I see the BBC reports that Gordon Brown and his “top team” are on tour in Liverpool today. It’s as if it were a soccer tour! Given the daily collapses that now characterise the UK economy, and the consequential hemorrhaging in jobs, I think the cheery tone of this report is a bit peculiar. Were this a Conservative government, I wonder would the BBC be quite so quick to breathlessly carry press releases so faithfully and without caveat or further comment?
GOING DOWN TO LIVERPOOL.
Bookmark the permalink.
Two infuriating BBC habits feature in that piece: the ‘will say’ this and ‘will say’ that, and the use of ‘police’ as a singular noun.
‘West Yorkshire Police has revealed it spent…’
Listening to Radio 4 this morning they had a good go at Hazel Blears, demanding why local taxpayers were having to foot the bill for the strange little cabinet stunts. Something about local democracy apparently, although the only people invited are local business leaders. It’s all part of the PR machine and rather.. embarassing?
When a Conservative government is in power and unemployment is rising then we get a big daily total of job losses on the evening news and shock headlines as another business folds. Under this Labour government it is all much more serene; I wonder why?
This just isn’t bias, when the Conservatives were in power during the early 90s recession the Beeb criticised them as much as it does Labour nowadays.
Notasheep; are you living in the UK? All the papers/news are full of number of job losses or various indicators that the economy is going downhill.
This is a non-story. Plenty of things about the beeb can be criticised, but not this story.
Thom Yorke | 08.01.09 – 11:59 am
I think you are wrong this time.
The BBC should not just act as an uncritical conduit for Labour propaganda.
Does holding Cabinet meetings in provincial cities serve any useful purpose or is it a disguised form of electioneering?
What are the proprieties of using the trappings of Government and office to seek party political advantage?
The BBC blandly accept the buzz words Labour generates and the concepts that lie behind them.
And lie is the operative word in that previous sentence.
The Conservative charge that this cabinet’s rockstar tour is just a gimmick is all but dismissed by the BBC in a single sentence.
One sentence too is given to Nick Clegg.
All the rest is a straight reproduction of the Labour/Downing St talking point memo.
when the Conservatives were in power during the early 90s recession the Beeb criticised them as much as it does Labour nowadays
There is no comparison. Not even remotely. The level of vicious attacks on the Tories then was in a different galaxy from the mealy-mouthed almost-criticism of ‘Labour’ (not remotely Labour, this gang) now.
What are the proprieties of using the trappings of Government and office to seek party political advantage?
And personal ones.
The BBC conducted a vendetta against Spelman.
How much did they probe Hoon’s junkets? What about spouses’ junkets – freebies for the partners of Fatso-3-Jags-7-chins, or foreign holidays for those of useless idiots promoted to Foreign Sec? I call it stealing. Not a peep from BBC.
NO,
Exactly right. Those of us who can remember can see the gulf between how they attacked Thatcher and how they simper after Labour.
And to add to the excellent points Nearly Oxfordian makes, what about the relentless barrage of anti-Conservative material spewed out of the BBC under the pretence of being ‘light entertainment’?
Still, anyone calling himself ‘Thom Yorke’ has already revealed himself sufficiently. No need to take him seriously at all.
I trust I am not alone in thinking that the BBC commentators (they hardly qualify as reporters or correspondents these days) never seem to miss an opportunity to use the words “the do nothing party” when referring to one of our three main political parties when talking of policies to counter the “downturn”.
Can someone advise how much longer we have to wait for the “downturn” to officially become a recession?
Has the BBC reported on the Poles who are going to stay here, claiming benefits, rather than go back ?
Original Robin | 08.01.09 – 1:52 pm
Hardly any Poles claim benefits.
Of all ethic/national groups including indigenous Brits, Poles are the least likely to claim benefits or live in state-subsidized housing.
Gerald 1:35
The 4th quarter results will be published on 23 January, unless Labour manage to delay it.
The UK will then be “officially” in recession and the BBC will have to face the facts and stop using this ridiculous term “downturn” !
The figures will confirm that the UK has been in recession since 1 July 2008, that is over 6 months now.
Grant: The UK will then be “officially” in recession and the BBC will have to face the facts and stop using this ridiculous term “downturn” !
If only…. I bet that despite the facts, BBC correspondents will still continue to use the phrase ‘Downturn’ – so as not to confuse their viewers you understand 🙂
Thom Yorke: read what I said and comment on that, not what you wanted me to say. Anyone who cannot see the difference in tone between the coverage of this severe recession and the coverage of the economy under the last Conservative government must be either blinkered or thick.
Clearly the verdict has been passed, and the Narrative set in stone at the BBC. Britain’s economic distress is 100% the fault of the US (who are doing it even worse, wink, wink) and the “difficult world times”. Mr. Brown is not only innocent of all blame, but is in fact the one to lead you all to the Promised Land.
The whole thing reads almost like a celebrity report. They took a boat ride here, were escorted around there, toured the regenerated docks, etc. Christ, BBC, what did Mr. Brown have for breakfast, and did he do his morning BMs okay?
Brown’s love letter to the Liverpool tourist industry is completely pointless. Just saying, “Gosh, this is an important industry,” is totally meaningless in the context of the current situation. What does that have to do with interest rates, or creating jobs elsewhere in Britain, or anything else? Yet, the BBC quotes him in full, unquestioningly, no hint of irony.
Then there’s this bit of, not exactly bias, but BBC self-absorption:
Earlier Business Secretary Lord Mandelson announced a £35m start-up programme for the North West region to help get new companies off the ground, telling a business meeting in Salford.
A “business meeting in Salford”? The new BBC digs? Curious.
And of course, the most obvious bit of bias, of not the most outrageous, is the fact that the only opposition quotes are from LibDems.
