142 Responses to Open Thread

  1. deegee says:

    Just Journalism BBC ignores Hezbollah threat to Israeli tourists
    They are commenting on Egypt sentences ‘Hezbollah cell’
    The gist of the complaint is that the BBC ignores that the targets were Israelis.

    The BBC also ignores the reasons Egypt might have for taking this action.
    1) Tourism is a major Egyptian foreign exchange earner. Attacks on tourists, any tourists are reflected by lower numbers.
    2) Radical Islam and/or Iranian subversion are seen as major threats by the Egyptian government.
    3) The Sinai is a huge, rugged place should a violent group manage to establish itself and dig in it will bw difficult and costly to remove.

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  2. sue says:

    Did anyone notice Today this morning reviewing the papers? After calling the Telegraph a conservative-supporting paper, and the Mirror a Labour supporting one, Evan Davis said “and for a bit less tribal one, the Guardian…”

    Did anyone notice Nick Clegg’s pronunciation of the word he uses nearly as often as ‘fair?’
    ‘Create!’ He calls it Crate. He wants to ‘crate’ everything, which kind of alters the meaning.

    Did anyone else notice the horrendous video that Lauren Booth has uploaded on Youtube, of her daughters supposedly rapping for Palestine?
    I wouldn’t want to link to it, but let’s say she should’ve  given the idea a miss.

    Honest reporting says what we’ve been saying for years. When they complained to the BBC they were told THEY were biased.
    They remind me of Sesame Street.
    They do know that the BBC doesn’t leave examples of bias lying around all over the place because they’re aware of being watched by people like us. The bias is half hidden between the lines, slippery and sometimes, because bias is the default position, it’s quite unintentional.

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  3. Manfred VR says:

    If you want a real giggle, have a look at this before it’s tasken down, so hurry!


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    • Millie Tant says:

      Why is an interview with Ed Balls funny or worth watching?

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      • Manfred VR says:

        Sorry, you missed it. That site was unmoderated, and had been bombarded with amusing abusive comments.
        Unfortunately, it was later realised, and ‘cleansed’.

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    • Paul says:

      I don’t get it. Just a load of Ed’s Balls. Can I have my 1:25 back please

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  4. Simon Temple says:

    Sue. BBC bias unintentional? You are being satirical, surely.

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    • sue says:

      I’m not being satirical for once. Over years of preaching against Israel the BBC’s influence has been so pervasive that generations know no better.  They hold their views passionately and sincerely, and they’re unwilling to hear things that might rock the boat.

      As sure as Evan Davis believes the Guardian is non-tribal, plenty of BBC employees and viewers sincerely believe they occupy a morally superior position. They would be deeply wounded to be accused of anti semitism.

      I think they’re even more resistant to change than people who deliberately peddle hate. Impenetrable and intransigent if you ask me, but the bias is inherent visceral and unintentional.

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  5. George R says:

    BBC adds Blair to its pro-Labour political bias in this Election.


    Not for one moment does the pro-Labour BBC think: ‘Yes, as the BBC is now INCREASING the broadcasting time it is allocating to Blair to propagadise for Brown, we the BBC, need to CUT BACK on other aspects of Labour propaganda, to make it fair to the other political parties.’

    And will the BBC now give, e,g., hours of extra free broadcast time to a Tory PM, such as Major, to propagandise for Cameron, to even things up?
    Only kidding.

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  6. David Preiser (USA) says:

    BBC newsreader not happy announcing that The Guardian has endorsed the LibDems.  Awww.

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  7. George R says:

    BBC’s political chums at ‘The GUARDIAN’ have come out in support of the Lib Dems.

    Can we expect a similar political move at the BBC (at our expense)?

    There are at least two key aspects of Lib Dem ‘policy’ which appeal to both media groups:

    1.) continuing open-door immigration, with perpetual amnesties for millions of illegals;

    2.) ending of UK national sovereignty, with UK membership of EURO as soon as possible.


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  8. David Preiser (USA) says:

    Why is the BBC News Channel spending time showing highlights of the Paxman interview with Mr. Brown, pointing out Brown’s defensive talking points – before the interview has even been shown?

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  9. Martin says:

    The BBC ran a big piece on the Guardian coming out for Limp Dems. But they just announced that the Times was supporting the Tories, this got about 5 seconds then the beeboids moved on.

    The beeboids don’t seem happy with the Grauniad as they really do like McBust and his bloated spending and the fact he’s a jock.

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  10. George R says:

    Paxman inteviews Brown NOW on BBC 1, with ‘highlights’ (?) at 10:30 pm, BBC 2 ‘Newsnight’.

