Apparently, acording to the headline, the UK economy is “remarkable”. Rub your eyes and read on: “Macroeconomic stability in the UK remains remarkable,” its report said. But, it did warn that the Chancellor needs to rein in spending to stop budget deficits widening further… It added that Mr Brown’s success in sticking to his golden rule – of borrowing only to invest during the economic cycle – depended on “a … Continue reading →

So the BBC, itching to say some really nasty things about George Bush’s Iraq ‘adventure’ and Saddam’s trial, daren’t say it themselves but instead outsource the job to one of our admirable academic fraternity. Imagine though: would the BBC even consider the same approach to calling Saddam an evil and criminal dictator, in the circumstances? I think not; they would never allow it to be said, let alone themselves say … Continue reading →

Well, if Gordon Brown says so and you have a BBC show to plug: “I hate the idea of creating a committee or a quango for this purpose, but a focussed group with a clear objective to create a new blueprint for entrepreneurial flair in Britain wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Let’s bring together the relevant government bodies, private companies, leaders in education and gurus from all walks of … Continue reading →

Ashley Pomeroy notes the Beeb’s disgust with the emancipation of the huddled masses of the estates from sharecropping by that wicked Thatcher – or the right to buy. On the left is the news report from the time – read it and weep at how neutral-ish it seems compared to now. Look at the blue boxed editorial – and wake up: “Many people who bought their homes under Thatcher’s “Right-to-Buy” … Continue reading →

A whole article on the transformation of New York from 1970s bankrupt Democrat hell-on-earth to naughties Republican safe place to be, and only one, oblique, reference to Giuliani: “Maybe some of the credit is courtesy of Mike Bloomberg, the coolly pragmatic tycoon and philanthropist, recently re-elected mayor after spending $60m (£34.3m) of his own money on his campaign. Unlike his feisty predecessor, Rudy Giuliani, this mayor has a soothing style … Continue reading →

Well I never. Australia, Iran and Arabia have obesity problems, but in the US, it is a reflection of ideology: “Yet the US obesity problem has particular resonance, perhaps because it is reflection of the modern way of life the country typifies, with its junk food and technology of convenience.” Just what part of anti-American bias does Mr Davis not understand? If “The US is one of the worst affected … Continue reading →

So, the government has dropped the test for hate-preaching imams. Afraid? Be very afraid: ‘The Home Office said it hoped that a tougher English language test for foreign-born religious leaders would automatically mean they had a knowledge of British life. An official said: “If someone has to take a test showing showing they are a confident user of English, both written and spoken, they will have inevitably learnt about life … Continue reading →

BBC special reports are an interesting exercise in teasing out the stock-standard Guardianista/Islington mindset of its reporters. In the midst of a fairly sensible report (if full of journalistic clichés about little children and mothers wailing over bombed houses), the guard drops, and the soft Apocalypse Now anti-Americanism seeps out: “As the people of Baghdad tried to make do with little power, and in some areas no water, coalition officials … Continue reading →

Migrants or illegals? The BBC house style is all over the place: “Captive migrants freed in Greece Greek police have freed 96 illegal immigrants held hostage in a warehouse by people-traffickers… The migrants – said to be from Asia – are to be sent back to their countries of origin… Correspondents say Greece is on a major people-smuggling route from Asia and scores of illegal immigrants are detained every week. … Continue reading →

BBC Online comes to the party on Sydney: “Thousands of white men attacked people of Arabic and Mediterranean background on a Sydney beach the previous weekend. The violence was apparently sparked by an attack on two lifeguards. It led, in turn, to two nights of violence and vandalism by groups of men of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean appearance.” The earlier stages in the evolution of this file background can be … Continue reading →