David Preiser from the land of Patriots knows his stuff alright. Go and fix the shitty media in your own country, leave us to debate ours
‘Yosser became an icon of Thatcherite Britain in the 1980s with his catchphrase of “Gissa job” (“give us [me] a job”)’.
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosser_Hughes”
Which unemployed man will become the icon of Brownite Britain?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosser_Hughes
Bill Buchanan | 08.01.09 – 4:51 pm
On another thread you told Nearly Oxonian to go back to Israel (because he is a Jew) and here you tell David Preiser to ‘go fix the shitty media in your own country’.
Haven’t you heard, the internet knows no frontiers?
Last time I heard such narrowly xenophobic sentiments was from a skin head in the 70s.
‘Mail’:
“Away Day Cabinet meetings cost taxpayer £600,000”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1106642/Awayday-Cabinet-meetings-cost-taxpayer-600-000.html
Bill Buchanan | 08.01.09 – 4:51 pm |
Your national broadcaster is a threat to my country. The BBC broadcasts in my country, and has a nightly news show targeted directly at me and my fellow countrymen. It’s also a threat to me and my Jewish relatives worldwide. I have every right to discuss this.
(This is surely my shortest statement ever on this issue!)
There is no tax-funded official state broadcaster in the US, and especially not one with a Charter and Agreement which calls for impartiality. And we don’t have to pay for any of it if we don’t want to. Nothing to sort out here. In fact, the MSM is currently digging its own grave.
By the way, how did you find this site, and what was your original purpose for coming here? It wasn’t idle curiosity, surely.
Duh! It’s just struck me.
“Bill Buchanan” must be Jack Bauer doing a wind-up.
Bill 4:51
So is this site, to which you are such a newcomer, limited to UK nationals only ?
David 5:21
American and Jewish, no wonder racist Billy boy loves you so much !
David Preiser from the land of Patriots knows his stuff alright. Go and fix the shitty media in your own country, leave us to debate ours
And this sickening person (who told me to fuck off to Israel because I am Jewish, even though I am as much of a Brit as he/she/it is), then screeches that I am the most racist person on this site.
You couldn’t make it up.
I wonder what medication he is – or rather, isn’t – on.
Tom,
So, are you saying that Bill is a false flag operation to make dumb antisemites look bad?
I wish I could agree, although he is doing a marvellous job if indeed he is.
Unfortunately, such extremely dumb antisemites do exist in reality.
Brown’s love letter to the Liverpool tourist industry is completely pointless.
Of course it is. MacFatty is close enough to being innumerate. He screwed up our gold reserves, he screwed up our pensions, he screwed up our tax system – he inherited an excellent economy and over 11 years ruined it (as I have been saying … sorry … for 9-10 years he would do).
He has no more concept of prudent economy than my cat has of using a spreadsheet.
David Preiser from the land of Patriots knows his stuff alright. Go and fix the shitty media in your own country, leave us to debate ours
Bill Buchanan | 08.01.09 – 4:51 pm |
This is the kind of childish rant I’d expect from a spoilt 10 year-old brat who won’t let the kid from across the street join in his game of tag.
Shall we assume from your above statement that you’ll butt out of all foreign affairs that are discussed on this blog (of which there are plenty)?
I think everyone here can quite safely disassociate themselves from the risible Bill Buchanan’s “us” and “ours” statement. That’s enough – no need any longer to respond to this agent provocateur.
Nearly Oxfordian: The way that Michael Prick went after Spelman yet ignored the sleaze of Mandelson, Cashman and the Labour MP that stood down in Scotland is a disgrace.
Also the easy ride the BBC gave fatty spliff after lying about crime figures is also a disgrace. mind you that dickhead Mark Easton can’t be arsed to check the figures out himself yet sneers when the Tories do his job for him and prove fatty spliff to be a liar.
Nearly Oxfordian:
“…He has no more concept of prudent economy than my cat has of using a spreadsheet…”
Actually I’d trust your cat more than Mr McFatty of no frigging idea 10 Downing Street any day of the week.
McFatty one eye is trying to turn our economy into the European version of Zimbabwe.
“Bill Buchanan” must be Jack Bauer doing a wind-up.
Tom | 08.01.09 – 5:23 pm | #
I resent that!
If it was me, it would be at least semi-amusing.
Bill Buchanan…
This site is open to anyone to post — even semi-literate dopes such as your bad self.
David Preiser has earned far more respect on B-BBC than you can fathom.
JB’s word of the day is “semi” — “semi”
Jack 11:28
I think David Vance has banned Billy boy from this site because he posted at least one post under the name of another contributor and was generally wasting everyone’s time.
Jack Bauer | Homepage | 09.01.09 – 11:23 am
I resent that!
Sorry. No offence intended.
It just struck me as inherently improbable that anyone taking his screen name from the CTU would be talking such shite with a straight face.
…that was me..
Jack Bauer | Homepage | 09.01.09 – 11:28 am |
I appreciate the kind words. I wouldn’t want anyone banned for being an opponent of the consensus either. That’s the BBC way, and not appropriate here. However, I would immediately ban someone who posted under someone else’s identity. Whether or not that’s our latest defender of the indefensible, I have no idea. I wonder if it was actually somebody else?
I do think that moving cabinet meetings around the country is party political electioneering at the tax payers expense. Not that the BBC will mention it as anything other than Gordon Brown presenting himself to the greatful provincial masses.
Gordon has promised to bring the troops back from Iraq. He will not want to miss the chance of standing on the tarmac welcoming the last of them back as part of an election campaign.
Then we will see an internal struggle between those in the BBC that want to support Gordon while pretending to be neutral and those that want to go all out for Gordon and give up any pretence of fairness.