Start the Week Open Thread

 

Britain’s standing in the world has been reduced [BBC fact] and we may lose our place on the International Court of Justice the BBC informs us….the unspoken term?  #duetoBrexit.  Note in the video Dimbleby once again denying that the BBC uses the term ‘inspite of Brexit’ or other forms of implying that.  Charles Moore also got similar treatment….and Guido has helpfully listed many examples where Moore and JRM are proved right and Dimbleby wrong.

Loads more BBC bias out there…..list it all here……

 

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570 Responses to Start the Week Open Thread

  1. Up2snuff says:

    Have been listening to R4 since 5.30am. Why? Well, I was awake … and getting down to various tasks.

    Quite revealing, really. Framing Today – yes, I spelt that right: BBC framing a narrative and pushing it at us. Food is too cheap. Food has to increase in price. Sugar is evil. Nestle has sugar in its products. The poor old Nestle spokesman realised it was useless explaining the essential nature of carbohydrates for human survival & health, so he did not. Patrick Holden was rolled out to explain that food has a hidden cost so instead of calling for food to be made cheaper, he, too, wants food to be made more expensive. Poor people, those on low incomes, will not be able to afford to eat so he appears to want Government to create more hidden cost to food production and subsidise their carb, protein & fibre & salt intake. No challenge from the Framing Today presenter – perfect narrative as far she is concerned.

    It’s Budget Day and Sarah (along with the Daily Telegraph) do not appear to know that there is such a thing as Budget purdah. There is meant to be no build up prior to a Budget, no leaks, no hints, etc.. There are good reasons for this, market stability being one, influence another, contract negotiation another and so, on right through government and out into the wider economy.

    Is Laura Kuenssberg being deliberately sidelined by the BBC? Does she have, like a previous fellow-countryman senior presenter, some/many/a lot of colleagues who actively dislike her? Is Part-time looking for more pay and has notified BBC bosses that she is job hunting? My reason for asking is that Norman hyperactive Smith is wheeled in – on Budget Day – to tell us how much disarray our Government is in.

    Business as usual at the BBC.

       35 likes

    • Synchronised says:

      I also listened to this on Today and they were bleating on about how bad the build up to the budget has been. What the hell are they going on about. Are we now treating such events as if it were showbiz.

         18 likes

    • Alicia Sinclair says:

      The beauty of Budget Day is that I now get a few days off from the BBC.
      It`s a tired old ritual donkey derby day to me.
      You KNOW where they`ll be going for those vox-pox ideas, the little man and his pint, his dear old wife and her shopping trolleys.
      The businesses, quangos etc will all be onto the Tories and demanding the end of Brexit uncertainties. The plebs will be on about austerity, but not asked about Corbyn. But the students, BBC plants and activists, giro wallahs WILL be asked about why Corbyn is the answer.
      It`s all as tired, cliched and barren as the Boat Race, Epsom Ladies Day or the Grand National. And is there ANYBODY out here who`d listen to Philip Hammond read from cue cards about numbers he`s no clue about-or has no control over-unless you`re wearing a power suit and getting paid to gamble it way somewhere ?

         9 likes

  2. Sluff says:

    Meanwhile, over on BBCBreakfast, its budget day and our Steff is going to ‘talk to families and see how their budgets are’.
    Translation – ‘ Im going to talk to families who will, on camera, present the views that the news editors want to broadcast’. Which, we can be certain, will be either hostile to the government or else show limited mental capabilities. Erudite Brexiteers with some appreciation of macroeconomic policy will presumably not be selected for transmission.

       43 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Sluff, does Steffie miss us? Aaaah …. .

      More importantly, are the BBC paying her vast sums from taxpaying Licence Fee-payers while she is in receipt of an income from other employers?

      She was a good Economics Editor. The BBC might do well to tempt her back.

         9 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      If Steff is the northern lass who makes my ears bleed – she does after dinner speeches £3k ago if you want to suffer.

         8 likes

      • The Sage says:

        Yes, it’s like listening to a female Jimmy Clitheroe, except, of course, she is from Middlesbrough. The BBC Breakfast business segment is really just consumer affairs and not much else. There is little of no business in the section and I doubt Steff knows the first thing about it – just like the rest of the BBC.

