sources in ALL circumstances? No. There is a moral obligation on all journalists and each must wrestle with this – but where innocent life can be saved, sources should be revealed. That is not the case here.

Then there are those journos who sell sleaze and who seek to protect their sources when in fact all they are really doing is to dishonour their own profession. However liberty is not best served by the Police aggressively leaning on journalists as an alternative to the police doing their own job and building a case against terrorists. Here in Northern Ireland we have a politically correct ineffective police service at the behest of politicians, if it can’t do the job we pay it for and gain convictions, maybe questions would be better directed the way of those within it’s senior ranks. Your thoughts?

So, I was on a BBC programme this morning and I thought I would share my experience with you. The programme is called “Sunday Sequence” on BBC Radio Ulster and it is covers a range of topical issues from moral, political, theological points of view. I was on to discuss the issue of how Northern Ireland (and by extension the UK) responds to the recession – is it right to have “British jobs for British workers”. Also on the panel to discuss this was a local economist, John Simpson, and the head of the Equality Commission, Bob Collins. (He was in Dublin, where he lives, natch).

I arrived in time for some green room hospitality. Having checked to ensure Jo Brand was not hiding anywhere – eavesdropping in on me – I had a coffee and chatted with Mr Simpson ( a decent cove who was my Economics lecturer years ago when I was at University). We were called into the studio just after 9.30am and went “live” shortly thereafter. I felt it was a good natured debate and I was allowed to express my anti-EU opinion together with my contention that the State has a duty to ensure the economic well-being of its citizens ahead of foreign nationals. The other two contributors did not really agree with my view but at least I was given the chance to state it, without interruption. Time flew by and after 15 mins that was it. I thanked the host – William Crawley – my fellow studio guest Mr Simpson – and strolled out into a fresh Spring Sunday morning. Was there bias? Not really and indeed I would single this programme out for being true to Reithian values insofar as it is not as rampantly biased as most others!