OPEN THREAD

Here we go, an overdue Open Thread! BBC went into food bank frenzy yesterday. I was invited into the BBC NI studio to take part in a discussion on such. My view is that Food Banks are street theatre agitprop sponsored by the left. To my amusement, the BBC in Belfast put on a caller from Cheltenham (!) who gave a tale of woe and explained how Food Banks saved his life. The particularity becomes the generality in the eyes of the BBC, as they do everything possible to help Labour. With an improving economy and falling unemployment the Left need SOMETHING to keep the gospel of despair going so welcome to the great Food Bank meme.

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386 Responses to OPEN THREAD

  1. Steve Jones says:

    Food banks appear during a national obesity crisis. Something doesn’t quite add up.

       73 likes

    • nofanofpoliticians says:

      Foodbanks are just a symptom of the culture of entitlement that pervades our society. Sometimes you just wonder how many foodbank attendees prioritise Sky, Iphones, or some other “luxury” contractual item over essential bills. Others, of course, budget for such items out of weekly or monthly income.

      The cause and reason why foodbanks are necessary is an inability to take responsibility for one’s own actions and behaviour, in many instances.

         66 likes

      • Dave666 says:

        I’ve already commented at length on foodbanks in the weekend portion of the blog. All I’ll add to that is when I worked in social fund it was no surprise to see claimants turn up to collect an urgent need payment in a taxi and then emerge smoking a fag. If there were stringent financial checks on every one using a foodbank as opposed to being “refered” I wonder if the escalation of use would be so high.

           55 likes

      • Dave666 says:

        Meanwhile jobs are few at the Trussell fund http://www.trusselltrust.org/internsandjobs still £25,000-£28,000 dependent on experience. Just get a load of volunteers in to do the other things.

           15 likes

      • uncle bup says:

        A friend of mine who helps the poor was trying recently to help a benefits receiver to back out of a £500 iphone contract.

           28 likes

      • dez says:

        nofanofpoliticians,

        The cause and reason why foodbanks are necessary is an inability to take responsibility for one’s own actions and behaviour, in many instances.”

        Strange how many commentators on this blog claim to support the noble, white English, working class.

        Apparently their wages have been undercut by cheep immigrant labour.

        Their rent bill has gone through the roof (also because of immigrants).

        The cost of fuel has been made ridiculously expensive by ‘green’ energy taxes.

        And, of course, they’re all forced to pay the outrageous tv tax.

        At the end of which; if they find they’ve run out of money before the end of the month; THEY’VE GOT NO ONE TO BLAME BUT THEMSELVES!

           6 likes

        • CCE says:

          FFS – it is basic logic. Food first, shelter second, nice things last.

          No one denies that people can be financially stressed Dez, but there really is no one to blame but themselves if they are hungry because food is astonishingly cheap and feeding themselves and their family is the first priority. Just in case you hadn’t noticed in modern Brfitain there are no armies of starving poor, shoeless and rag clan, clamouring for offal at the (Back) doors of the palaces of the rich. There are however 9 million ‘economically inactive’ people that I, as a tax payer, support in one way or another http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/november-2014/statistical-bulletin.html?format=print

          Go to Tescos with 10 quid and look at the veg and value products available. If you are a vegetarian you could live well for a tenner. You would not starve

             30 likes

        • johnnythefish says:

          ‘…………………… the noble, white English, working class.’

          Isn’t that a modern myth created by you socialists? What is ‘working class’ any more? I was brought up in a working class family in the 50s and it bore no resemblance to any lifestyle being lived in Britain today – in material, moral or cultural terms.

             18 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      I’m afraid that it does. You seem to believe that every fat person is frequenting a food bank, why?
      Cheap food is full of cheap things like fat, therefore those on the bread line who are keeping their heads above water tend to eat crap. They also tend to be pretty idle too so don’t get enough exercise.

         3 likes

      • Barlicker says:

        “Cheap food is full of fat…”
        Not really. Porridge 68p/500g, beans 30p, soup 40/45p, sardines 50p, lentils £1.00/500g, lean mince £1.99/500g, 6 egg 97p, £1.25/12 tangerines, etc. (current Asda prices).
        Over the past few months I’ve lost over 2 stones with a weekly food bill of never more than £20; a budget that includes fresh veg and at least two pieces of fresh fruit a day. I can cook and read the nutrition information shown on nearly all food products. Junk food, take-aways and snacks, on the other hand, do tend to be full of fat.

           69 likes

        • Fred Stubber says:

          I have an elderly friend who picks up his girlfriend in his Volvo. Both dressed in their old clothes they go and park round the corner from the food bank and come out with boxes of stuff. He’s got so much pension income he gets richer every year by £5,000 and she owns three houses.

             24 likes

          • ROBERT BROWN says:

            He’s your friend is he?…..had a word with him about this behaviour?….if i had a ‘friend’ like that i’d dump him.

               13 likes

      • Timbo says:

        If cheap food is full of fat, eat less of it. You save money and remain a healthy weight. Simples.

           13 likes

        • Leha says:

          Nobody ever died of beans and toast, or a big pot of home made lentil soup for that matter.

             8 likes

          • dez says:

            Leha,

            Nobody ever died of beans and toast, or a big pot of home made lentil soup for that matter.

            And what do you do if you don’t have enough money to buy a tin of beans or a loaf of bread?

               3 likes

            • CCE says:

              Well, you should stop spending the money that you are handed for free, money that is taken on pain of imprisonment from tax payers pockets – people who get up at 5:30 and work a minimum 8 hour day, on your mobile phone contract.

              FFS Dez, do you really believe that people who are mentally competent (I know some people with mental or physical health problems cannot look after themselves or their expenditure) cannot afford a 19p tin of beans? Benefits may not be generous but they are more than enough to provide for basic needs. Nobody starves through necessity in the UK – if they are hungry then that is a choice that they have made. Individuals have to take responsibility for their lives and feed themselves. Food in Britain is astonishingly cheap – but smokers spend up to 25% of their income on tobacco products http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11280307/Some-people-using-foodbanks-buy-cigarettes-instead-of-food.html

              the Feeding Britain report offers this thought:

              “A family earning £21,000 a year, for example, where both parents smoke 20 cigarettes a day will spend a quarter of their income on tobacco. Even if people buy illicit tobacco they will still spend 15% of their total income on tobacco.”

              Child benefit – 20.50 per week for the first child plus 13.55 for each subsequent child. Every week. Tax free. Two kids = 34.05 per week. That is ample to feed and clothe children, in fact you could feed a whole family pretty well for 147 per month.

              Housing benefit pays for rent, income support tops up income for low wage earners etc etc etc. Please now quote me an exceptional case to demolish my general point – the point being that the whole Food Bank meme is that the generality are starving because of austerity – when in reality it is people who have had their benefit sancitioned, the incompetent and financially incontinent and ileagal immigrants with no right to reside or claim benefits.

              Are you arguing that I should pay more from my wages to feed people who cannot decide what to spend their free money on?

                 27 likes

            • johnnythefish says:

              ‘….And what do you do if you don’t have enough money to buy a tin of beans or a loaf of bread? ‘

              Unless you’re talking about the homeless you have evidently lost touch with reality, Dez and need to get out more.

                 19 likes

      • NotaSheep says:

        Buy a chicken carcass from a proper butcher, £1=£2 for a full carcass, maybe even for free from some. Boil up the bones with some cheap vegetables: carrot, celery, potato, leek, onion, garlic etc. – Result four to eight portions of healthy chicken soup (depending on size of chicken and appetites). Takes longer than ordering a takeaway but it’s cheaper and healthier. It’s not difficult to do but why bother when there’s free food at a foodbank?

           30 likes

      • CCE says:

        Drivvel. Porridge has no fat, vegetables, pulses and fruit have no fat.

        They are cheap

        Also am I to be responsible for their idleness and imbecility?

           15 likes

    • J Barry says:

      Just happened to stop to talk to a friend across the road from a foodbank and while standing there four men came out at different times and met across on the corner and sat on a wall while getting out of the carrier bags they were carrying cans of beer and all lit up fags, then within five minutes a woman came out with a box of food walked passed us and put it in the back of her 4×4.

         58 likes

      • Newbury Lad says:

        Film it and then YouTube it.

           55 likes

      • ROBERT BROWN says:

        Then the thing to do is loiter outside with a camera and record it all…..present it to the organizers….if they can be arsed to act…..

           7 likes

  2. AsISeeIt says:

    ‘Austerity is the enemy of the arts’

    BBC tv news delivered that zinger of an electioneering slogan this morning just before 8am.