           11 likes

  3. Up2snuff says:

    Wonderful example of snowflaking: BBC R4 Today @ 7.23 talking about the death of David Cassidy. Catch it later on radio iPlayer.

       9 likes

  4. taffman says:

    “Budget to make Brexit UK fit for future ”
    More housing, more roads, more schools , more traffic & more hospitals = more immigrants and more extreme floods. Where are the greens now ? Goodbye England’s green and pleasant land.

       30 likes

  5. MarkyMark says:

    The golden question for Owen Jones or when a Labour member or supporter appears is “Who are the Many? Who are the Few?”.

    What is this classification system based on? Money? Houses? Shoes? Political allegiance?

    For the Many(Everyone else), Not the Few (Gary ‘£1.75m’ Lineker)

    For the Many(Everyone else), Not the Few (Keith ‘5 homes’ Vaz)

    For the Many (In Labour Party), Not the Few (In Conservative Party).

    For the Many (Everyone else), Not the Few (Owen ‘£1,347,114 book sales’ Jones).

    Just so we are clear – draw a line so we can work out who is in the Many and who is in the Few.

    As Jeremy Corbyn wrote in the foreword for his Manifesto …”That won’t be achieved by empty slogans and posturing..”

    oj1.jpg?w=480&ssl=1

    {order-order}

       31 likes

    • Lucy Pevensey says:

      Mark, “the golden question” Indeed! Good call. This is one of the primary problems when dealing with the left now. Since they believe they have the right to re-define everything it’s best if you can nail them down on that point. Can we agree on definitions for words anymore? Who get’s to decide what a word means? The dictionary which we have been using for decades or a new extreme left re-classification of words & phrases? [Newspeak]

      Who are the many? What is right wing? What is misogyny? What is female? etc etc. No innocent word is safe from re-definition. Or invention. What is So-called”Islamophobia”? Sane people are not speaking the same language as loonie leftists. I wonder if they might eventually move to change the name of the ‘English’ language itself. Isn’t everything ‘English’ hideous and racist? Why call the language everyone learns ‘English’ ? Is that not offensive to “The Many”?

         22 likes

      • MarkyMark says:

        If we have different understandings of the same word then we can never agree …

        ‘You haven’t a real appreciation of Newspeak, Winston,’ he said almost sadly. ‘Even when you write it you’re still thinking in Oldspeak. I’ve read some of those pieces that you write in The Times occasionally. They’re good enough, but they’re translations. In your heart you’d prefer to stick to Oldspeak, with all its vagueness and its useless shades of meaning. You don’t grasp the beauty of the destruction of words. Do you know that Newspeak is the only language in the world whose vocabulary gets smaller every year?’

        Winston did know that, of course. He smiled, sympathetically he hoped, not trusting himself to speak. Syme bit off another fragment of the dark-coloured bread, chewed it briefly, and went on:

        ‘Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.

        – 1984, Orwell

           32 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      Does he pay all of his tax? Does he use legal but possibly dubious methods to reduce his tax bill which are not open to ordinary PAYErs ? As an advocate of higher taxes does he set an example for others to follow of paying extra tax by sending a cheque to HM Treasury? They will certainly accept it. The stench of hypocrisy is always overpowering whenever any champagne socialists are around, particularly those who make a good living out of calling for socialism whilst pocketing a fat fee for doing so.

         4 likes

  6. Rick Bradford says:

    Actually, I think the main target of this inquisition was not Lindsay Shepherd herself, but the Dr Peterson who appeared in the video she showed. It was only that part of her class that they focused on.

    Dr Peterson is a nationally known figure in Canada for his robust, rational and articulate defence of free speech and open debate, and so is routinely derided by Leftists as a transphobic bigot (they compare him with Hitler, no less, during the interrogation of Shepherd). The Left cannot abide him, and so for his views to be served up to students, that’s too much for them.

    They want Dr Peterson suppressed, removed, disappeared, destroyed, and hence the hysterical reaction to Shepherd’s showing of the video.

    It’s Stalinesque.

       40 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      The BBC has covered it, if taking a peculiar BBC tack to do so.

         12 likes

      • Rick Bradford says:

        Perhaps the BBC were talking about Nicholas Matte, the other academic featured in the clip.

