GREECE – NOT SO BAD..

Anyone catch Andrew Marr’s fawning interview with the Greek PM on his awful show this morning. Why it seems all is well in Greece after all. Then we had Mandelson on to dismiss the idea that Brown is a bullying freak. Marr naturally went with this. Each day that goes by, the BBC is getting worse as it glimpses the outside possibility that Labour may not go down in flames after all.

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29 Responses to GREECE – NOT SO BAD..

  1. Martin says:

    I didn’t watch Marr but on Radio 5 they had Sir Michael Shite on to defend the one eyed coward. Unfortunately this didn’t go well for Pravda as he seemed to back up the claims.

    So 5 Live had to resort to toilets MaGuire, who of course was on message.

    In fairness to Pravda they’ve been leading with this story, but the narrative is one of denial, in which case I look forward to the libel court case from the one eyed fool.

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    • Craig says:

      Paddy O’Connell on ‘Broadcasting House’ (Radio 4 at the same time as Marr) interrupted Lance Price, who was telling us what he knew about Brown’s behaviour towards secretaries, typists and drivers, to say “I should say that, as I’ve read it this morning, the book says he’s also got a softer side, being incredibly solicitous at times of family emergency and bereavement”. 

      O’Connell then tried to dismiss it all: “I wonder if the fair-minded listener thinks here’s a book, here’s a new look newspaper, here are the chattering classes chattering”.

      After the next piece (on the Irish economy), O’Connell read out an e-mail from “Simon Gough, who’s our listener”, saying “This is a media obsession. The electorate are more interested in politics than in personality”. That was the only e-mail he read out.

      The programme’s paper review then ignored the story completely. The guests must have been told not to talk about it.

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  2. Scrappydoo says:

    The BBC is supporting Brown as usual . The angle is –  Brown is in a stressful job so outbursts of temper are perfectly normal and understandable.  If David Cameron were accused of  bullying,  what line would the BBC take ?

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  3. NotaSheep says:

    It is all well and good us pointing out the BBC bias to eachother and nodding sagely. Out there the BBC’s bias is creating the Labour fightback in the polls. We need to stop persuading ourselves and get the message out to the public and the only way I can see that hapopening is if Conservative & UKIP interviewees point out the bias each and every time they encounter it.

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    • hippiepooter says:

      Notasheep, its not going to happen.  Well, not with the Conservatives, UKIP are interviewed so rarely it wouldn’t make much impact anyway.

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    • All Seeing Eye says:

      So get on ConservativeHome and similar, where the readers also have concerns about BBC bias but as individuals they don’t know what to do about it, and educate them on the threads how to make an official complaint.

      Lodging a complaint isn’t complicated and there are thousands of them there with legitimate grievances but no idea how to channel their frustration. Harness the power of the masses to do exactly what they want to do anyway but just don’t know how.

      If we want to make a difference, we should go out and teach the activists how to be active.

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      • hippiepooter says:

        It’s not rocket science making a complaint.  They could do it if they wanted to.  It´s just that making official complaints to the BBC about BBC bias is a complete waste of time.

        Complaints need to be made, and publically made, to MPs with demands to take Parliamentary action to restore BBC impartiality.  Subversion is now so entrenched at the BBC this is the only way it will happen.

        Till then we can but let off steam here in the vain hope it might have some effect.

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    • Kevin Humes says:

      Conservative minded parties should boycott the BBC as a matter of course.

      You cannot not communicate.

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  4. Martin says:

    More crap from Radio 5. Some new ‘edgy’ leftie show on right now. Their favourite topic appears to be laughing at the possibility of the Falklands going to war again oh and the presenter asking what else we should bring back from the 80’s, his quote “but if anyone suggests Mrs Thatcher, I will personally come round their house and explain why that’s not good”

    No no bias there then.

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    • Asuka Langley Soryu says:

      I think I’d actually like to risk some Beeboid moron coming round to my house to explain why he thinks having Thatcher back would be a bad idea. I know he’s heavily indoctrinated – to such an extent that it’d take surgery to repair his tiny mind – but I like to think that, at the very least, there’s a possibility of him conceding that it can’t be any worse than the psychotic locked in his office in No.10 right now.
      Stranger things have happened. And I could invest in a few cans of Raid®to get rid of his essence after I’ve told him to GTFO.

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  5. George R says:

    For BBC-Labour, Marr, etc.:-

    This is how Andrew Rawnsley, author of the new book on PM Brown’s character, argues for the full truth, and not a propagandist, partial version:

    “Voters should know the full truth about the character of Gordon Brown”

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/21/andrew-rawnsley-gordon-brown

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    • George R says:

      Compare and contrast the BBC’s assessment of the character of Sarah Palin with that of Gordon Brown.