    They managed to tag this slogan on to a longish report about spending ‘cuts’ that ‘might’ or ‘may’ have put the future of the Ulster Orchestra under threat.

    Hyperbole…? Not us guv!

    In fact ‘the news where you are’ arrived a couple of minutes late this morning and was cut very short – perhaps to make way for the story.

    I think the slogan is so very good that it is bound to be taken up elsewhere on the BBC, in the Guardian and like-minded minority press and by the Labour Party and other leftist groups.

    Just a reminder folks: ‘Austerity is the enemy of the arts’

       43 likes

    • imaynotalwaysloveyou says:

      Ha! ‘ the news where you are…’
      When I watched live TV and the beeb announcer said that, I always used to hear it as –
      ‘the news where you unsophisticated parochial oiks are’!

         5 likes

  3. noggin says:

    BBC 5Live … Panto Campbell
    Syrian refugees, President Assad is the cause, along with us
    Afghan Interpreters, our fault the, evil West.
    We have for 20mins! … some agit “get them over here” (with approving Panto sighs).
    … Pantomime has come early on the BBC

       40 likes

    • D1004 says:

      Number of refugees taken in by ultra rich Gulf states?
      Nil, Zero, Zilch…………..the tumbleweed rolls past the newsroom. Meanwhile, tomorrows Panto will be, Housing crisis at Xmas, strain on hospitals, schools, etc, something must be done, etc,
      the bbc decides that the only course of action will be to turn Britain into a giant Tardis to house all the needy and unwanted of the world, Oh the humanity !

         71 likes

      • The General says:

        I was going to phone in to put that point regarding the lack of contribution by fabulously wealth Arab States who buy multi million pound properties in Knightsbridge and provide their children Ferraris, Lamborghinis etc. but decided I would be wasting my time and a phone call. Previous experiences have resulted in a lack of response as it does not fit in with the BBC agenda and most importantly would prove very difficult for them to side step or answer.

           54 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘some agit “get them over here”

      By sheer coincidence, this chimes with the exact same call (with a bit of ‘heartless Tories’) from Mrs. Balls.

      I only saw it on twitter and it was not going well for her.

      Maybe the BBC gallantly stepped in with editorial and public feedback they can filter?

      A HYS may require one of those early closing they have to pull before people not sofa-surfing, taking their calls as researchers or sitting in studios or production suites get back from work.

         15 likes

  4. JimS says:

    Today this morning was banging on again about food banks and the waste of food. John Humphreys seems to be unable to get his head around the idea that food waste has got nothing to do with people going hungry in the UK, (in a global context, maybe), but how much money people have and how they spend it.

    No longer ‘banging away’ is Samantha, who is restricted to “settling down and preparing to score”, as a caller to Feedback [12:00] tells us, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue has been guilty of “..condoning and normalising sexual objectification of women…”, which, clearly, must stop.

    I await the stopping of the ‘condoning and normalisation’ of homosexual ‘objectification’ by innuendo on Strictly Come Dancing, Graham Norton and so, so many other shows.

    Perhaps they could then move on to the ‘normalising’ of love of the EU, unrestricted immigration, ‘living wage’, ‘green’ taxes, high food prices and hatred of the ‘right-wing’, UKIP, Daily Mail readers, ‘white van man’, England, democracy, the Common Law, white people…

       70 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      I was quite shocked to learn the scale of waste by UK supermarkets and the amazingly spurious reasons for it.
      10000 pies sent to land fill by Morrisons ‘because the delivery was late’
      100 tons of tomatoes sent to landfill by Tesco, simply because they were ‘too big’.

      This isn’t food which has past its sell by date, or has some question mark over its quality. It’s perfectly good food which we as customers of supermarkets are being forced to pay for. It could and should be used to feed people.

      I’m not suggesting which people, but I being a child of parents who lived with rationing, hate to see food going to waste.

         25 likes

      • The General says:

        Yes but can you imagine the outrage in the Media if , as would happen, someone claimed they contracted food poisoning from being given out of date food by the Supermarkets.

           32 likes

        • Guest Who says:

          Yes, the role of no win-no fee lawyers with a direct line to ‘heads it’s outrage, tails critics are saying’ media seldom seem raised.

          If they could flog it or even give it away for PR they would. Disposal is the lesser of a variety of getting kicked options.

          There is some merit to decrying the rejection of ‘ugly’ produce, but that is pretty much down to the vast majority of public who demand perfection.

          I am pretty sure cooking show contestants are allowed to be picky with their bruised bananas.

          There is also the sacrifice of science to outrage on matters of packaging. Businesses tend mostly not to add cost to look bad to eco-warriors.

          They do it to maximise shelf-life and minimise waste, though unlike a BBC complaint department year, they can’t hit 110% always.

          I was at an expo when a harpie from the WI held aloft a bagged hand of Fyffes to show the true horrors of packaging.

          So I asked why. After a pause one audience member shared how the ‘ene’ gasses accelerated ripening to rot… and hence waste disposal. Another that loose strays were never selected, so bagging ensured purchase, saving waste, and disposal. She retired, stage left, followed by several well-paid staffers.

          Meanwhile, an FOI on bottled water for the BBC may show parity with House of Lords bubbly. If it was not likely exempted for the purposes of saying one thing whilst doing a bunch of other stuff.

             17 likes

        • Dave666 says:

          Yes The General. And as Supermarkets are out for as much profit as they can. I spent 4 years working in one of their distribution centres, Do you think they throw food away for the sake of it. Where I worked some of the “waste” was donated to a local zoo.

             20 likes

        • Thoughtful says:

          But it wasn’t out of date! I was rejected on delivery and sent straight to landfill. It never saw the shelves because the supermarket rejected it.

             4 likes

      • Pounce says:

        Thoughtful you made a valid point and as a young child inside a children’s home I remember Marks and Sparks dropping off food. Now lets look at the otherside of the coin:
        If somebody receives free food and they find something in it, get food poisoning are they allowed to sue. Then there’s those folks who will take such food back to the shops in which to get a refund. AT the end of the day it is cheaper for the Supermarkets to get rid of their food than hand it over. Its a disgrace, but that fact.

        As for your statement that cheap
        food is full of fat…really. I ussually find myself in the supermarket with lots of raw produce, veg,fish, meat and fruit. either side of me are people stacked to the gills with ready made meals,. When I say stacked to the gills I mean a full shopping trolly with usually a few crates of beer. So by your definition are they poor or just making a poor choice. big difference

           17 likes

  5. Geoff says:

    Still no mention on the bBC News website of the ‘Anti Islamification’ protests in Germany.

       76 likes

  6. Ian Rushlow says:

    I would imagine most readers of this site are keen to start their own food banks, so as to help those people whose expenditure on fags, booze and the latest mobile phones means they can’t afford to feed themselves properly. Good news! If you pay the Trussell Trust just £1500 plus £360 per annum you can have a franchise, backed with endless free advertising on the BBC.

       38 likes

  7. Deborah says:

    At 6.55 or so this morning on Today (Tuesday) Radio 4 was an item about an OECD report. How much Left wing propaganda can you get in a couple of minutes? The report was looking at the difference between the poor and the middleclass. Somehow, said the report’s author it is unfair that middle class people pay for their children’s education. (Presumably it is much better if people spend their money on cars, holidays and fags?). But, went on the author, money should be redistributed from the middle classes to the poor but done wisely. He gave as an example in-work benefits. But to me in-work benefits are exactly why we cannot get people to do the little jobs eg a couple of hours as the school dinner lady or the lollipop man – the explanation always being that it isn’t worth it once the benefits are affected. It also affects general level of pay ie after an increase in pay the benefits are reduced and so the pay increase is hardly worth having. Humphries could have asked the man about these things – but of course there wasn’t time.

       34 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      Better than ‘in work benefits’ is to take the poorest paid out of paying tax altogether, which the government has been doing, so that you don’t waste a load of taxpayers’ money paying one army of civil servants to take money off them and another army to give it them back.

      This very simple application of common sense is well beyond the comprehension of your average leftie, including a whole army of them at the BBC (who take our money but don’t give us anything back – unless you count and endless stream of leftist propaganda).

         17 likes

  8. TheHighlandRebel says:

    The tomb of the prophet Jonah…or what’s left of it.

    Lucky it wasn’t someone threatening to burn a few pages of the Koran or a Youtube clip or a cartoon about Mohammed or we would have our ‘churches’ screaming from the pulpits in ‘outrage’ or our politicians and their fellow Neanderthals marching and bawling on our streets calling for violence and beheadings, Cameron and William – Elmer Fudd – Hague registering their disgust in the House and the BBC making it a headline topper for weeks on end.