        He has publicly stated that there is no biological difference between men and women, and that the science of the past 40 years has proved that.

        Yet he goes unchallenged, and it is Peterson who gets into trouble! Truly, the world is upside down.

           17 likes

      • JimS says:

        Canada university under fire for gender pronoun debate

        It’s only taken our ‘world class’ broadcaster to pick two weeks to pick up on it though.

        I don’t think Ms Shepherd was brave, she was just doing what she thought was normal. She was smart though to record the ‘conversation’ when finding herself in a three-against-one situation.

        Her supervisor is biting his own tail – he realised that he should have protected her instead of ‘protecting’ the latest ‘in’ minority group – ever smaller groups! Who knows maybe these crazy collectivist will realise that the individual is the smallest group and will take up individualism? (I believe all this left v ‘far-right’ is nonsense, just shades of collectivism while the vast majority of us are individulistic by nature).

        The supervisor uses the usual weasel words like ‘inclusivity’ – how does a society become ‘inclusive’ when it is forced to adopt the most extreme minority attitudes as ‘normal’? He worries me when he talks about ‘contextualising’ arguments that he doesn’t like. I can imagine that a student wishing to read Mein Kampf would have to go on a ten-week course and examination, finally signing a declaration that they abhor the contents, (unread!). Only then would they get the book, under strict supervision.

           22 likes

        • Rick Bradford says:

          A show that was broadcast on Canadian mainstream TV, is taboo at a Canadian university and regarded as creating a ‘toxic’ atmosphere. So low have they fallen. To protect their worldview, they have 3 people in positions of power bully this young woman for 45 minutes.

          They’re not getting away with it, though. They are getting murdered on social media, and much as the BBC tries to throw in slights like ‘alt-right’ and ‘notoriety’, anyone who has listened to this recording will be sickened by its Stasi-like interrogative tone, as much as its anti-learning and anti-free speech stance.

          I expect their enrolment will drop dramatically over the next 12 months, as happened at the University of Missouri under comparable conditions (down 33% in 2 years), but being Leftists, they will never accept they were in the wrong, and will blame some shadowy organisation for ‘targeting’ them.

          It’s always someone else’s fault.

             29 likes

      • MarkyMark says:

        First comment is good …
        “If you don’t want to be exposed to controversy, why even attend higher education? Just stay home. The students who watched this debate video should be thankful they can first be exposed to such material in a controlled environment, as opposed to what they will face in the real world when their future coworkers or neighbors spew hatred at them. There will be no training wheels then!”

        Canada university under fire for gender pronoun debate {bbc.co.uk 21nov2017}
        “Dr Jordan Peterson set off a political and cultural firestorm over his refusal to use alternative pronouns”

        “Dr Rambukkana, her supervising faculty member, has since also apologised.”

           7 likes

  7. MarkyMark says:

    John Lasseter: Pixar founder on leave over ‘unwanted hugs’ {bbc.co.uk 22nov2017}

    – Show you care with random hugs – 2016! Now, ‘unwanted hugs’ – 2017!

       8 likes

  8. Up2snuff says:

    TODAY Prog @ 8.12a.m. on R4, Part-time turns up at last to pre-discuss the Budget with non-economist book-writing Economics Editor, Kamal Ahmed, and Business Editor, Simon Jack, another known for keeping a low profile a.k.a. not apparent at work.

    Value for money for the Licence Fee payer? Not much.

       19 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      On Facebook they had this ‘see evil, hear evil, speak evil’ line up promoted as ‘what you need to know’.

      Uh huh.

         7 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Up,
      I had a job once organising a big event. They wanted an after dinner speaker so I went tooking for one. I got someone who is now a familiar albeeb employee…the thing that shocked amazed surprised me is how much they charge for a couple of hours talking at semi drunk /drunk punters…. if bored have a google – the cheap ones start at £3k up to sir Lenny at £20k. A number of Toady types are there too….

         17 likes

    • chrisH says:

      That legendary public sector producitivity that we`ve all grow to love. When are the Tories going to savagely prune what the BBC etc get in pay-it`s not as if we DON`T know what they get and how they use it to fiddle us is it?
      I mean-when the BBC can pay nonentities from Mrs Brwosn Boys such obscene amonuts of money-then we`ve gone mad , and we need to get them.
      Wonder if RTE would have ever leaked THAT then-course not.
      That country is stuffed…and we need to cut them off at the knees so they can crawl on their stumps to Brussel and beg to get out of the EU.
      Used to be a country once, not a floating hulk of an offshore tax haven.