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  11. Travis Bickle says:

    According to Sky, Mumsnet are also behind the Lib Dems.  The breadth of superficial stupidity of this nation never ceases to amaze me.  Voting for Clegg for the simple fact that he’s the underdog, or as in the case of Mumsnet because he’s the best looking of the three.

    Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic.  My money is still on a hung parliament.  The Tories will not be sailing this one.

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    • Martin says:

      The Tories don’t need a working majority. No way will Clegg work with Brown now and the Tories don’t really need 328 seats anyway.

      The SNP and Welsh nats don’t vote on English matters at Westminster, not only that but if Cameron gets close to 300 seats there is no way Clegg will try to work with Liebour over the Tories and no one will want another election for at least 12 months.

      Liebour will start to tear themselves apart trying to get rid of Brown leaving Cameron a chance to get established. Cameron needs to get the voting system sorted out, the bias towards Liebour has to be eliminated.

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      • Roland Deschain says:

        Martin, I can assure you the SNP will find an excuse to vote on English matters if it discomfits the Tories.

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        • Travis Bickle says:

          The Tories won’t win the election simply because no-one in the UK is  voting for their country.  They are voting for themselves.

          The majority of this nation are dole spongers, ethnics and public servants.  This isn’t what the Tories stand for.  It’s what Labour and the Lib Dems stand for.  And what Labour have engineered these past 13 years to ensure their survival.

          These voting leeches might go as far as stretching their fingers a centimeter further down their balot card to ‘protest’ against Brown.  Which means voting Clegg.

          A hung parliament at best.

          Either way, this is the last election the UK will ever see and we wake up on the 7th May to yet more of a Labour Government and the inevitable realisation that democracy is dead and we are stuck with the bastards forever.

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          • Grant says:

            Travis, sadly you are right. The outcome is pretty irrelevant, the UK is screwed anyway.

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          • John Anderson says:

            as you say – turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.  There is a high proportion of dependency,  of votes captive to leftie thinking,  in Britain now – so no incentive to want the economy put straight,  with severe cutbacks.

            But nemesis approaches,  whether people like it or not.

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  12. Julio says:

    Rod Liddle and Nick Griffin on the Campaign Show starting now (9 pm) on BBC news 24 (not at the same time though)

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  13. Martin says:

    JESUS CHRIST!!!! Sheena Easton on the 10PM News just told the biggest pack of lies going. 
     
    Talking about immigration he mananged to link the BNP with UKIP and his biggest lie was claiming that NONE of the three main parties can control EU immigration. 
     
    Not true you mincing queen. As Cameron has pointed out time and time again You can control immigration from new Countries that join the EU, as the likes of France and Germany have done. 
     
    Why can’t this mincing twat tell the truth? Easton really is the biggest knob going at the BBC. He should stick to sniffing around public urinals.

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    • Craig says:

      Easton is one of the BBC’s chief spinners for Labour.

      During The Daily Politics crime debate (Alan Johnson, Chris Grayling, Chris Huhne) Easton put 17 points to Grayling and interrupted him 8 times. He put 4 points to Huhne and interrupted him 3 times. He put 2 points to Johnson and interrupted him just once!

      His blog also keeps having a go at the Conservatives on statistics and policy, occasionally at the Lib Dems and very,very rarely at Labour (especially this year). 

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      • Martin says:

        Even though Easton has had to apologise himself in the past for spinning Brown’s crime figures only to find out the following day they were lies.

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    • Manfred VR says:

      I saw that piece as well. He headed it ‘Reality Check’.
      The mathematical gymnastics he performed, ended up sounding like there is no immigration, and, on the contrary all sensible black people are heading home.
      It was so blatantly bias, and factually so wide of the mark, he must care nothing for his credibility, and self respect.
      Either that, or his notion of ‘Reality’ has been massively distorted by ‘chemicals’
      – Or he’s looking for a promotion.

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  14. Julio says:

    Gordon Brown is interviewed by Paxo at 23:30 on BBC News 24. Apparently Gordy goes quite mental. Should be fun.

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  15. David Preiser (USA) says:

    Even when the BBC reports Mr. Brown’s problem regarding Bigotgate, they still manage to carefully spin and selectively report the incident to hide the problematic facts from the audience.


    Gordon brown on bigot ‘misunderstanding’

    This latest piece on the incident has the BBC selectively highlighting Mrs. Duffy’s challenges to Mr. Brown as being about immigration and student tuition fees, “among other subjects”.  They know perfectly well that tuition fees were the only issue on which Mr. Brown didn’t out and out lie to the poor woman.