       22 likes

    • deegee says:

      Are you sure that this was the tomb of Jonah or at least reputed to be? (not talking about archaeological proof.) Mohammed adopted many of the Hebrew prophets for his new religion. Muslims consider Jonah to be an important prophet of Islam.

      Story of Prophet Yunus/Jonah (pbuh)

         1 likes

      • TheHighlandRebel says:

        Muslims will tell you any lie deegee.

        They say they revere Jesus as a prophet whilst they slit the throats of Christians and burn their churches.

           32 likes

      • hadda says:

        The ISIS lot consider tombs of even ordinary people to be idolatrous, that’s why they smash them.

           12 likes

  9. Deborah says:

    At the end of the Today programme (about 8.55 am) Mishal was discussing the trip of the Duke and Duchess to New York and whether it was right for access to them being through such expensive dinners. She also discussed whether they were visiting the right tourist spots. The guest suggest that the Empire State building wasn’t that interesting as the Duke and Duchess had probably visited lots of tall buildings. She was asked where they should have gone and she suggested the Jewish deli where Harry met Sally. Humphries was heard to splutter – I presume because it was a Jewish deli – had it been a Muslim kebab house I presume it would have been totally acceptable.

       45 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘whether it was right for access to them being through such expensive dinners’

      I recall that to get a new record into the hands of a BBC producer to be ‘considered’ usually required a plugger, whose main function was to take said BBC producers out for expensive dinners.

      Meanwhile, at Glasto, I wonder which side of the VIP rope to the Green rooms Mishal, Jon, Mr. Yentob, Danny, Lord Pantone, james, jame, Hugs, Mary and others would lurk?

      But then, they have generously funded for such access… using licence fee payers’ money.

      Maybe Mishal should check her privilege?

         26 likes

    • 43 says:

      @Deborah. Went to “Ira’s”. not rushing back, expensive, uncomfortable and got the rush treatment. Will stick with “Amichi’s.”

         0 likes

  10. Phil Ford says:

    “… The particularity becomes the generality in the eyes of the BBC, as they do everything possible to help Labour. With an improving economy and falling unemployment the Left need SOMETHING to keep the gospel of despair going so welcome to the great Food Bank meme.”

    Couldn’t agree more, David. The BBC continue to scrape the bottom of the barrel in their desperation to keep the ‘austerity’ meme going in the face of overwhelming economic recovery, post 2008.

    All it really does is reveal the rotten heart of the Corporation; the determination to undermine politics (even successful politics) they don’t sign up to; yet another reminder of that mythical BBC ‘impartiality’ at work again, no doubt.

    Time to make the BBC a completely private subscription-only broadcaster. Those that want their left wing drivel can pay for it: the rest of us get the right to ignore it, without the fear of criminal prosecution for having done so.

       54 likes

    • dave s says:

      The left liberal idiots need a cause. Any cause will do if it makes them feel their lives are worthwhile. Food banks are just the latest liberal moan.
      There is no comparison between conditions in Africa and here. There is no comparison between the working class poverty of the 1930s and today’s Britiain.
      Archbishops and liberal media commentators are taking us for fools and need to get a life ( as they say )
      Look on it as liberalism’s end days as the whole farrago of liberal nonsense starts to implode and that awkward beast reality starts to appear.
      This land needs to be well governed and it will be if we all hold firm and determine to end the liberal fantasy days of the 68ers and their useless descendants.

         45 likes

  11. Llareggub says:

    Still pushing the race war the BBC manage to insert an anti choke hold demonstration in a story of a royal visit to a baseball game.

    ‘The T-shirts carried the words “I can’t breathe”. They refer to last words spoken by Eric Garner, a black man who died after being held in an apparent chokehold by a white New York police officer.’

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30390713

    Here is a bit of police action that could be reported by the BBC as follows.
    ‘Police taser unarmed black mother in front of her children’.

    I don’t know what the cop’s skin colour was but it might as well be reported as white – though I suspect from the context it is black.

       18 likes

    • Leha says:

      This guy is a Mall security guard.

         9 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Context would be good, but the value of body cams seems proven.

      The mall appears uni-racial in customer base, including the security guard. What he was being called and his well-blinged hand shots confirm this.

      The lady has an interesting line in ‘take your kids to wo…riot’ days.

      She seemed to have considerable verbal requests and warnings before moving from assault to battery.

      On balance, not one the BBC et Al (or Dianne) would like run with to garner much outrage anywhere. Certainly on a race hustling basis

      I hope it is widely shared.

      Interesting how just about every adult male (or possible 6’+ teenager) milling about bar the concerned father (at least present) seemed more of a ‘wish i was not here’ demeanour.

         14 likes

    • Pounce says:

      Loved how the bitch hit the deck.

         8 likes

    • ROBERT BROWN says:

      Haha….god these people are the dregs……Blacks just do not know when to STFU do they….so few are educated, they get the chance but are more interested in rap and crime….it really is a pleasure to meet an educated, mature Black person, so few though.

         2 likes

  12. GCooper says:

    The food bank phenomenon sprang into life, like so many mushrooms, more or less the moment Labour lost the last election.

    Exactly the same propaganda vehicle was used in the latter Thatcher and then Major years, when we had ‘cardboard cities’ . They vanished, like magic, when the Blair junta grabbed power.

    Coincidence? Of course it isn’t! The Left is adept at manipulating memes through its control of the media – notably the BBC.

       58 likes

  13. Doublethinker says:

    How long before the BBC demand that there are Halal food banks set up in every town? It would be interesting to see what they did with the pork sausages that may well be donated by ignorant non Muslims, of whom there might be quite a lot.

       34 likes

    • Llareggub says:

      Doublethinker, It won’t be long. There is a demand for halal food banks among some US muslims. It just needs some encouragement from the BBC to get it going here.

         27 likes

      • Geoff says:

        You have to ask just what plusses those above actually bring to any given country or community, it just seems to be a one way street.

        If they don’t like it they can **** off, its that simple.

           51 likes

      • hadda says:

        The reporter keeps saying ‘halal and kosher’, but I didn’t see any Jews among the agitators. Maybe that’s because Jews tend to look after their own community whereas Saracens seem to expect Kufr to clear up their sh*t.

           42 likes

      • LostOverThere says:

        Somalis – they never cause bother, do they?

        Are the Jews demanding Kosher food banks, od the Hindus vegetarian only? Nah, didn’t think so

           31 likes

      • flexdream says:

        If the muslims want a halal food bank then who is stopping them setting one up?

           13 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘Demands’ for donation seems a quaint notion.

      Charitable giving of course is a worldwide blessing of the faithful, but I see problems down the line as there are some already not noted for their largesse who may impose parameters that may prove discriminatory.

      If pointed out one is sure the councils and BBc will prove understanding, and Theresa the Unsteady will deport the person doing so.

      In case things kick off. A bit more.

         12 likes

  14. Dazed & Confused says:

    So, from the BBCs print arm the Guardian, Britain is one of the most obese Countries in Western Europe, yet the emergence of food banks is keeping the poor alive?

    You may conclude that the left want to have their cake and eat it – Directly from the food banks of course – After attending a state run obesity course..

    http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/29/uk-western-europe-obesity-study

       34 likes

  15. chrisH says:

    The BBC seemed awful exercised about some Tory oaf who said that the poor can`t cook.
    As they were groaning like their buffet tables(set for the endless Wintavalle s`lebs who`ll be “working for the BBC” in these next few weeks)…I saw the cameras.
    Yes folks…digestive biscuits, tins of soup and beans…you know-stuff that clearly confirms all that Lady Trumpers said to the media.
    Channel 4 of course leapt to the defence of the poor-some tattooed casualty told us that-bollox-course the poor can cook-why here, he`s got a sachet of Hollandaise sauce…which his aid worker told him goes rather well with salmon…on, and a sachet of parsley sauce to go too, should he not like the `olladaze innit?”.
    QED…but the BBC/Channel 4 seem incapable of matching their Russell Rhetoric with those piccies of theirs.
    Seems to be Sound OR Vision these days at the BBC-even Bowie offered us more!
    The European Canon is here!…brilliant and prophetic, Davy Jones!

       27 likes

  16. Sinniberg says:

    Biased BBC?.

    Three negative articles on UKIP.

    In three days.

    1. The breastfeeding “scandal”.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30342953

    2. The “Nigel Farage blames immigration for no-show” story.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-30370570

    3. And now a “story” about a claim of “harrassment”.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30390554

       42 likes

    • nofanofpoliticians says:

      Has the lady claiming to have been harassed gone to the police yet?