         1 likes

  9. Guest Who says:

    Guessing one part of this story unlikely to make the BBC ‘what you need to know’ editorial integrity cut.

       12 likes

  10. JamesArthur says:

    Up2..I never realised the Economics Editor doesn’t has any qualifications in economics/business or experience of ‘real’ business ….his degree was in political studies..That explains a lot..but he did do a ‘course’ at the LBS. can’t see any qualification though..probably a short course. He worked at Guardian and for the Equalities Commission – an ideal background for the BBC

       19 likes

  11. G.W.F. says:

    Parliament debated the petition you signed – “Abolish the tv licence, it shouldn’t be a legal requirement.”

    Watch the debate: http://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/d25effd4-66ce-4997-af96-db4b83265051

    Read the transcript: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2017-11-20/debates/CF3F652E-0E66-4089-A30D-D9229792E31A/TVLicenceFee

    Read the transcript: http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2017-0172/CDP-2017-0172.pdf

    The petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/170931

    Thanks,
    The Petitions team
    UK Government and Parliament

       19 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Tx. Doubtless on par with the Whippingdale whitewash, but amazed to have so far seen approximately zero coverage anywhere.

      Steeling self for depressing reading.

         11 likes

    • MarkyMark says:

      According to the Committee, the advantages of the licence fee are as follows:
      • Simple and straightforward
      • Secure and more predictable source of income which allows for
      long-term planning
      • Meant in theory to maintain the BBC’s independence from commercial and political considerations
      • Allows the BBC sufficient income to benefit from economies of scale
      • Universality—where BBC’s services are available on a free-at-the- point-of-use basis
      • The charge is associated in people’s minds with paying for BBC services

      The disadvantages are:
      • It is regressive—all pay the same regardless of income or size of household
      • No choice: it is compulsory for TV homes that do not use BBC services
      • Expensive to collect
      • 5.5% evasion rate8

      E-petitions 170931 and 200239 relating to the TV Licence fee {pdf}

      – No mention of social engineering, political bias, pay gaps, over paid presenters, hiding pedophiles.

         47 likes

      • Rob in Cheshire says:

        I take it that they did not consider that in 2017 the state should have no role in broadcasting at all?

           20 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Not mentioning is kind of a a BBC editorial integrity forte too, by coincidence.

           5 likes

    • Hawk says:

      In https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2017-11-20/debates/CF3F652E-0E66-4089-A30D-D9229792E31A/TVLicenceFee

      Excellent comments by SNP MP Alan Brown at 5.03pm on BBC TV licence collection tactics.

      Some interesting comments on bias from Julian Knight (Con) at 5.35pm.

      Likewise from Gregory Campbell (DUP) at 5.49pm.

      Peter Heaton-Jones (Con) at 6.00pm who used to work for the BBC says that he “knows” the BBC is not biased because there is no deliberately organized bias. He also states that “I am not the brightest guy in the world”. No sh!t Sherlock. He then goes on to put thoughts in the head (essentially to belittle) those who complain about bias.

      Peter then comes out with this old chestnut :

      “When I worked for the BBC as an editor, and then again as a programme presenter, my manager would come to me once a week with a spreadsheet of the complaints I had received. He used to say, “As long as I’m getting about equal numbers of complaints, Peter, from either side in politics, you’re probably getting it about right.” That is probably as good a yardstick as any. ”

      No, Peter, it isn’t.
      Because one side of politics may be more vocal / better organized / more inclined to group action than the other.
      Especially if that one side of politics tends to favour collectivism and the other individualism.
      Ever heard of Momentum Peter?

      Matt Hancock (Minister for digital) at 6.49pm made me laugh with this :

      ” Some said that the BBC is full of lefties. That may well be true now, but it was not always so. The truth is that we fished out the best talent in the BBC, and they are now Conservative Members of Parliament. It is good to see so many of them here today. Perhaps there are only lefties left in the BBC.”