    The issues the BBC omits here are debt, crimes, and taxes.  Most important is the debt issue, as that’s what Mrs. Duffy was shouting about as she worked her way towards Mr. Brown on the day.  Anyone who has seen the endlessly replayed clip will have seen the woman shouting things like, “What are you going to do about the debt, Gordon?”. That’s why the Labour handlers brought her up to the cameras in the first place.  Notice how that’s been edited out of the accompanying clip.  Yes, they let the rest of her statements stand in the clip, but the BBC News Online staff think you’re too realize which issues are more important.  They don’t mention that he lied about all of them.

    After Mr. Brown lied about his plans to reduce the debt, Mrs. Duffy complained about being double-taxed on her and late husband’s pensions.  Mr. Brown kept on lying about that until she told him enough times that she had checked and he was forced to allow that maybe she was right.

    Yet the BBC hides all of this from you and focuses on tuition fees and the unavoidable immigration issue.  Which he lied about to her face, although the BBC has yet to point that out.

    Now the BBC is trying to let slide Mr. Brown’s claim that he merely thought that Mrs. Duffy meant that she wanted students from the EU to be thrown out.  Paxman challenged him once on it, but then let it slide.  Mr. Brown lied right there on air, and nobody at the BBC will say so out loud.

    If he thought she was talking about students, why would that make her bigoted? And why would he try to tell her about a million Brits going to Europe? It’s total BS, and the BBC will not call him on it.  So, while they have to report the bigot remark, they can still spin the encounter any way they like.  And so they have.

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  16. John Anderson says:

    Radio 4 midnight news gives Mark Easton to explain the immigration issue.  From the LibDem point of view. 

    How dare we think that is damage-limitation ?   Easton running block for Young Nick – it was absolutely shamelss spin

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    • Guest Who says:

      Easton running block for Young Nick – it was absolutely shamelss spin’

      Plus from earlier:Evan Davis said “and for a bit less tribal one, the Guardian…”  

      ‘Less tribal’? Uh-huh. Nice to see the BBC and its employees feel bullet-proof in pushing their personal opinions as corporate propaganda.

      Just watching the morning Breakfast ‘news’.

      Struck by the fact that the political commentator thinks it is ‘no big thing’ that The Guardian has moved its support away from Labour, equating it with the apparent lack of impact of the Sun doing so.

      This new phelgmatic view about independent media choices is to be welcomed, but one wonders if we might still find the ‘choices’ as being between Labour and Mr. Brown (and The Mirror, ably providing many commentary figures) and The BBC, ranged against the force of the ‘right’, plus, er, The Guardian.

      Just seems to highlight that they equate things purely in terms of who agrees with the BBC view and who does not.

      Like their funding, unique. Hardly objective though.

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  17. BoBs says:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/scotland/8653809.stm The ever helpful BBC informs us that the BNP and UKIP are basically the same party … WTF

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  18. John Anderson says:

    The Today prog has spots on “What the papers are saying”.

    Time they altered their intro to “What the Guardian is saying”  

    Plenty of stuff about the Guardian backing LibDems,  virtual brush-off of the Times (6 times higher circulation ?) switching to Cameron.

    FT hasn’t declared yet,  I believe.  If it declares for Cameron,  we won’t hear about it freom the BBC.  If it declares for Labour or LibDem it will be trumpeted forth by Today presenters.

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  19. Votefor says:

    On last nights Ten O’clock News , there was a section called Reality Check where Graham Easson tried to get to the bottom of the row over the immigration figures about 8-9 mins in. The figures he came up with , negative 8000 immigrants from outside the EU in 2008 was just one , were unbelievable although there was the ONS source stated under. Can someone who understands these things have a look and see if some news management /opinion forming is being foisted on us,  please.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s7cdq/BBC_News_at_Ten_30_04_2010/

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    • Millie Tant says:

      That -8000 figure was about workers from outside the EU, not the totality of immigrants from outside the EU.  The figures, I presume are for the number of workers given (time-limited) work permits or other work visas. At the end of the term of the work permit, those workers leave. So he said that the figures showed that 67000 of these workers arrived and 75000 left, giving a net figure of minus 8000 for workers from outside the EU.

      The figures he quoted for EU workers showed a positive figure of 46,000. From this he then proceeded to tell us his conclusion: ” So the real pressure on British jobs comes from EU workers, it would seem and yet the parties’ controls on economic migration relate to non-EU workers.”

      And not content with that, he then instructed us, literally, how to think of it:

      “Think of it this way: for every eight immigrants arriving into Britain, only one is a worker from outside the EU…” He goes on to make the point that it is that 1 in 8 that would be directly affected by the cap or points system proposed by the parties.

      A bit of creative manipulation from the BBC there. There is of course a great deal more to the pressure on British jobs from immigration than the official “workers” figures mentioned above, EU or non-EU. What neither he nor Nick Clegg mentioned is that most immigrants are from outside the EU. (In fact Nick Clegg said the opposite.) It is laughable to ignore the bulk of  immigration or to try to pretend that there are no economic or social pressures from it.  