         18 likes

    • Phil Ford says:

      “…Three negative articles on UKIP.”

      It’s just the start, as we move towards next year’s election. The BBC has decided on a very aggressive campaign against UKIP and the Tories. Conversely, Labour, the Greens and the SNP – all safely left wing common purpose travellers in whose slippery hands the BBC Charter, coincidentally, can be assumed to remain remarkably safe – will get free passes from the Corporation all the way from here to May 2015.

      Fancy that.

         52 likes

      • flexdream says:

        Frankly these UKIP hatchet jobs are pathetic in their impotence and banality. Farage’s ‘Storm in a C cup’ was fit for a ‘Yes Minister’ script.
        I’m looking forward to the next expose. As for the present ‘scandal’ because the headline and photo seemed to suggest ‘Man fancies woman’ I lost curiosity in reading any further as it’s hardly news.

           8 likes

    • JohnOfEnfield says:

      Who considers the traffic jam story negative?

      I guess 5 million immigrants since 1997 will have had a considerable affect on the level of traffic on our roads. Just as they have had on housing, the benefits system and the NHS.

      It seems a valid proposition for Farage to make. It is of course beyond the capability of the BBC to see this point. But rest assured it rang true for every person sat in traffic jam – including said immigrants.

         43 likes

      • Llareggub says:

        Want to verify Farage’s traffic jam comments? Drive into any motorway service station and see for yourselves.

           36 likes

      • Conan the Contrarian says:

        My part of North London is SWAMPED with eastern Europeans ,on top of the earlier enrichment battalions from Asia (excl. Chinese) and Africa.
        It has become a rarity to hear an English accent in the wholesale shopping outlets I use. Needless to say , these vibrant newcomers are intensely ‘Tribal’ , seem to shop in huge extended family groups ,and care little for quaint old English customs such as queuing and consideration for other people……..or am I imagining all this (according to Aljabeeba)????????

           50 likes

        • Also the major Supermarkets are saying according to their research the UK now needs to feed 78-80 million inhabitants. This is the real figure of our population.
          Questions need to be asked.

             30 likes

        • ROBERT BROWN says:

          Yep, and ponder this……a lot of these people, Poles, romanians etc…would have, or their fathers would have constituted the Warsaw Pact forces, ranged against the West, us, ready to swarm and enslave us, and they would have succeeded, this is only 20 yrs ago or less. Manning their Soviet T-72/80 tanks, Hind chopper gunships, BRDM infantry carriers, and Flogger jets, they would have swept away our forces , and our military knew this……..When the wall came down, my late father said there would be trouble, wait and see……i fear he was right.

             1 likes

      • Sinniberg says:

        I agree with you, just for the record it’s the angle from which the BBC came at it i.e trying yet again to stir up trouble and smear Nigel Farage/UKIP.

        🙂

           7 likes

  17. chrisH says:

    I see Jay Rayner`s got the weekend gigs on Radio 4 for the next few weeks!
    His Question Time appearances clearly luvved up the linen suits at Ground Control there at the BBC.
    Still-a homeopathic dilution of the hopelessly unfunny Rory McGrath may well be what Radio 4s weekend pondlife deserve.
    Me?…It`s Brian Matthew…accept no subs!

       24 likes

    • Geoff says:

      Yes more nepotism (son of agony ant Claire) and another Guardianista as per Mitchell, Coren etc etc etc etc….

         38 likes

  18. chrisH says:

    Parklife for pondlife…and a groaning buffet of padded privilege bellows its bellicose quacks…but nobody here on planet life gives a hoot.
    S`all “Parklife!” nowadays at the BBC!…one Titus Groaning buffet sending e numbers down over the prison walls to our kids.
    No License fee-be dogs no longer!

       24 likes

  19. Thoughtful says:

    Very interesting piece of news I picked up on, and I’m sure the BBC are saving for when they might need it.

    It seems the DePfeffel chap was born in New York and has US citizenship which he has never given up (can we seriously have a PM with dual nationality)?

    Worse for Boris though is that although he didn’t give up his US citizenship, he did give up paying US tax, and he’s now involved in something of a spat with the IRS who say he owes them quite a lot of money. (again is this the sort of thing a prospective PM should be involved in)?

    Boris says he doesn’t owe the money, the IRS says he does so now he can’t visit the US for fear of arrest !

    Certainly the thought of a PM who could screw the country up, and then run away to live in another doesn’t strike me as a good idea.

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/11/25/londons-boris-johnson-gets-help-in-irs-fight/

    This is fairly widely known news so my assumption is that as the Tories see Boris as a vote winner, the Left see him as a threat, and they are keeping their powder dry on this, until its use becomes damaging.

       15 likes

  20. Thoughtful says:

    Radio 4s far left women hour is broadcasting far left propaganda again with the serialisation of a book about the memoirs of one of the Greenham lesbians. One of the most pointless and futile protests the world has ever seen. Despite that it was very left wing and trendy at the time so it has to be ‘celebrated’.

    Funny but I never seem to hear a serial about the Countryside alliance whom the Fascists view as the ‘Untermensch’ nor about their oppression by their Fascist masters, nor about the effects the unworkable hunting with dogs act, passed by the Liebour government in an act of spite.

       45 likes

    • GCooper says:

      The BBC seems to be having a field day with superannuated loonie feminists. The Greenham Common nonsense on Womans Hour begs for a follow-up programme asking ‘what did it achieve?’ but then we all know the answer, don’t we?

      Meanwhile, yesterday R4 turned Jeanette Winterson loose on the first part of a series (no less) about Manchester.

      Surely someone at the BBC has had enough of an education to have taken la Winterson aside and gently informed her about the King Canute story? Or is the doyenne of feminist fantasists too important to correct when she makes a bloody fool of herself by repeating the canard that Canute was displaying hubris, when ‘commanding’ the sea?

      Not that this was the only clanger dropped by Winterson, whose certainty about British pre-history should be taken by special courier to the history departments of our leading universities. It seems she knows a great deal more about our ancestors’ beliefs than they do, for sure.

      All of which would be fine had the programme been preceded with a mental health warning that Winterson was being herself – spouting entertaining, fanciful balderdash. But it wasn’t.

      As usual with lefies – no doubt it was the ‘truthiness’ was what mattered.

         30 likes

      • Phil Ford says:

        “…Meanwhile, yesterday R4 turned Jeanette Winterson loose on the first part of a series (no less) about Manchester.”

        Thankfully, as soon as I recognised Comrade Winterson’s dulcet tones emanating from the wireless I was able to make a quick dash to the ‘off’ switch. Just in time, by the sound of things. Phew.

           27 likes

        • flexdream says:

          Isn’t that a bit sexist? Shouldn’t it be about Womanchester? Or is that a bit of a boob?

             8 likes

      • dave s says:

        I think I was 11 when we were told exactly why Canute commanded the sea. Poor stuff again from the BBC and it’s tame people.

           17 likes

        • Thoughtful says:

          The funny thing about that story is how wrong it was. The King was Knut and it’s believed that he tried to turn back the Aegir, a bore on the River Trent which at it’s furthest extent reached the capital of Denmark – Gainsborough !

          Yep for a brief period Gainsborough was not only capital of Denmark, but capital of England too back in 1013.

             9 likes

      • Thoughtful says:

        I heard the tail end of that when she started banging on about Engels dragging his mate Marx with him. You can bet your bottom dollar that they won’t be discussing the pairs enormous racism and anti Semitism, nor their desires to exterminate “racial trash”.

        Only the sanitised ‘caring’ for the poor version will be allowed. They won’t be reporting Marx & Engles detestation of liberalism either – that would never do !

        “Until its complete extermination or loss of national status, this racial trash always becomes the most fanatical bearer there is of counter-revolution, and it remains that. That is because its entire existence is nothing more than a protest against a great historical revolution. … The next world war will cause not only reactionary classes and dynasties, but also entire reactionary peoples, to disappear from the earth. And that too is progress”.

           22 likes

      • ROBERT BROWN says:

        Winterson obviously comes from the Diane Abbot school of British History…….are there really Howard Kirk type idiots running the Uni’s?

           2 likes

    • Mustapha Sheikup al-Beebi says:

      Yesterday’s Radio 4 “experience” from 7pm to 9 pm reminded me just why I listen less and less these days. Do tell me if you agree!