      Unfortunately he then goes on to say that Peter Heaton-Jones made “a brilliant speech”. Quote “a forensic dissection of the petitions worthy of a journalist of 17 years who trained at the BBC.” Ah well, yes, on that latter point we can agree.

         15 likes

      • Alicia Sinclair says:

        Luvaduck!
        Peter is the clot who was accused of being a Stormtrooper for asking for details of Brexit teaching as currenly delivered in universities. Only a few weeks back.
        Might he then not know what the BBC and Universities, Channel 4 and the Guardian DO with his kind of story?
        How naive and soppy can you get?
        Thank God for Owen Paterson and the faithful few-the rest of them will be on a train to Millbank for rechipping very soon-and to be honest, it won`t be too apparent either when we hear them afterwards.

           10 likes

        • Guest Who says:

          Heaton Jones the other one with Whippingboy the BBC have footage of with a nanny got?

             1 likes

  12. Up2snuff says:

    BBC R4 9am – Only Artists: two women talking. 30% of programme about how they looked, personal appearance, clothes they wore, being seen, noticed, photographed and then 30% of programme about sex.

    Seemed weird when you consider the last eight weeks fuss over various men and their alleged doings. Women queue up to wear their underwear or scanty clothing on the front pages of newspapers, on the red carpet when their latest film premieres or they attend an awards event, or when out at clubs or parties. Then they complain when men take an interest … undue or not, unwarranted or not, unwelcome or not ….. and then create a fuss about it.

    Which is maybe what really upsets them – having it all, gaining and possessing nothing – and still having to comply with someone, even if it is only the sisterhood or even themselves, all on their own. The metroLiberal end of LeftMob or the Alt-Left do appear to be having a collective nervous & mental breakdown at the present time.

    They are now complete prisoners of their liberation.

       25 likes

    • MarkyMark says:

      Slavery is Freedom. Freedom is Slavery.

         12 likes

    • Alicia Sinclair says:

      Power lies in who is allowed to speak the truth, who you can`t mock. And who gets to put who in the dock and then issue sanction or sentence. Feminism as I know has long jumped its sharks. As has Labour, unions and the BBC for that matter.
      They`d all be gross, obese and eating tomato soup under their duvets all day had they no Twitter mob to join, no media stirrings to do.
      And now Dame Jenny. Germaine, Julie, Suzanne and even Dawkins and Tatchell are now finding out what happens if you dare to break ranks in the circus that is now “feminism” ” gender rights” or whatever. No sympathy-sleep with monkeys, catch fleas.

         11 likes

  13. TruthSeeker says:

    Today from TWLLV
    “Did Vote Leave commit a crime over its funding? Democracy demands to know – Jolyon Maugham”

    Another very poor article containing unpersuasive nonsense which ends with.
    “I would rather place my trust in the law.”

    Was the muzzie Obama drafted in with his peerless oratorial ability to persuade us to stay in the EU? Yes.

    Did Cameron ensure that the propaganda financing was unbalanced by spending £10,000,000 on a pro EU “explanatory” leaflet? Yes.

    Has the EU been funding TWMTB, with our money, to fill the airways 24/7/366 with lying bollox? Yes.

    “Jolyon Maugham QC is a barrister and director of the Good Law Project”
    If he was not on the list, he is now.

    Murdered BTL.

       29 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Just nick being nick.

      I would pay good money for Dom Joly to crash into the studio, rip off those pretentious skewed headlines, and dust his shiny dome with a dope sized pool cue chalk.

         12 likes

    • Alicia Sinclair says:

      “Democracy deserves to know”
      WTF?
      They`ve gang raped her since Maastrict-Lisbon-and let her further be violated in Cologne with a coming gang bang booked for Frakfurt in 2020. And they DARE to speak of democracy.
      The like of this soliciting scumbag belong with Brady, Huntley, Shipman and Campbell as Quisling Traitors Class 1.
      All of them have destroyed trust in big areas of public life and pretty terminally.

         19 likes

      • Lucy Pevensey says:

        Alicia please! You are still speaking in the old language. Learn Newspeak, democracy has not been gang raped. Democracy has been “groomed”. That’s it, it sounds so much nicer. Groomed democracy. 48% = a majority.

