the widespread criticism of Wednesday’s Snooznight Special interview of David Cameron (see posts below), asserting that If BBC reporter Stephanie Flanders speaks for Britain, I’m a gnu – flaying Stephanie Flanders for her patronising response to the idea of a marriage tax-break. Here are a couple of excerpts: “Have you ever met anybody who gets married for £20 a week?” she sneered. “If I decided to go home and get … Continue reading →

Please use this thread for BBC-related comments and analysis. Please keep comments on other threads to the topic at hand. N.B. this is not (and never has been) an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or use as a chat forum. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog. Please scroll down to find new topic-specific posts. Click through to read and contribute comments on this … Continue reading →

“Headlines suggesting the Tories have “lurched to the right” are, of course, precisely what Mr Brown wants”. – from a Nick Assinder piece headlined Is Cameron lurching to the right? Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

I noted that BBC Views Online’s instant reaction to Cameron’s 45 minute Newsnight interview was to big up on the Immigration ‘too high’ – Cameron line (a truly shocking notion to the Guardianistas at White City). Now, courtesy of Iain Dale, we have a first-hand account of BBC Radio 4’s Toady programme shopping around their Conservative (sorry Beeboids, Tory, facking Tories!) contacts list looking for someone to agree with their … Continue reading →

being interviewed four-to-one by Gavin Esler, Michael Crick, Stephanie Flanders and, who was the fourth one? Oh yes, Mark Urban, was an underwhelming experience all round. Gavin Esler was typically tedious as he repeatedly tried to put the word ‘swamping’ into Cameron’s mouth when discussing the record high levels of immigration, legal and illegal, into the UK over the last ten years. Stephanie Flanders was as seductively haughty and posh … Continue reading →

writes Richard over at EU Referendum (complete with shiny new redesign) in his ongoing and very valuable work to ensure our boys and girls are properly kitted out on the frontline, in spite of government and MoD incompetence and widespread media ignorance. Richard writes: Anyone listening to the intolerably smug Eddie Mair on the [BBC Radio 4] PM programme yesterday, when he interviewed the forces minister Bob Ainsworth, may have … Continue reading →

bleated BBC Views Online a couple of days ago: A demonstration has been held in south-east Afghanistan accusing US troops of insulting Islam after they distributed footballs bearing the name of Allah. The balls showed the Saudi Arabian flag which features the Koranic declaration of faith. The US military said the idea had been to give something for Afghan children to enjoy and they did not realise it would cause … Continue reading →

reports the Daily Telegraph: Miss Ford echoed Jeremy Paxman’s withering attack on the fall in standards on British television, saying it was vital that the BBC differentiates itself from other channels by making “extremely high-class programmes”. “I do think that complaints about dumbing down are justified,” she said. “I must sound very old-fashioned when I use the word vulgarity, but we are constantly seeing people on screen who are of … Continue reading →

(2.30pm) for his persistence in an interview with Steve Gough, National Vice Chair of the Prison Officers Association trade union. At lunchtime the government sought (oh the irony!) and was granted an injunction agsint the POA, compelling the the union to call off today’s lightning strike or be in contempt of court. A little after 2pm, live on TV, a POA official in Liverpool, Steve Baines, told his members that … Continue reading →

“We’ve received a number of calls and messages …” … complaining about the liberal, Guardian nature of this debate”. Radio Four’s You and Yours discusses inequalities of wealth – with Polly Toynbee, Camila Batmanghelidjh and I think some chap from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The consensus ? More government spending. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.