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      • George R says:

        “Flip-flop Nick Clegg gets migration sums wrong”

        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1270209/Flip-flop-Nick-Clegg-gets-migration-sums-wrong.html

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        • Millie Tant says:

          He sure did. There was a sharp intake of breath here when he said that during the debate – it was a monumental gaffe and I waited… and waited… and waited for David Cameron to pounce and show it up for what it was but the correction never came.

           I’ve been wondering whether Cameron didn’t know the figures were completely upside down or whether he was being canny about exposing the real figures because he did not want to get too deep into the debate on immigration.

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  20. George R says:

    The Islamisation of the UK General Election (which BBC reports as ‘tribalisation’ influence from Pakistan):

    “Chasing the UK vote in Pakistan’s ‘Little Britain'”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8655697.stm

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  21. Martin says:

    Anyone else notice how positive the BBC has been towards Barry O and the oil slick? This explosion happened days ago yet ONLY NOW is Barry ‘swinging’ into action.

    He also can’t even be bothered to go and take a look himself, can you imagine if that evil bastard Boosh had still been in charge? This would have all been his fault.

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    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      I’ve noticed.  But I know that the BBC doesn’t do original or independent reporting when it comes to the US. They follow the lead of the Washington Post and other Obamessiah supporting media.  If those hacks don’t think it’s important, neither does the BBC.

      The supine US media wouldn’t dare call this His Katrina, or point out that the head of the Department of Homeland Security wasn’t even aware that they had equipment that could be of use, or just how long He sat on his hands.  The New York Times is only barely hinting at it today, and this has been going on for over a week now.

      When the BBC isn’t following the lead of their friends in the Leftoid US media, they’re simply repeating White House press releases.  You can’t expect them to do anything else here.

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  22. Mailman says:

    Not only that but Barry is heading off to some dinner with journalists.

    GW got slated for his response to Katrina (even though the Fed Gvt couldnt respond as it was up to the state to sort its sh1t out) BUT some how I very much doubt we will hear a peep from the lame stream media, let alone al beeb, about Barry getting on the p1ss with journo’s instead of getting down to the gulf.

    Or maybe the problem is that this is the wrong kind of gulf? If only it was golf, the bugger would have been there days ago!

    Mailman

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    • John Anderson says:

      By leaving it so late Obama has allowed bad weather to intervene – making action on the slick much harder.

      And yes – the local state authorities have nil responsibility here,  it is all on Obama’s plate.  Far clearer blame than was given to Bush on Katrina.

      But the US press and most TV networks are still avoiding criticisms of The One.

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  23. freddo41 says:

    OT for a moment, there’s a fascinating piece in Standpoint magazine this month

    http://www.standpointmag.co.uk/node/2975/full

    about the BBC’s failure to tell the whole gory, Trotskyite truth about Corin Redgrave in their coverage of his recent death.

    The writer, Nick Cohen, concludes,
    “Radio 4 cannot tell the true story of the Redgraves’ politics because, although Marxist-Leninism has long gone, a part of the poison of the Trotskyism of the 1968 generation lingers in the bloodstream of the wider Left — the propensity for Jew-baiting and conspiracy theory, the shrieking dogmatism, and, beyond all that, the self-censorship, which stops a broadcaster legally obliged to be objective dealing plainly with news that reflects badly on its class and kind.”

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    • John Anderson says:

      I agree with Nick Cohen.  I had commented earlier that the BBC reports on his death should never have glossed over his absurd political activities.

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      • Craig says:

        Nick Cohen is a man of the Left but, like Matthew Taylor and John Lloyd, a man of the Left who isn’t dogmatic. Good man!

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    • hippiepooter says:

      Thanks for posting that.  Fascinating to see that according to Nick Cohen Ken Livingstone refused to condemn WRP leader Gerry Healey when his rape and violence was exposed.

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  24. It's all too much says:

    The Toady peogram this morning was running a very persistent subtext.  Using the excuse of discussing the ‘three party system’ and tactical voting I heard three variations of “vote Lib Dem if you want to keep the Tories out”.  Quite openly, unashamedly.  I cannot say that I heard them advising Lib Dems in a marginal labour seat to “vote Conservative if you want to keep Labour out”

    Sorry but I am about to launch into a protracted Rant having been offended by the BBC (yet again!)

    Anybody else notice the re-emergence out from under its 70’s euro-communist stone of the term ‘Progressive society’.  Yes socialism, statism and uni-party politics is ‘progressive’, whereas libertarianism is reactionary and krypto-fascist.  The left pretend to be obsessed with “fairness”, but their model is the most unequal and repressive of modern times.