           17 likes

  14. Fedup2 says:

    Al beeb is using a helicopter to cover the budget – cost about £40000 which means over 250 licence taxes in one go .
    It’s the side effect of secured cash from punters that they lose the value of money

       33 likes

  15. MarkyMark says:

    Victimhood pays dividends … Faiz Siddiqui alleges “inadequate” teaching on his modern history course resulted in him getting an upper second degree in June 2000. {bbc.co.uk 21nov2017}
    “The 39-year-old studied at Brasenose College and singled out the teaching on the Indian special subject part of his course for criticism.”

       11 likes

    • Alicia Sinclair says:

      Think that this was an unintended consequence of Charles Clarke and Co turing our students into customers.
      When they became clients and customers-not students with some hope of a job, profession at the end of three years study, state-funded for the poor but bright-then we got this liberal lefty takeover.
      I don`t blame Faiz-only wish that we could do a Pinochet and arrest the likes of Clarke, Straw and Blair for conning these kids, awarding fat salaries to lefty Vice-Chancellors and turning universities into lefty re-education zones.
      And the Tories need their faces rubbing in this too.

         17 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Inadequacy at Brownose U. has it privileges Faiz, me old mate…

      ‘She won a scholarship to read history at St Anne’s College, Oxford, but dropped out of university after eighteen months.

      During her gap year, in 1966, she worked for Amnesty International in Rhodesia.

      She went into journalism, working on the diary at The Observer.

      Toynbee worked for many years at The Guardian before joining the BBC where she was social affairs editor (1988–1995). At The Independent, which she joined after leaving the BBC, she was a columnist and associate editor, working with then editor Andrew Marr. She later rejoined The Guardian. She has also written for The Observer and the Radio Times; at one time she edited the Washington Monthly USA.

      Polly Toynbee speaks at the October 2005 Labour Party conference.

         5 likes

  16. Lucy Pevensey says:

       41 likes

  17. Thoughtful says:

    After Hammond has decided to try to tax me off the road I shall vote Labour next time to get rid of this ludicrous paty which doesn’t seem capable or organising the proverbial in a brewery!

    If my diesel was a van I would be OK but now I am being told that because I followed the advice of the then government to move to diesel I will have to pay the same car tax as if I owned a Rolls Royce and the value of my car reduced to next to nothing.
    A couple of doors down neighbour owns a 4.0L diesel BMW, his tax will not be increasing because there is no higher band, yet it produces twice the emissions of mine how is that fair?

    This is not the way tax is normally raised, and previous chancellors have shied away from attacking motorists for following government advice, but May is a cretin who needs to go.
    Corbyn won’t last long, we seriously need an alternative to these losers.

       17 likes

    • Synchronised says:

      I know what you are saying Thoughtful and I sympathise but be very careful what you wish for. I think it was Paul Keating the former Australian PM who said if a politician gets hold of the ball it can be very hard to get it off them.

         17 likes

      • Thoughtful says:

        As you say it might be difficult to remove the useless incompetent Tories, but it can be done !

           5 likes

        • Synchronised says:

          I’d still have an incompetent housekeeper any day compared to someone who in all likelihood would burn the house down. On second thoughts, a housekeeper with a box of matches probably means the same result.

             3 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Thoughtful, there is a curious disconnect that provides Govt funds & incentives to buy houses but makes it increasingly expensive to go to work to pay for the things in the first place. In addition. the writing is well and truly on the wall for distilled road fuels. Hammond in his last Budget, if he and the Tories go all the way to 2022, will be facing the cliff of little or no fuel duties and NO VAT THEREON, should the unlikely occur and the Conservatives win another five years & he remain Chancellor.

      That last is quite important because if oil stays above $60 (which it may not, it could o higher but should be heading toward $30-35 pb) it provides a substantial monthly income to Treasury that is quite important. OK, we will not have the monthly sub to pay to Brussels after 2019 but we may, if we do in the end get suckered into handing over more money to the EU, still need those fuel generated taxes to pay off Brussels.

      The alternative @ $60 pb, is to put 10% on each of the tax bands. I can’t see any Conservative Govt lasting long after that.

      Hammond’s best move was to start cutting fuel duties in this Budget. That would bring inflation down and keep his Benefits Bill for 2019 low, rail fares for 2019 low and also keep unemployment tumbling. While I don’t see any large inflationary measures in his Budget (it hasn’t all sunk in yet, I could be in for a shock) he’s still likely to be seeing 3% inflation through most or all of next year – unless some pleasant or unpleasant surprises come along.