      I got my dose of the increasingly crazy “Archers” up to 7:15. Then it was “Front Row”, with a discussion about ‘Black’ theatre, subsidies, (Tory) cuts, ethnic quotas, etc. Next we had the Greenham ‘Wimmin’ show, quintessentially BBC in almost every respect, and beyond parody. Then it was Lyse (ax to grind because the British oppressed my French Canadian ancestors) Doucet for half an hour, on da Afghan sistaz doing it for themselves (with barely a mention of the US, UK and other mainly male soldiers who made it possible). I lost the will to go on listening when it came to the 8:30 slot – more madness about marriage customs in, shall we say, less fortunate lands than our own: man ‘a’ marries woman ‘b’ whereupon his brother, man ‘a2’, marries her sister, woman ‘b2’. According to the custom, if either relationship a-b or a2-b2 breaks down, then the other must terminate too, AND THE BBC THINKS WE NEED TO KNOW.

         26 likes

  21. Umbongo says:

    Surely the logical response to the starving millions depending on foodbanks here is to stop the £x billion international aid effort and redirect it to the Trussell Trust. Oddly no-one from The Welby Centre for Demonising the Self-Supporting (previously known as the Church of England) has suggested this as even a partial solution to this problem.
    BTW, call me racist, but it seemed to me, from the pictures transmitted by the BBC last night of the feeding of the poor, that the vast majority of the recipients on screen were of South European or Middle Eastern appearance. This might mean nothing but, even so, the BBC took remedial action and selected a couple of English whitey recipients to feature for a closer look. This is (almost) a first for the BBC since English whiteys are usually set up as the villains in its propaganda pieces rather than victims.

       42 likes

  22. Thoughtful says:

    A major news story about to break is the admission that the CIA tortured captives in what was called at the time ‘enhanced interrogation’.
    Torture is of course repulsive to all civilised people, and was outlawed in England by Queen Elizabeth I. To find that it has been going on was a great shock to me.

    Those in charge at the time were despite any denials, knew this was going on and were complicit in it. The two leaders with the dirtiest hands were George W Bush and Tony Blair.

    Saint Tony the man whom the BBC cannot accept did anything wrong, and who they protect even to this day.

    So when the report is published, they will no doubt be full of righteous angst and be blaming the ‘monster’ George Bush and his Republican Administration, but does anybody here think they will broadcast a single word of criticism against Saint Tony and Nu Liebour? I certainly don’t.
    Unless of course there’s a Muslim with a claim to make and then it’s top trumps !

       23 likes

  23. TheHighlandRebel says:

    Does anyone know what the death toll from starvation among the great unwashed was before the manna of foodbanks appeared?

       39 likes

    • Angels 30 says:

      This whole food bank nonsense could have been avoided if part of the benefit payments was in the form of food vouchers which could be used in any supermarket but only for the purchase of food and not booze/fags/sky/mobile phone etc. I seem to remember a similar proposal being put forward some time ago and, whilst being welcomed by the general population (ie those that pay the bills) it was kicked into the long grass by the PC Brigade as being demeaning to welfare claimants.
      I can think of only one of our current political leaders who would have the b..ls to put forward a similar suggestion – step forward Nigel.

         39 likes

      • GCooper says:

        The ‘poor’ would have more money for food if they weren’t forced to pay the BBC tax and massively inflated energy bills ramped up by ‘Green’ taxes, of which the BBC is a leading advocate.

           53 likes

      • Colonel Blimp says:

        a secondary market turning food vouchers into cash (at an appropriate discount) would develop almost instantly

           11 likes

        • Dave666 says:

          Used to happen with the milk tokens. They would be accepted by some outlets for items other than milk or powder. Allegedly they used to be on sale at the car boot sale. They would also be replaced if “lost” as there was no way to trace the individual tokens.

             3 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      You think the government keeps figures on things like that? If it is one it’s too many though, and there are examples of it happening.

      ATOS have been responsible for the death of quite a few as well. Never mind though at least the pensioners, who make up nearly half the benefits bill have their benefits ring fenced !

         2 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Taking on board the sincere sentiment of your second sentence, given TellMama was funded to log every phone call made that might have been a bit nasty about a niche faith, it would seem surprising that records on deaths of a preventable nature would not be kept, surely?

        I would certainly hope that in addressing such tragedies, the difference between one, quite a few and ‘lots’ was quantified to some degree (of accuracy).

        Not least so claims made can be confidently supported.

           8 likes

      • Andy S. says:

        ATOS was given its contract by the last Labour government! Between that organisation and the NHS under Labour, they’ve killed more people in this country than the IRA.

           6 likes

  24. Llareggub says:

    Threat to the police… plan to kidnap and execute a police officer. No suggestion as to the organization responsible. It cannot be from the Religion of Peace because our cops have been so PC . Whilst I hope that no police officer is injured I cannot resist a smirk. I am sure that a few privileges thrown to the community leaders will resolve matters

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30390392

       34 likes

    • George R says:

      INBBC does not mention Islamic jihad threat in Birmingham.

      ‘Diversity’ rules? – No, and not OK.

         22 likes

      • George R says:

        ‘Telegraph’ (£)-

        “Terror plot to kidnap and kill a serving officer in Birmingham”

        [Excerpt]:-

        “Reports of the threat comes after five men were charged in October with plotting to kill police officers or soldiers on the streets of London.
        “Members of the gang allegedly swore allegiance to extremist group Islamic State and scouted out Shepherd’s Bush police station and White City Territorial Army Barracks on a ‘hostile reconnaissance’ mission on Google Street View.

        “They allegedly kept Instagram images of two Scotland Yard police officers and two Metropolitan Police community support officers, as well as a trove of jihadist material including videos of beheadings.
        “West Midlands Police said the information which triggered the alert was still being assessed.”

        http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11281767/Terror-plot-to-kidnap-and-kill-a-serving-officer-in-Birmingham.html

           15 likes

        • flexdream says:

          Who remembers the BBC’s Bonekicker’s series which showed a religious nutter beheading someone of another religion.
          Have a wild guess which religion was which …

             15 likes

        • ROBERT BROWN says:

          If they succeed, i hope it’s one of our useless so-called Chief Cons, a breed of copper so brainwashed and in thrall to PC nonsense….just listen to their robotic crap-speak when they deign to be interviewed…..we are badly served.

             2 likes

    • #88 says:

      ‘…No suggestion as to the organization responsible…’

      Errr…was it the Round Table, Llareggub?…or perhaps the Lions, or maybe the Provisional Wing of the Women’s Institute?

         21 likes

  25. Barlicker says:

    The Green Party, bless ’em, have chosen a candidate for Brighton council elections who is on record as saying that the Brighton bombing was “justifiable”. But since this disgusting gob-shite is nothing to do with UKIP, the BBC doesn’t appear to be interested.
    http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/12/08/Brighton-Bomb-Attack-Was-Justifiable-Says-Green-Candidate

       46 likes

    • GCooper says:

      Indeed, had he been a UKIP candidate, it would be a front page cert among the usual suspects – which means more or less all of them, now that the status quo collective, from the BBC to the Telegraph, has decided that UKIP is the greatest threat to their powerbase since Hitler.

         44 likes

      • flexdream says:

        It similarily shows how irrelevant the Green Party, which I used to vote for, has become. More red than green.

           9 likes

        • ROBERT BROWN says:

          And i bet they are thrashing about, foaming at the mouth at the drop in price of oil….hahahahahaha.

             0 likes

    • spooky says:

      I think you’ll find some of the far left loons are using the greens as a trojan horse to try and get into power. Green council candidate round here used to support Galloways left fascist Respect brownshirts.

         9 likes

  26. Aerfen says:

    The BBC are pushing the ‘we must take more Syrian refugees’ agenda again!

    A phone in this morning with some muesli knitting Bristol dweller (native Briton although I suspect not a native Bristolian) desperate for us to take more.

    Whats he worried about? Most of those that go to Sweden, Germany etc will be coming here once they win their permanent leave to remain.

    What really annoys me is why they never question why its EUROPE should take more! What about all the rich Muslim countries around he gulf?

       47 likes

    • George R says:

      And Beeboids, as rest of political ‘left,’ campaign for an open-door, unlimited entry of such people, from ALL countries of Asia and Africa especially, so that British society can be colonised faster and earlier than even now.

         30 likes

    • flexdream says:

      We could take 50 000 Syrian refugees and there would still be a crisis in Syria.

         10 likes

    • Dave666 says:

      We were told we wouldn’t be taking any Syrian refugees. They lied. I wrote to my MP he replied with a letter that didn’t address the issues I raised. Since then I have seen nothing about the ones we did take. If I can be bothered maybe a Freedom of information request may be of interest on how many we have taken so far.

         8 likes

  27. Leha says:

    BBCDP – Norman Smith needs a slap up side the head with a UKIP pamphlet.