    The arrogance of the left knows no bounds.  Personally I think “repressive” is a better word that “progressive”.  Remember the greatest ‘achievements’ of communism were to build factories where the product was worth less than the cost of the raw materials, and the sytematic murder of entirely innocent people because of their class, economic status, beliefs or simply to achieve a ‘Key performance indicator’ quota.

    Thats oll vey nasty, so I take it then that the ‘Progressive society’ the BBC warbles on about cannot be like the bankrupt authoritarian ones, the east-bloc sh*t holes that everyone who could even crawl fled from in the 1980’s.  (BTW I am really hoping for a Ceausescu moment from the Prime Minister on Friday morning at 03:30 – on Sky of course, the BBC will not air it!) You know the ones where the ‘state’ determined how you behaved, recorded every phone call and conversation, decided what books you could read and rewarded you if you behaved ‘well’ with a telephone (monitored of course), a pair of Polish cardboard shoes, a sh*t two-stroke plastic car and a sytem built one bedroom flat with a cold tap and a toilet that you share with three families.

    Some of the really ‘progressive’ societies worked out that it was ‘ideologically correct’ to ‘liquidate’ unwanted class enemies in their millions and enslave millions of innocent citizens in their ‘workers paradise’.

    The point of this protracted rant is that I am offended by the approbation given to this communist concept by the BBC.  It is every bit as ofensive as someone admiring the benefits of a fascist society. 

    I will now go and run my head under a tap

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    • Jack Bauer says:

      It’s the Lumpen Marxetariat in full bloom.

      They hold sway over the BBC, academia, half the media, the bureaucratic state, our EU masters.

      The are a malignant growth on the body politic. 

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    • Millie Tant says:

      I have been amazed by the sheer dogmatic arrogance of Labour in their many appearances on the BBC during this campaign – Brown, Balls, Straw

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      • Millie Tant says:

        Oops. I accidentally hit a key and posted before finishing.

        To continue….

        Brown & co and that other scary looking one Charlie Whelan and the one who used to be the chief strategy adviser – I forget his name but he was on Newsnight –  all come over as extremely thuggishly dogmatic. 

        I have been astounded at the sheer nastiness and cynicism of their campaign and Brown’s rants about the other parties not being capable and not having thought through the policies etc. I mean, that may be true but the idea that only Labour think through policies and only Labour is capable of governing is ludicrous and deluded.  The evidence is piled a mile high of Labour’s ineptitude, catastrophic mistakes, ill-thought out policies etc etc. Ranting like that with Paxman makes Brown seem almost deranged.

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        • Paul says:

          Yes – I think it’s clear now – The BBC are using the hung parliament issue as an excuse to have completely biased one-sided panel discussions with supposed ‘experts’ – who all just happen to be LibLab supporters – all pushing the left wing agenda with a clear vote LibLab message.

          This is attrocious bias eg. They could easily include a pro-UKIP panellist who would also be supportive of a hung parliament – instead they choose exclusively LibLab supporters.

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        • It's all too much says:

          “Almost”? Ha!

          I particularly like him fanatically telling me that I am “immoral and wrong”.  This from a man who cannot recognize reality  when it crashes into a bust stop in front of him, and who defines “truth” as established ‘because I say so’

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          • Millie Tant says:

            Immoral and wrong indeed if you don’t think and believe as I (Brown) do and as I say you should do!

            What I meant to say was that their brutal dogmatism and dismissal of other people’s views (even of their own supporters like that Mrs Duffy) is so at odds with all those lovely words such as progressive, fair, moral

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      • Martin says:

        The worst is Mandelson, I really do detest this nasty poisoned little mincer.

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    • dave s says:

      I think it was Saint Juste during the French Revolutionary terror who justified it by saying that he was in fact being merciful in killing those who could not accept the revolution. He said he was killing them to make them happy. Progressives are always finally only happy with a gun in their hands and the power to terrorize us.

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  25. It's all too much says:

    I forgot to add in my diatribe

    A progressive society is, of course, one where the ruling politburo conflate the ‘state’ and the ‘economy’…. You know, like saying by not taxing us £6bn of additional NI, the economy will be worse off!  I guess that £6bn just evaporates and isn’t spent on houses, cars, TV’s, emulsion paint etc.

    btw typing isn’t my strong point

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  26. George R says:

    Compare and contrast, reports 1.) BBC, and 2.) non-BBC report,

    on ALGERIA.

    1.) BBC typical utopianism on ‘the religion of peace’ in Algeria:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8637375.stm


    In contrast, a non-BBC report:

    “Al Qaeda’s North African Connection” (in 3 parts)

    by Adrian Morgan:

    http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.4588/pub_detail.asp

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  27. Paul says:

    BBC News 24 Dateline 12.45pm Saturday May 1st (on now)

    A panel of 4 loathsome commies and Gavin Esler desperately spinning for a hung parliament. Absolutely no balance – all 100% leftwing opinions. Disgusting bias.