      In the presence of the latter, he might regret not now getting inflation close to zero while the going is good.

         5 likes

      • Thoughtful says:

        As someone else who heard the budget commented to me in conversation.

        If they were really concerned about the standards of air quality no using it as an excuse they would look to all the old diesel trains pumping out massive amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere with no clean up technology, or perhaps the number of old buses & coaches similar suspects highly polluting.
        Then there are the number of antiquated vans and lorries which belch out all kinds of noxious fumes, all adding into a general fug which is remaining completely unaddressed.

        So, I think we can safely assume this has nothing to do with clean air and everything to do with raising tax.

           8 likes

  18. joeadamsmith says:

    A response to Dickhead Dimbleby: https://informedplanet.org/photos/view/34579

       4 likes

  19. Synchronised says:

    Apparently the beeb website is reporting a certain female leader of a political party in Europe is fighting for her political life. Mrs. Merkel? No, Marine Le Pen of course who is getting the column inches.

       25 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Synch, the Alice in Wonderland BBC appear to be well and truly down the rabbit hole – or worm hole – with that one:

      France elections: What makes Marine Le Pen far right?
      By Marysia Nowak & Becky Branford BBC News 10 February 2017

         6 likes

  20. Up2snuff says:

    Budget 2017: No political drama from ‘Box Office Phil’

    No comments and no posters’ drama allowed on ‘I do all the drama around here’ queen, Laura Kuenssberg’s latest Blog either. I assume she was on lunchtime TV. On Radio 4, John Pienaar was drafted in, in her stead.

       4 likes

  21. MarkyMark says:

    Sadiq Khan – remove pictures of ladies in few clothes .. jun2016

    protein-world-banned-sadiq-khan-featured.png

    Sadiq Khan – award from GQ, who show pictures of ladies in few clothes … may2017

    maxresdefault.jpg

    women-2015-05-gq-sexiest-women-covers-beyonce-terry-richardson.jpg

    – Which is it that Sadiq believes? Modesty or no modesty?

       23 likes

  22. Guest Who says:

    This case has resonated with others, and as the BBC has dipped a dainty toe in, as it still rumbles on I think it warrants staying high on the topicality list even if, as things continue to pan out poorly for ‘the narrative’, the BBC likely wants to ‘move on’ pronto.

    As ever, ITTB has collated some excellent further references in support;

    http://isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/the-new-denial.html

    ‘But she also noted the university seemed forced into it, perhaps because of the numerous threats she’d seen from alumni to pull their funding.’

    Mostly ‘of the right’, apparently. Maybe Wilf needs to go ‘unique’ too, somehow, to keep screwing folk over with impunity free of funding concerns?

    The similarities with BBC ‘procedures’ are also worth noting.

    ‘Like all great Stasi institutions, the university will not explain the exact crime. Nor reveal exactly what the accused is accused of. Nor reveal who the complainant is. Shepherd is not allowed to be told whether one student has complained. Or many. Or all.’

    BBC Trust editorial committee meetings were held in camera (not sure about OFCOM) and hence a complainant getting that far has zero opportunity to engage with those from within the BBC, even if lying through their teeth. And this of course can lead to a complaint being banned by the BBC for the BBC being lied to by the BBC.

    Shame none of that was up for debate on Monday.

    I also cannot help but wonder if the publicity behind such Star Chamber inquisitions see some more idiotic (as in all of those engaging in such efforts in the first place) citizen’s stop and searching attempted. Given even an inappropriate hug is out now, and all sexes are equal, good luck with that guys and gals of the PC posse if frisking the perp for wires.

    This Professor, BTW, appears to be the real ‘hero’ of the piece: https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-arts/faculty-profiles/nathan-rambukkana/faculty_arts_nathan_rambukkana.jpg

    Wonder if he will be getting softball double from Mishal and Evan soon?

    faculty_arts_nathan_rambukkana.jpg

       8 likes

  23. davylars says:

    Was just offered this survey on BBC news website.
    http://edigitalresearch.com/test/test_survey.php?sid=301205908&vault=_&lang=en-gb&data2=cymru-fyw
    There you go kids. Fill it in and let them know what we think…

       3 likes

  24. JamesArthur says:

    Listening to BBC news – Simon Jacks…Business Editor – along with all the others – a list of big negatives…..even turns good things into bad….it’s the tone as much as the words.