       18 likes

  28. Phil Ford says:

    So, yesterday, I was idly musing on the thought the BBC really ought to make a high-quality TV production of The Nativity. You know; a proper film-quality two-parter for the Christmas holiday TV schedules – something of the quality of Jesus of Nazareth with a big-name director and some well-known actors. Something historically accurate, faithful to the New Testament telling of the story. Something to remind us all what this Christmas lark used to be all about. With today’s fantastic film technologies it could be something really special.

    Then I remembered that this is the BBC. Almost in answer to my speculations I happened to catch sight of a trailer on BBC One yesterday for what it is calling its special Boxing Day treat for TV viewers.

    Your license fee at work, folks.

       36 likes

    • Geoff says:

      Incredible!

      I don’t think that I’ve ever seen so much diversity and multiculturalism crammed into 35 seconds, but hey this is the bBC!

         39 likes

      • dave s says:

        It is a parody I hope by a secret conservative. It cannot be for real. Nothing is that crass is it?
        Probably the answer is yes. Imagine the giggling makers laughing at us.
        “This will upset all those horrid English Daily Mail readers”
        Sorry boys and girls it will just make most of us feel sorry for you.
        To misquote Harry Lime
        Two thousand years of civilisation and they produce this”

           24 likes

        • flexdream says:

          Do they include the hilarious scene where he visits the local mosque with his school?

             18 likes

    • UKIP if you want to. says:

      “the BBC really ought to make a high-quality TV production of The Nativity. You know; a proper film-quality two-parter for the Christmas holiday TV schedules”

      What? Like the four parter they made?

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00x15ny

         7 likes

      • Phil Ford says:

        “…What? Like the four parter they made?

        …and which is currently unavailable on iPlayer. Think they’ll make it available in time for, you know, Christmas..?

        But I thank you for pointing out the link.

           11 likes

        • flexdream says:

          “There are no upcoming broadcasts of this programme
          Last on, Christmas Day 2012 17:30”

             4 likes

          • spooky says:

            They’ll be probably have an affectionate look at the life of their pal Jimmy Saville on Xmas Day.

               7 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      I remember the Little Britain Series Walliams did with Lucas, and they took the piss out of the liberal left mercilessly, and the so called victim minority groups.

      Only gay in the village a piss take on the self obsessed gays
      The idle superstitious black coffee shop worker
      the insanity of the disabled assistant who had to have a string of helpers herself.
      The Pakistani baggage worker
      Ting Tong the Thai Bride
      Emily “I’m a Laydeeee” trannie

      So many ‘stereotypes’ that the Fascists started to complain about it. I think I’ll wait to see with this one how the story pans out, because knowing Walliams it might just not be what people think.

         15 likes

      • Conan the Contrarian says:

        Ah, but you see they’re really being ironic in that they’re APPEARING to agree with the humour but they’re really taking the p**s out of it!

        Do you get it??
        Do you see what they really did there??

        Then , they can go back to their Leftist friends with their street cred intact and not be accused of agreeing with all those eeevil Mail readers and Thatcherite Toricutz supporters.

        Please try to keep up.

        (Tongue in cheek-what a load of W****rs.)

           9 likes

    • Dave666 says:

      The BBc have started running a trailer for the “treats” they have in store for us on Christmas day. Yep it’s crap looks like I’ll be digging out some DVDs I haven’t watched for ages

         8 likes

    • Robin says:

      It really is just too f***ing depressing. Of course, the BBC has ensured an “all star cast” in an effort to get as many folks to watch and to justify its nasty little agenda is presented as “entertainment”. It’s lines like: “I think there should no rules!” in the trailer that really give the BBC away. This kind of material is insidious because chances are, my own 12 year old twins will want to watch it and may find it very funny, blissfully unaware of the BBC agenda (and the kind of people ) behind it. Which of course, is exactly what the BBC executives want. Anyone….anyone, who doesn’t believe that the BBC are out to manipulate, change and ultimately destroy many of our values and traditions held dear by vast sections of the indigenous population of this country, is simply deluding themselves. Their charter started many years ago but has more recently become very much more apparent, as they continue, unchecked, to broadcast their own politics into sitting rooms all over the UK.

         15 likes

  29. George R says:

    “So the BBC denies it has a Left-wing bias?
    Just take a look at this austerity-laden Christmas schedule…”

    By RICHARD LITTLEJOHN
    FOR THE DAILY MAIL.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2866340/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-BBC-denies-Left-wing-bias-Just-look-austerity-laden-Christmas-schedule.html#ixzz3LP84uXJ2

       22 likes

  30. Englands Dreaming says:

    Here’s an article about whether the word Redskins is offensive to native Americans. The controversy has been caused because of pressure to change the name of a football team called the Redskins.

    As a non American, native or otherwise, I am not able to say, but the article suggests that it is highly offensive and should be not be used. The article though does not explain why it is offensive except referring to some 19th century newspaper ad. Examples are given of native Americans who are underdogs and victims of society, this of course is done to imply that it is because of their redskins.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30314290

       17 likes

  31. Odo Saunders says:

    Radio Five Live and Nicky “Gameshow” Campbell, not surprisingly, decided to focus on the question of food banks, which they eargerly seized upon in response to the earlier comments made by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It could now be argued that the Church of England is the Labour Party at prayer, despite the comment of Alistair Campbell that “we don’t do religion!!” To be fair to Justin Welby, he also pointed out that a lot of waste was created by supermarkets, a point that “Gameshow” refused to pursue despite being reminded of it by a number of callers. This attitude of the so-called journalists on the Biased Broadcasting Corporation clearly illustrates that they are not prepared to approach these subjects in an objective manner, and are quite happy to be labelled the media arm of the Labour Party. As I have argued before, this approach by a major broadcasting organisation in this country, is bad for democratic politics. We desperately need to reform the licence fee system if only to ensure that the conduct of political debate in this country by the BBC is conducted in a fair and impartial manner

       27 likes

  32. Guest Who says:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-30390691?

    I may have been hasty. Yes, the BBC does seem to hold some corporates to a higher standard than others, and Uber was recently not flavour of the month with the BBC’s favoured mode of not mixing with the hoi poloi, but they do seem to have found some vox poppers at the end who appear almost balanced in reaction.

    What could be going on?

    ‘Authorities in India’s capital, Delhi, have banned several internet-based taxi companies after a female passenger alleged that she was raped by a driver contracted to the international taxi-booking service Uber.’

    Well, there’s that ‘allegation’ thing, but this has seldom cramped the BBC’s ‘sources who say’ editorial before.

    Maybe… it’s the notion of serious censure for not just failing to check on staff, but spending decades covering up for actual abuses, to the point of blowing £3M on a flawed inquiry that saw almost everyone still on staff and nicely remunerated?

    An outbreak of professional empathy?

       7 likes

  33. Nick Darlington says:

    Despite disliking it more and more, we usually have Radio 4 on in the house as ‘background noise’ while decorating and such like. At the weekend after listening to Jeremy Bowen holidaying around olive groves near the Israeli border (no surprises as to his preferences there of course), there was an ad to provide feedback to the BBC Trust regarding the output of some of its Radio stations – I decided to pass on my thoughts to them (will they be filtered out??) – perhaps others may wish to.
    Here is the link
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/have_your_say

       17 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      It’s a bit of a shame that despite DB’s ongoing efforts, and those of others, since DavidP stopped curating, the ‘In their own tweets’ thread has fallen a bit fallow.

      These Guidelines are supplementary to the BBC’s usual Editorial Guidelines and help to define how the BBC will comply with its duty of due impartiality during the period leading up to and including the above elections.

      One could do worse than point at these and suggest that as EG’s before seemed not to make a whit of difference to Jasmine and others until nailed, the Trust drawing up more internal waffle for staff to ignore seems a bit of a waste of time.

      But maybe they can devote even more to Samantha at highest levels, to ensure there’s none spare to address BBC staff trying to rig elections, which it seems that, as professional journalists, they still don’t appear to know is an objectivity and integrity no-no.

         8 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Clicked the link, and the question rather gets raised what the point to it all is, given,

      Please note that on this occasion we are NOT looking at:

      Editorial standards and impartiality. This area is considered out of scope. The Trust looks to its Editorial Standards Committee to consider editorial standards issues at a strategic level as part of its ongoing work.

      Still, looks like their commitment to new comedy is still high.

         8 likes

  34. George R says:

    Iraq: Islamic jihadists slaughter more Christian children.