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    • Millie Tant says:

      We certainly ought to know the full truth about Brown’s character.

      We already knew from his behaviour when Blair was PM that he was a seething, arrogant, power-mad obsessive, exhibiting his character in behaviour from toddler tantrum to bolshy teen rage and sulky silences. And if that’s how he is to his Prime Minister what on earth would he be like to colleagues, juniors and staff?

      His behaviour to Blair is something that I have always thought unforgivable and put him outside the bounds of suitability to be PM – or even Chancellor. Unfortunately the party gave way to his relentless barrage and caved in. Brown would stop at nothing to become PM and now would stop at nothing to hold on to it.

      Will the electorate be fooled by his earnest public appeals via Piers Morgan, public speeches and BBC propaganda? I find his public displays embarrassingly bad and transparently false. To my eyes, in his speech yesterday he came across as a wooden, though determined, liar dripping with insincerity, but I don’t know whether people generally fall for the act.

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  6. Guest says:

    Actually, I was more interested (if it seemed to pass Marr by… oddly, for a journalist) in Peter M’s airy lack of faith in specifying any economic policy until they have a clue as to just how badly it is screwed up.

    Which is kinda what the attack dogs in Labour have being sending as PR to be headline news as an example of Conservative lack of direction, aired on a complicit BBC for a while now.

    So…. if you don’t have the numbers and want to wait ’til you do to commit that’s not OK, but when you do and simply don’t want to face up to them all is sweetness and light chez Aunty.

    There are many asylums, all now being run by lunatics, if ones with well-developed senses of self-preservation and enrichment.

    I hold no candle for the Conservatives, but I think Mr. Hague might have a point that Mr. ‘Passionate & Emotional’ (Private Eye for ‘total headcase’?) is still getting away with a scorched earth policy whilst showing his ‘human’ side.

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  7. John Horne Tooke says:

    The conservatives are just so wet it is unbelievable!!

    “David Cameron will not win a general election outright and will struggle to form a government, according to Lord Heseltine”
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7281005/Heseltine-Tories-cannot-win-outright.html

    A time when any decent oppostition party should be miles ahead in the polls, we have a conservative party which is on a path of self destruction.

    The Labour party has full BBC sponsership and the conservatives sit back and say nothing.

    It is not for the “conservative activists” to complain to the BBC – it is up to the leadership. Yet they happily sit back and watch their polls fall through BBC propaganda and their own stupidity.

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    • All Seeing Eye says:

      Agree with all that, fundamentally…. but there isn’t a shared hymnsheet for ‘leadership’ and ‘activists’. Most activists would happily chop up the BBC, lop chunks off the State, cut taxes, dump the eco-nonsense and generally do all sorts of sensible things. The leadership will not.

      The leadership is out of touch with its grass roots and remains very aware and proud of that fact because the leadership think that they know better. The polls say otherwise.

      As for who it’s “up to” in the complaining department, I think it’s up to *everybody* to do their bit. Some peoples voices might carry more resonance than others, but that doesn’t excuse the man at the back from shouting a bit too.

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  8. ryan says:

    Brown came out ahead of the allegations in the book and serialised in the Observer to deny allegations that were never made about him.

    Peter Watt says in reply to Rawnsley “indeed, denying what hasn’t been alleged is becoming an art form.http://twitter.com/PeterWatt123/status/9403956256

    Everyone is on to Brown.

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    • Will says:

      Indeed Ryan, we also have repeated claims that the story is being denied by Sir Gus O’Donnell, but we have no evidence that it is not just his name that is being conveniently quoted.

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  9. Deborah says:

    Broadcasting House this morning – with Kathy Letts as one of the Newspaper reviewers – not exactly without her own bias – was allowed to get in that the pussy cat Brown would be far better post election that vacuum Cameron – without anybody to give an opposing view.

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    • freddo41 says:

      I agree. And the anti-Cameron swipe was compltely gratuitous and not prompted by anything in the papers – as if she’d had a bet that she could score a pro-Labour point in the first minute regardless of the topic being discussed.
      So, Gordon Brown all over the front pages – but Cameron gets bashed.

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  10. Martin says:

    Disgraceful behaviour by John Pinhead on Radio 5 just now. Interviewing the head of the National Bullying helpline Pinhead insinuated that she might have a political motivation for coming forward to claim staff working for Brown were being bullied.