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    • Craig says:

      It’s like that most weeks Paul.

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    • Craig says:

      For anyone who didn’t see ‘Dateline’ today this is the quality of comment on offer:

      “most of the Conservative MPs who will come to parliament on May 6th, they are not urbane, metropolitian guys like David Cameron. They are, most..many of them, climate change deniers, homophobes, xenophobes and supporters of the death penalty.”

      That came from the lovely Portuguese lefty. Yasmin Alibhai Brown loved it and laughed her head off (if only that wasn’t just a turn of phrase!)

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  28. Philip says:

    Al-Beeb are covering this charming tale of rampant UK electoral fraud taking place in the region of Pakistan that now has an additional claim to fame. other than  being the region of the country from where most Pakistani immigrants to Britain originate.

    But only the BBC could manage to make this sound like a quaint local custom – unbelievable!

    I’m covering this, and another breaking electoral fraud related story relating to Tower Hamlets over at the blog if you’re interested.

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    • Jack Bauer says:

      Only a BIGOT could possibly object to Pakistani electoral fraud in Pakistan regarding the BRITISH ELECTION.

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    • It's all too much says:

      Something needs to be done here.  This is disgusting and contemptable.  What chance in any council elections.

      Widespread
      Sysrtematic
      “traditional” and well established

      This has to be sorted by the next government.  I will write to my MP.  Perhaps we should draw up a template and get a campaign going

      “I’m here for the 6 May election. I always come during elections,” says Mr Chaudhry. “It’s basically so I can tell people how to vote and who to vote for.
      “Most of the Pakistanis here are from Mirpur, and I am the MP from Mirpur, and I know the issues here and who will be the best candidates to help solve the issues in Kashmir.”

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  29. George R says:

    BBC oblivious to Lib Dems on this:

    “Sir Andrew Green: The cost of an amnesty for illegal immigrants would be astronomical”

    http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2010/05/sir-andrew-green-the-cost-of-an-amnesty-for-illegal-immigrants-would-be-astronomical.html

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    • It's all too much says:

      Odd isn’t it – illegal immignants working for the re-election of the ‘government’.  I wonder why they would do that since it is against the law a) for them to be here at all and b) Specifically it is illegal for them to vote.  At least she is real, unlike the large numbers of ghosts making postal votes even as we speak.  If “respect” thinks something stinks in relation to postal votes then the stench of corruption in the East End must be like a 9 day dead cat that had eaten too much off fish

      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8655867.stm

      Former Cabinet minister Hazel Blears has confirmed that an illegal immigrant had been working as a volunteer on her election campaign.
      The Sun newspaper reported that Nigerian national Rhoda Sulaimon was due for deportation after the general election, having overstayed her visa.

      Will the BBC follow this up and tell us if Rhoda is actually deported “after the election”.

         0 likes

      • Millie Tant says:

        You missed out the best bits, though!

        One is that reason she sought this electioneering job was to help her case to get to stay in the UK.  

        Another is that she is living in a council flat – maybe on benefits (not certain about the benefits bit).

        As the man said, you couldn’t make it up. 
        (Although that said, the Lib Dem leader does, when it comes to immigration figures and how all those nice illegals would suddenly start paying tax if we suddenly blessed their stay and gave them access to state benefits etc)

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  30. Ronald Todd says:

    BBC news 24 reporting that Obama is to go down to Lousiana to oversee the stop the slick operation.

    Will he just order the tide to turn?

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  31. NRG says:

    Note the BBC websit headline: Gordon Brown on bigot ‘misunderstanding’

    It gives the impression that it is a matter of fact that Brown simply (and by implication innocently) misunderstood.

    A more honest and un-biased headline writer woud have used “claims”

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  32. Jack Bauer says:

    Keep a lookout to see if this National Enquirer story gets reported at al-Beeb.

    UPDATED:
    Reports out of Washington, DC:  
    PRESIDENT OBAMA has been caught in a shocking cheating scandal after being caught in a Washington, DC Hotel with a former campaign aide.
    http://web.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/68590

    Couple of points. 

    1.The actual NE link has been shut down, by what could be a brute force attack on its server. The link here is a clean link saved on a cache.

    2. Before one scoffs remember this. The Enquirer broke the former VP candidate John Edwards affair and secvret baby scandal when all the other rmedia knew about it and REFUSED to run it.

       0 likes

    • NRG says:

      A couple of minutes on Google and it is clear that the story has a bit of traction. Certainly enough smke for the BBC to go big on it if Palin was the subject of similar claims.