    For INBBC to report, so as to expose the truth of Islamic jihad barbarity of our enemy,
    which is the Islamic State?-

    “Before Beheading, Children Tell ISIS: ‘No, We Love Jesus’ ”
    – See more at: http://pamelageller.com/2014/12/59109.html/#sthash.hq3e1ecs.dpuf

       19 likes

    • dave s says:

      Perhaps the wretched BBC would care to cover this and the forced departure of Canon White from Iraq and perhaps the Archbishop of Canterbury would care to display some real concern instead of interfering in domestic politics.
      The C of E is becoming worthless much like the BBC.
      In times like these it is becoming a revolutionary act to tell it as it really is. ( apologies to the original writer whose name I have just forgotten)

         25 likes

      • Conan the Contrarian says:

        The C of E is the Liebore Party at prayer.
        It has been useless for many years now ,witness the fact that many so-called ‘vicars’ don’t believe in many of the Christian tenets ,such as the resurrection ,or even the existence of God.
        We should have a secular state:we don’t need advice on how to run a just society from any more sexually-confused guilt-ridden liberal-leftists.

           16 likes

  35. AsISeeIt says:

    Perhaps the BBC aren’t really so very left-wing – it’s just that they do so love an underdog….

    https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/early-doors/jeff-stelling-lets-rip-at-alan-shearer-and-the-bbc-after-fa-cup-fiasco-135359473.html

    ‘The Sky Sports News presenter tore into the BBC over its shockingly-biased FA Cup coverage on Friday night’.

    ‘The BBC’s aim was clear: they were hoping for a bit of ratings-friendly giant-killing that would get people into the FA Cup spirit ahead of the all-important third round of the tournament next month’.

       17 likes

    • AsISeeIt says:

      The scales begin to fall from my eyes

      Perhaps this pursuit of the ratings-friendly underdog explains a lot of BBC coverage. Afterall it seems so often for the BBC it’s not about the facts it’s about the ‘story’. See ‘Foodbanks’

      Yes, it begins to make sense. For instance – what’s the point of us tuning in to watch another Arab-Israeli bust up unless there is some BBC pundit giving a pep talk in the Hamas dressing room and the corporation is indeed rooting for the underdog?

         15 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      ‘”I’m not blaming Alan Shearer,” he added. “He will be doing what he’s told by a producer, who is the guilty man.”

      Hope he is operating on inside knowledge, otherwise ‘uh-oh’.

      Plus… 412 comments!

      The ‘got it about right’ justification from CECUTT for this one will be quite special.

         7 likes

  36. AsISeeIt says:

    By the way, I’d be most interested to see the ven diagram that can graphically display the evident significant overlap betwixt and between those neaderthal male rapists, male perpetrators of hetrosexual domestic violence – infact male sex pests in general and the listenership of Radio 4’s superannuated gentle comedy panel show ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue’.

    In case you haven’t heard – the thing’s a menance to all wimmin!

       13 likes

  37. Dave says:

    A sculpture inspired by Engel’s beard for Salford. Heaven.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-30375063

       4 likes

    • Thoughtful says:

      Engels himself wrote of the “racial trash” – the groups who would necessarily be supplanted as scientific socialism came into its own.”
      That’s a nice thought! I wonder which racial group Salford University believes is ‘trash’ today. I think we all know the answer to that with the left attempting to resurrect their Fascist past, only some of the victims have changed.

         8 likes

  38. Jeff Waters says:

    Tacky tweet from Robbie Savage plugging some car finance company:

    Already dreading driving home for Christmas? Maybe doing it in a newer car will make it easier… http://t.co/Hvxlq4YZQk @JamJarDirect_— Robbie Savage (@RobbieSavage8) December 9, 2014

    Are BBC stars allowed to make commercial endorsements? From this article, I’d say the answer is ‘No’:

    http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/11/michel-roux-leaving-bbc-masterchef-potato

       14 likes

  39. ilikebigboobs says:

    Today at lunchtime sky news did a 10 minute segment on “gay British Asians”
    We were told how hard their life was etc, they also blamed whitey by proclaiming gay Asians are double discrminated both by race and gayness,they failed to mention homos are sslaughtered in India and Pakistan, not once did they mention the religion of peace, meanwhile BBC were whining about gitmo jihadis being tortured, they also pointed out president obongo was against the so called torture, we all know obongo is a racist who supports terrorists and criminal thugs like the gentle giant, the news networks are torn over the dewani case , they can’t criticize a gay Asian accused of murder

       32 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      You might be taken more seriously if you changed your moniker. But I doubt it.

         7 likes

      • rotter says:

        hows this for political correctness?
        i must profess my profound desire for voluptuous females with substantial mammary glands

           17 likes

  40. ilikebigboobs says:

    The BBC is full of unfunny leftie comedians :
    Russell Howard and Kane
    Jo brand, Graham norton, Alan davies, Gina yashere, Marcus Briggtock, Phil Jupitus,
    The BBC abandoned real comedy 40 years ago , now it’s just about pushing their liberal diversity , tripe like citizen khan and Miranda is what the beeb callsfnny, that reminds me how’s Lenny Henry? He usually Crops up every month playing the race card

       34 likes

    • Geoff says:

      Are you implying there are funny lefty comedians?

         22 likes

      • rotter says:

        i dont know,there might be some comedians who are raging lefties and keep it in the closet,
        was monkhouse a leftie? how about michael crawford? ronnie barker?

           8 likes

        • Mrs Kitty says:

          I always loved Dave Allen……..God he would have given them heart failure today.

             18 likes

          • Englands Dreaming says:

            Steve Coogan is a leftie, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like Alan Partridge. Ditto Ben Elton (Young Ones, Black Adder).

               5 likes

        • chrisH says:

          Monkhouse was a Tory-supported Thatcher in 1983 as I recall…as were Lynsey De Paul(RIP) and Kenny Everett…who seems to have been redacted in this regard.
          Sad that a Coogan becomes the very parody of what Iannucchi wrote for him.
          Sense Whitehouse and Enfield still have minds of their own…reminds me to watch Brian Pern on telly tonight…best Peter Gabriel, lefty skewering I`ve seen for a while.
          Private schools SHOULD be abolished-but only for the fat that they`ve not apologised for Genesis, Coldplay or that trail of Otis Ferrys, Charlie Gilmours, Paul Weller kids as well as Dianne Abbotts boy!
          Until they do-let Polly do her worst with them…her kids no longer need them do they?

             20 likes

    • chrisH says:

      No he`s an Act-ORR these days…a true thespian, re-interpreting Shakespeare channelling his inner Zephaniah or Levi Roots-whatever pays that day.
      Doesn`t get out of his Premier Inn bed for less than thirty pieces-mind you, his Bellamy was better than anything seen from the Left since 1979.
      Katanga my friends!

         22 likes

  41. George R says:

    PM Cameron is away in Turkey, campaigning to get 80 million Muslim Turks into E.U.

    Will BBC-NUJ therefore be nicer to replacement Clegg at PMQs tomorrow
    (after him missing last three PMQs for his own political reasons)?

       11 likes

    • George R says:

      “Britain’s stated aim of getting Turkey to join the EU is mad”
      By Melanie McDonagh
      ( October 2013 ).

      http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/10/britains-stated-aim-of-getting-turkey-to-join-the-eu-is-mad/

         15 likes

      • dave s says:

        The writer makes the valid point that it is either madness or a cynical never going to happen policy.
        Either way it does call into question Cameron’s honesty and judgement. As with most other Cameron policies it is certainly not conservative. The man must go for the sake of the party.

           20 likes

        • Englands Dreaming says:

          The peoples of the whole EU are very much against Turkish membership. If the EU political elite decided to ram through Turkish membership then the EU will be finished.

             22 likes

    • Richard Pinder says:

      Cameron is Nuts but Dim, Clegg is Nauseating but Dim and Milliband is Nasty but Dim. So vote UKIP as soon as possible.

         19 likes

    • Winston Smith says:

      Cowardice and hypocrisy do not constitute ‘political reasons’ imho.

      Turkey and the EU is a difficult one for the BBC.
      EU = good.
      Muslims = double plus good.
      More muslim migrants from a Turkey that is inside the EU = double plus excellent with sodding icing on top.

      Except that Turkey joining the EU is obviously a Trojan horse plot to balls up the EU and to piss off the French.
      Result: Beedboids suffering from contradictory doublethinks.

         9 likes

  42. Angrymanupnorth says:

    Why are you guys slagging off the BBC for bias all the time? I don’t see it?

    (Except when I look that is.)