    Funny the BBC NEVER ask that of turd sniffers like Phil Shiner with his endless attempts to destroy the reputation of the British army. Nor does the BBC ever accuse anyone of making claims against the Tories of being politically motivated.

    Clearly the BBC are under orders to come out fighting on behalf of Brown. All it needs now if for a member of staff to actually admit that what Brown was doing was true.

    However, we know that the BBC likes to bully itself. remember the couple that lived next to 5 bellies Smiff? Remember how they complained that she wasn’t being truthful in saying she spent most of her time at her sisters? The BBC accused them of being Tory supporters and tried to rubbish them. Same thing here, anyone who dares to claim that Brown isn’t a bully is going to have the full weight of the BBC put against them.

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    • Guest says:

      The BBC accused them of being Tory supporters and tried to rubbish them.

      Cue… Kevin Maguire! He really is on speed dial.

      Actually tip-toeing a little bit, but mainly given free rein to allude to ‘right-wingers’ left, left and left of centre.

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      • Guest says:

        Ironic considering the BBC is very big on the lack of substance behind claims but every report on his issue starts withpeople are raising questions..’.

        Well… who are they? Or is this just code for the BBC being in full prop up Gordon mode and needing a degree of separation to avoid their reports basically all starting with ‘stop being mean to our hero!’

        Just saw one of their political weasels ‘analysing’ the latest twist.

        He has claimed that this charity lady has ‘breached confidentiality’ by her claims. Yet I have read that the extent of her revelations do no such thing.

        So… which is it?

        And if it turns out he is wrong, why is he motivated/allowed to make this claim in an objective news report? 

        Of course there will be no consequences, but for an objective news organisation to be running interference seems… in Kevin Maguire’s words… odd.

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  11. George R says:

    The flawed BBC and its flawed Labour PM Brown:

    “Gordon Brown: ‘psychological flaws’ is starting to look like an understatment”

    (Benedict Brogan)

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7286123/Gordon-Brown-psychological-flaws-is-starting-to-look-like-an-understatment.html

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  12. dave s says:

    Looks as if it might be harder for Cameron to lose the election than I thought with Brown being such a handicap to labour.
    Our economy is tottering on the brink. Would any sane man want to lead the country through what is coming?
    Far better for the chaos to engulf us and then have a real election with no holds barred and offering us real choice. A new alignment perhaps?
    I suspect that despite the fiscal stimulus economic activity continues to fall. In the US ,despite the even bigger stimulus, the movement of goods and raw materials continues to decline. Figures here are almost impossible to get- I wonder  why? – but there is little reason to doubt we are in the same position.
    Add in the growing inflation and you get an even bigger decline in volume. Same revenue lower volume which merely masks the effects.
    Every time a shop or factory closes activity declines. Sending work overseas adds to the decline but appears to boost profits.The effect of this is soon swallowed up in the general decline in activity.
    Our economy has been losing touch with reality for a long time. Maybe the politicians know this as does the BBC. Maybe not.
    There is , for me, the sense that an era is coming to the end.
    The future? I have no idea but we should be prepared for anything

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  13. 1327 says:

    The “Greece things aren’t that bad” is a meme being pushed a lot at the Beeb these days both on TV and radio. I suspect the purpose is two fold firstly downplay the spiralling national debt as an election issue but also to soften up the general populace for when the gilt market collapses and the UK is in the sh*t. On that day we will see Darling outside number 11 (Gordon will have done his usual vanishing trick) and we will be told how this is all Mrs T’s fault !

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  14. Martin says:

    Wow! you have to admire the BBC, they have no shame. All morning across the BBC network the woman in charge of the anti bullying helpline (Christine Pratt) has just been attacked by the BBC in a disgusting way. She’s been accused of being a Tory a liar and god knows what else. 
     
    On Radio 5 just now we had John Pinhead (he seems to be leading this campaign to protect the mong) along with some jock friend of Gordon Brown (nice balance there then bBC) defending him. 
     
    Oh and the 5Live phone is is about……yetp Christine Pratt, NOT Gordon Brown and not about bullying. 
     
    Endless messages being read out saying it’s the Tories fault (no doubt made up messages by the BBC) 
     
    Today I am utterly ashamed of the BBC.

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  15. Will says:

    “Oh and the 5Live phone is is about……yetp Christine Pratt, NOT Gordon Brown and not about bullying. “

    At 7am the topic for the 9am phone-in was “Does Brown’s behaviour matter?” (or similar),  that changed by 9am to “Should the charity woman have breached confidentiality?”

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