         0 likes

      • Jack Bauer says:

        DRUDGE is carrying it. It will spread far and wide. WE have no idea if it’s true of course. BUT…

        Rumours of the pre-election shakiness of the Obama marriage have long circulated. 

        Just not on the pages or airways of the Obama State Controlled Media! 

        I mean, he is married to a woman with the arms of an axe-murderer. 

        I am just interested to see if the BBC reports it. And if it does, it SPINS the story Obama’s way.

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  33. George R says:

    PAKISTAN.

    BBC tries to see TALIBAN through rose-tinted ‘MILITANT’ spectacles.

    Why is the BBC concerned about the return of the Taliban to the Swat valley of Pakistan?

    After all, for the BBC, including its Mr. Hasan here, the Taliban are merely ‘MILITANTS’.

    Now if the BBC accepted the obvious, that the Taliban are ruthless ‘ISLAMIC JIHAD’ murderers….

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8653937.stm

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  34. George R says:

    BBC and Labour: unable to make political links between:

    a.) Labour’s mass immigration of Somali Muslims;

    b.) recruitment in UK of Somali jihadist to fight and kill in Somalia;

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6965717.ece

    and today:

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/05/islamophobes-kill-30-in-bombings-at-somali-mosque—-no-wait.html

    c.) recruitment in UK of Somali jihadists to fight and kill British troops in Afghanistan

    http://covertress.blogspot.com/2009/02/british-army-is-fighting-british.html

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  35. hippiepooter says:

    It emerges that the senior Foreign Office official responsible for the memo insutling the Pope was one Anjoun Noorani, ‘Head of Papal Visit Team’.

    Jihad Watch has a first class piece on it:

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/04/author-of-british-government-memo-insulting-pope-not-afraid-for-his-life.html

    The Daily Mail had a piece on the story, the Telegraph has covered the story, The Times as well, the BBC … the BBC.

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  36. prpw says:

    Dear Matt Frei, I distinctly remember you striding about sneering into the camera for one of your sophisticated, highly researched, korrespondent-on-da-ground pieces of insight for BBC World in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, critical of the slow response from Booooosh in particular, even though it fell under state jurisdiction. I trust you and your mates are being typically even-handed and balanced in your monitoring of the US Govt response towards the GOM oil spill. Thanks as always for bringing us the full picture – excellent return on the mandatory license fee 

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  37. Steve Munslow says:

    Might be worth listening to Broadcasting House tomorrow morning. I just heard a preview at the beginnng of Loose Ends:

    “Politics – and we’ll ask if ill-informed voters have a right to be heard”. Yes, literally. I can’t think what might have inspired this.

       0 likes

  38. George R says:

    Not for BBC:

    “Labour cuts Border Control staff at…The Port of Dover!”

    http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2010/04/labour-cuts-border-control-staff-at.html

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  39. Jonathan Fry says:

    Has anyone got Jane Garvey’s email address?  I’d like to send her a photo of my empty champagne bottles on Friday morning!!

       0 likes

    • Millie Tant says:

      It’s probably jane.harvey@bbc.co.uk

         0 likes

    • All Seeing Eye says:

      Unintentionally you’ve sort of spolied a joke post I had planned here for the day after the election. But come the Friday I’m not sure that will stop me doing it anyway 🙂

         0 likes

      • Jonathan Fry says:

        I’ve had the naughty thought in the back of my mind for a couple of weeks now.  Oh how much more fun it will be as a group activity after your Friday morning post David 🙂

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  40. George R says:

    Pro-Islam BBC is hostile to the anti-Islamic Jihad ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE (EDL).

    I’d recommend the EDL’s own website, rather than the BBC’s, for report on e.g., the EDL demonstration in Aylesbury today

    http://www.englishdefenceleague.org/

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  41. George R says:

    For anyone wanting to get beyond the BBC’s propaganda for its invented ‘balanced’ (not ‘hung’) Parliament, the latest Sunday polls are here:

    “The final Sunday polls”

    http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/archives/2665?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PollingReport+%28UK+Polling+Report%29

       0 likes

    • John Anderson says:

      They show a consistent move towards Cameron,  together with good figures for Cameron in the marginals.  All suggesting he could actually win an overall majoprity.

      But this is not first item on the 10pm news.  I wonder why ?  Cognitive dissonance they call it,  I think.

         0 likes

  42. NRG says:

    BBC 10pm News: The lady abused by Brown as a “bigoted woman” has given an interview to the Mail; she is not a happy bunny.  Up pops a Beenoid scum bag to pick over the semantics to spin it for Gordon. Desperate and blatant reaching for straws to save Gordon.