    The Daily Politics on Monday and Tuesday of this week gave a balanced representation of views from all three ‘main’ parties (LibLabCon). ‘Representing’ the views of our nation were main guests:

    1.Chris Bryant MP Labour (former BBC employee and former professional godsquadder) Openly Gay.
    2. Nigel Evans MP Conservative (nasty party so lets ‘out’ him as) Gay.
    3. Steven Twigg MP Labour. Openly Gay.
    4. Iain Stewart MP Conservative (big brother convert and Newspeak trumpeteer) Openly Gay.
    5. Ruth Davidson MSP Conservative. Gay.

    But to provide representative balance

    6. Tom Brake MP Libdem – married.
    7. Don Foster MP Libdem – married.

    BBC homosexual bias Evan? Nah. I must be paranoid. After all, the heterosexual deviants have nearly been expunged from the BBC and politics in general, and Foster and Brake may not last beyond May.

       31 likes

    • spaxomd says:

      lol, thats just the guests, if we were to list all the gay, lesbian, trannie workers at the bbc the servers would go bust
      for anyone to claim the bbc is anti gay, anti muslim, or anti non white is extreme stupidity,
      The bbc propaganda is on overdrive, i imagine it could be alot worse without the support of the license fee
      The bbc could air daily documentaries on the joys of buttplugs and fisting ,
      possible titles include:
      gay muslim and proud
      fisting for the elderly,
      101 tips for keeping your lesbian lover happy,
      The joy of watersports
      The essential guide to cottaging
      cruising for beginners

         17 likes

      • Thoughtful says:

        Might I add ‘how to avoid adverse publicity should you get caught’

        Using your lesser known names seems to work when they’re Charles Lynton.

           8 likes

      • A Teddy called Moh says:

        waste of time cottaging the vast majority are now closed. Thatcher again!

           1 likes

    • AC/DC/BBC. says:

      Bet the post program party was a real hoot. Did’t know which way to turn.

         6 likes

  43. Doublethinker says:

    Dan Cruickshanks presented a programme about 17th Century London recently. He mentioned that French Hugenots fleeing religious persecution in catholic France, set up home in London. He rightly stated that they brought many advantages to the capital. He also mentioned one or two other groups of 17th century immigrants and similarly outlined the benefits they brought with them. He then thankfully moved on to another topic.
    For an awful moment I thought we were going to get the full standard BBC ‘You see mass immigration was good for the country then and it is now’ But of course it wasn’t mass immigration, it was just a few immigrants who had skills that we could benefit from ie a points based system that so many people now think is a good idea, apart from the leftist nutters . Also they were prepared to accept our values and customs, or if they were of a different religion, not to make a fuss about it.
    So actually any attempt to hark back to the past to show how we should welcome mass immigration with open arms is just fatuous rubbish. At least on this occasion Dan avoided being roped into the BBC propaganda .

       30 likes

    • Demon says:

      Surprising: I saw him do a disgusting programme attacking Israel a few years ago and have not trusted his opinions on anything since.

         9 likes

  44. The Old Bloke says:

    Of course, the BBC would have a soft spot for Blythe Spartans wouldn’t they…..
    https://blythspirit.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/ladies-doing-it-for-themselves/

       7 likes

    • chrisH says:

      Load of Geordie hinnies who would scare ANY oppos!
      Funny how their golden era of the late 70s( Alan Shoulder, playing Newcastle at St James Park) won`t matter-just blokes you see.
      That load of pit props photo`d could only do better than the assorted metrofops who “play soccer” these days.
      Oh for the days of Charlie Hurley and John McNamee, Bill Foulkes and Mike Doyle…no Yaya Toure party bag hissyfits there!

         10 likes

  45. Fred Sage says:

    After that last comment I’m going for UKIP. We would be mad to let Turkey into the UK. (EU).

       16 likes

    • flexdream says:

      Given that the EU will never admit Turkey, then a UKIP government favouring free trade and competitive immigration based on talent not origin would actually be better for Turkey, and that’s a good thing.

         6 likes

  46. chrisH says:

    Food Banks yesterday…the only Banks the BBC seem to want these days.
    Today its the Yanks being a “bit harsh” with those who brought down the Twin Towers on 9/11 or desired a repeat of same.
    The liberals and the BBC tell me their “techniques” haven`t worked!
    Not been repeated though has it?…so it does!
    And as Ricky Gervais said of Mandela-he did his time, never repeated his offending behaviour…so prison DOES work after all!
    Cue liberal bedwetting-as per!

       18 likes

  47. Thoughtful says:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2866200/iPlayer-fuels-rise-TV-free-home-Television-ownership-falls-time-EVER.html

    300,000 fewer homes had TVs at the end of 2013 than at the end of 2012

    Almost one million homes have a broadband connection but no television

    So that’s £1.45 Billion that the BBC are not receiving and hardly surprising given the high price of TV tax and poor quality output.

    The fact is that this is the first fall in TV ownership – ever !

       23 likes

    • Richard Pinder says:

      I think TV ownership fell for a short period after TV was closed down from 1939 to 1946.

         3 likes

    • My Abacus says says:

      Sorry but…
      £145 x 1,000,000 = £145,000,0000 ( £145 million not £1.45 billion).

         4 likes

    • JimS says:

      According to this BBC report the number of households has gone down from 27.36M (end of 2012) to 27.26M (end of 2013), i.e. a drop of 100,000.

      Presumably these are the UK citizens who have left the UK to leave space for the non-BBC watching, culturally enriching, vibrant, hard-working and diverse Labour and EU-supporting ‘Modern Britons’?

      Yet another example of the BBC cutting off the branch that it is sitting on?

         13 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      A most heartening report, thank you. The key now is to prevent the BBC finding someway of funding themselves off new technology. If this can be prevented we can sit back and enjoy watching the corporation wither on the vine.

         10 likes

    • Winston Smith says:

      You can own a TV and not need to pay the TV licence if you don’t use the TV for ‘watching or recording television as it is being broadcast’.
      If the TV was not tuned and not connected to an aerial and you only used it for watching DVDs or playing computer games or watching internet streaming services like Netflix or non-live catch-up services like BBC iplayer then you would not need a TV licence.
      Look it up. If you ask them TV licensing will confirm this although they will also try to trick you into thinking they are saying something they are not so they can sell you a licence.

         5 likes

  48. Alex says:

    The last few weeks Ukip and the Tories have really been getting a good kicking on the BBC’s London-centric and Home Counties smug, egotistical and middle-class crap comedy. How is this fair that right-wing parties are fair game for constant slagging? When was the last time we heard the snooty, anti-English Marxist scum get the old slagging? The Left and the BBC have tried to create the impression that mass opinion is on the side of the left, whereas we know, by the evidence of increasing sales of right-wing papers and Ukip success, that many sympathise with right-wing politics.
    I’d wager that many so-called lefties (snooty Stoke Newington types) wrap a copy of the Daily Mail in the Guardian!

       26 likes

    • Richard Pinder says:

      It looks like the Daily Mail has lost 5 percent of its readers to the Express in the last year due to its deluded hope that Cameron can change back into a Tory by the next election.
      The word Comedy at the BBC, is a code word for Communist Education.

         17 likes

  49. AsISeeIt says:

    The very thorny issue of ‘are there any right-wing comedians out there’ come up earlier.

    Given the dominant position in the market and well-known house-style (and indeed office culture) of our BBC it really is quite hard to know.

    There might well be….it’s just that if they want to get on they know they have to keep quiet about it.

    For example just last week I heard a young comedian state that although he was keen on golf others of his stand up peers were ‘not keen to be known as playing golf’

    Now although I would be the first to admit that golf and conservatism are not absolute synonyms… (I can’t stand the game) I think we can all tell what’s going on here.

       5 likes

    • johnnythefish says:

      The Left see golf clubs as the last bastions of white, middle class, right-wing (therefore bigoted), heterosexual English males and therefore hate them with a vengeance.

      Once you are aware of it you will begin to notice how often ‘golf club’ is used by lefties – especially those plying ‘comedy’ as their trade (think HIGNFY) – as a means of contemptuously dismissing an individual, group or opinion which does not reflect their eco-socialist multiculti world view.

         19 likes

  50. JimS says:

    I must admit to be slightly bemused about the constant references on BBC News to the release of the ‘British’ business man in South Africa or as India Broadcasting Network has it:
    “Cape Town: British-Indian millionaire Shrien Dewani, accused of plotting the murder of his Indo-Swedish bride during their honeymoon in Cape Town in 2010, was acquitted on Monday as a South African court dismissed the case against him, citing lack of evidence. “

    I keep feeling, as ‘British’ as… as ‘British as… As ‘British’ as the BBC!

       21 likes