Question Time LiveBlog 24th March 2011

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Question Time tonight comes from London. On the panel we have ex-spook and future Foreign Secretary Rory Stewart MP, the “ginger rodent” Danny Alexander MP, newt-loving nutter Ken Livingstone, rocker-druggie Mick’s ex-wife Bianca Jagger and historian Niall Ferguson. Red Ken on tonight, eh? Doubtless Boris will be on next week for Mayoral election balance? No, thought not. On a positive note, though, QT will follow a Party Budget Broadcast by Red … Continue reading →

Twitter To Replace BBC?

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As Melanie Phillips says, Louise Bagshawe’s piece in the Telegraph is startling, but for reasons beyond the BBC’s insultingly cursory and misleading coverage of the atrocity in Itamar. Although Louise Bagshawe’s article was like a breath of fresh air, it’s astonishing that anyone, let alone an MP, had to write it. It was slightly disturbing that Ms Bagshawe was surprised it wasn’t reported prominently on the BBC and that she … Continue reading →

A LA RECHERCHE DU TEMPS PERDU

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Have to laugh at the BBC’s unremittingly bleak coverage of the Budget. The sneering tone ran across all their media formats. I caught Osborne being interviewed on Today (8.10am) and I thought he did rather well. He was quick to correct Naughie when he tried to mischaracterise what had been clearly said. And rightly so. Somehow, when Osborne said GROWTH, A MILLION JOBS – the BBC heard GLOOM, MISERY. You … Continue reading →

BUDGET SUICIDE

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As Richard North sagely notes this morning, the most important priority with budgets is to watch what the chancellor is doing with his other hand or behind his back. Wee Georgie slipped in the news that the government was chillingly pressing ahead with plans to triple investment (to £3bn) in the Green Investment Bank, and also to put an insane floor on the cost of UK CO2 emissions. So the … Continue reading →

WHAT THEY DON’T REPORT…

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Anyone spotted this on the BBC yet? It’s over on Harry’s Place but the State Broadcaster with it’s multi-billion resources seems to have overlooked it; ‘Press Release: British Muslims for Israel condemns Jerusalem Bomb Plot British Muslims for Israel condemns the terrorist attack in Jerusalem today.Such acts of indiscriminate violence are never justified, hurt the cause ofPalestinians and harden public opinion in Israel. Hasan Afzal, a spokesperson for British Muslims for … Continue reading →

NO INTEREST IN HIGH INTEREST

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It’s odd the things that Stephanie Flanders overlooks; A B-BBC reader observes; “Distinct lack of interest from the BBC economic reporters on the record borrowing for February. This gives the lie to Labour’s, and Balls’ claim of ‘cutting too far too fast’. Shame the BBC cannot bring itself to delve into the figures and shed some light on Balls’ claims…though John Humphrys let slip a non-Party line this morning in a … Continue reading →

Comparing More Notes

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Today I’ve been mostly looking at reports of the terrorist bomb in Jerusalem. Leaving aside the unnecessary inclusion of:”Jerusalem suffered a spate of bus bombings between 2000 and 2004 but attacks had stopped in recent years.”and again further down:”However the attacks have stopped in recent years. Jerusalem last experienced a bus bombing in 2004.” – duplication possibly intended to imply good behaviour on the part of Hamas – this time … Continue reading →

BUYING THE BBC TO SAVE MONEY

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Interesting to read how the private sector could help us all by running parts of the BBC; I am advised; “As the BBC comesunder increased pressure from tightened budgets, the executives of theBirmingham-based commercial radio station brmb have come up with a solution tomaintain localness and save money. There is serious debate about limiting BBC local radio stations to one or twolocally produced shows a day with BBC Five Live filling … Continue reading →

BUDGET DAY

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Will George Osborne announce the slaughter of the first born? Perhaps the unemployed will be required to go up chimneys? The BBC – led by Stephanie “Two Eds” Flanders – is setting up Osborne to ensure that whatever is announced later will be wrong. It’s as if the reason for deficit reduction had no connection with the government that preceded the Coalition. Let’s capture the budget bias as we roll … Continue reading →