    It was as though mandy was dictating his script for him

       0 likes

  43. John Anderson says:

    Obama has been way behind the curve on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.  Too busy politicking to attend to the crisis.

    The BBC is carrying lots of reports on the spill.  But not reflecting the criticism in the US of Obama’s inaction – even the New York Times has criticised him.

    Here’s the 10-day timeline :

    http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2010/05/obamas-katrina-illustrated-timeline.html

       0 likes

  44. Paul says:

    Here’s the link to the appallingly biased Dateline in which 4 lefties are given a 30 minute platform to spin for LibLab.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00sc87l/Dateline_London_01_05_2010/

    As Craig mentioned earlier – see 15:40 for an appalling anti-conservative diatribe. You may wish to close doors and windows first incase you find yourself shouting insults at the screen as I did.

    If there’s a crackdown on immigration after the election let’s hope those two silly bitches are the first to be deported.

       0 likes

  45. George R says:

    Will BBC report this?:

    “Islamists in Minister Phil Woolas slur”

    http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/172637/General-Election-2010-Islamists-in-Minister-Phil-Woolas-slur

       0 likes

  46. Ronald Todd says:

    The Politics show got a liberal on still claiming that 80% immigration is from Europe.

       0 likes

    • Jack Bauer says:

      So…

      80% of immigrants are “European.”

      That whould make them “white” Europeans.

      We’re also “white European” too.

      So it can’t be racist to oppose unlimited mass immigration into Britain from people who are the same as us “ethnically”.

      Though, I guess, a black Briton who opposed unlimited mass immigration from white Europenas would be racist.

      See, you have to deconstruct the lefts odd views and bounce them back at them.

         0 likes

  47. Will says:

    I don’t know whether in BBC-speak the National Institute for Economic and Social Research leans, is respected or authoritative but it is no surprise that they are not reporting this

    Martin Weale, director of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, said the winner of the election should consider the plan in an effort to wean Britain off its reliance on debt. He said that a small annual levy of 1pc on all household debt, including mortgages and credit cards, could help raise £15bn a year – more than would be raised from a 3p increase in the basic rate of income tax
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/7663978/Radical-tax-on-debt-put-to-parties.html

    Borrowers are victims, aren’t they?

       0 likes

  48. David Preiser (USA) says:

    Why does the BBC find time to report this:

    Iran urges UN inquiry into US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

    Iran’s president has urged the UN to launch an investigation into the aims of Western military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

    but doesn’t report this:

    UN elects Iran to Commission on Women’s Rights

    Barbara “Tears” Plett has been in New York City to cover various things (that BBC report I linked to above has her byline from NYC, dated April 13), and I know she’s still in town and available to report on the UN because I just saw her on the News Channel reporting from Times Square about the failed car bomb there.

    The BBC has reported in the past about Iran’s poor record on women’s rights, so it’s not like they wouldn’t see an irony worth reporting about regarding Iran’s elevation to a UN women’s rights commission.  Funny how the BBC finds time to report on yet another loopy Ahmadimjihadi pronouncement, but not on something of actual relevance.  But they love the UN, and don’t want do show it in a bad light if they can help it.  So they skip the story.

       0 likes

  49. David Preiser (USA) says:

    Female Beeboid right now on the News Channel trying to get the head of Tesco’s to say that the Conservatives would be dangerous to jobs and public services.  She asks very leading questions, as if Labour’s propaganda is correct about the Conservatives’ plans.  She’s trying harder and harder now to get him to criticize the Tories, and he’s refusing to do it.

    Her last question is – what else? – will he like a hung parliament.  Apparently he thinks businesses actually want a government with a clear direction instead, much to her chagrin.

       0 likes

  50. Ronald Todd says:

    I have been watching News 24 as well. Like an extended party political broadcast for Gordon Brown.
    (doesnt Glenda Jackson look old)

       0 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      Agreed.  Every time they go to Mr. Brown’s appearances, we get to hear the full speech where he reads out the same script, word for word each time, and then Jane Hill repeats Labour’s platform, as if that’s reporting on the event.  Even when we get to hear most of a Clegg speech, no Beeboid gives a follow-up summary of his platform.  As for Cameron, I heard he was on Marr today, but have seen almost nothing of him so far on the News Channel’s coverage.

      Maybe Mr. Brown is making more appearances than the other two leaders?  One female Beeboid breathlessly told us that he was doing 10 stops around London today, so maybe that and the convenience of London is making them spend so much more time on him than on the other two.

         0 likes

      • Millie Tant says:

        I’ve noticed the same thing on the BBC news website front page – Brown, Brown, Brown.  You find yourself wondering: Where is Cameron? I find it actually very thin on news of the election campaign.  It’s electioneering, not reporting.

           0 likes