    Wrt to growth figures – maybe the BBC ought to look at the EU forecasts..they really are a bunch of moaning minnies . If the economy is slowing maybe the BBC should be sold off.. that would raise a few quid.

       17 likes

    • Lefty Wright says:

      JamesArthur
      “The BBC should be sold off.” Who would want to buy that sack of shit? They’ll have to pay someone to tow it away.
      Actually that’s being a bit insulting to a sack of shit. I’ve always found it works wonders on my marrows.

         22 likes

      • Halifax says:

        A great get out for the government would be to say that the current TV tax will be changed to a “Digital investment fund” all pay the same as we do in telly tax however we get billions invested in cutting edge digital free to all those who pay the compulsory tax…..better than archaic TV tax ????? It will help us become a more efficient economy post Brexit.

           4 likes

        • taffman says:

          Halifax
          Just get rid of the damned tax and float Al Beeb as a charity – simples!
          You pay if you think it is so good by a voluntary donation. I won’t because of its blatant bias.

             5 likes

  25. Emmanuel Goldstein says:

    Off topic but;
    Can any of you clear this up for me.
    In 2014 I bought an Audi diesel with very low emission because it was exempt road tax.
    On the budget today it looks like it will still be exempt from road tax but it’s unclear.
    Is it only new vehicles affected.
    Are old vehicles, the dirty ones, affected.
    Are all diesel (cars) affected, even the clean ones (like mine) with emissions below 100 grams (or whatever the 100 is)
    I bought the car for all the right reasons yet it’s all changing for the worse, for millions of others as well.

       14 likes

    • MarkyMark says:

      I think if you write “Hate Is A Crime: Report It” on the side you can claim that you work for the Hate Crime Hub (circa 2017) and write it off as a taxable asset. Might be worth a go…

      hate-crime-car_img_8796-400px.jpg?width=400&height=266

         13 likes

      • Lefty Wright says:

        Mark
        I think we should call on the Basil Fawlty Services Co. to give them a “Damn Good Thrashing” It’s the only language they understand.

           8 likes

  26. Fedup2 says:

    Once upon a time after a budget the Chancellor would do a party political . Well I listened to the al beeb R4 6 o’clock news and thought the first 10 minutes was a Labour Party political . The usual suspects – Easton, that Scots welfare chap who sounds like an undertaker – all giving the budget a kicking .
    Now that might be ok – might be fair . But there was no balance . Nothing was enough – benefits too low – nhs funding too low – you know the stuff. Luckily I turned it off after 10 minutes . 15 mins later – when I writed this they might still be at it.

       12 likes

    • Al Shubtill says:

      There is some footage of a vibrant individual doing that here, only he stuffed the poor creature into his rucksack and then threatened the chap who was filming him doing it with a knife before clearing off.

         22 likes

  27. Al Shubtill says:

    Heard on PM that Ratko Mladic has been found guilty at The Hague, which is unfortunate as I was hoping he could head up the EDL South Yorkshire Division.

       16 likes

  28. Lucy Pevensey says:

       34 likes

  29. JimS says:

    Back in 1975 we were told that ‘free movement’ wasn’t going to happen and that we would be able to veto anything that went against our interests and yet the only ‘lie’ that the BBC fixates on is a misinterpretation of a slogan on the side of a bus.

    I only the BBC had listened to ‘left-wingers like Tony Benn and Peter Shore then!

       20 likes

    • Lefty Wright says:

      JimS
      Although both Mr Benn and Mr Shore were left wing Socialists I think they nonetheless believed in the concept of the nation state. Today,s left wing gang view that concept as something evil, something to be eradicated.

         25 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        Lefty,
        I’m not sure about their motivation – working for the USSR to undermine Europe back then .
        That behaviour isn’t necessary because it’s been done now importing Muslims Putin has pushed our way knowing the liberals would open them and sacrifice little white girls to the evil godless moor.

           10 likes

        • Number 7 says:

          It looks like they were just as good at telling lies to support the EUSSR then as they are now.

          https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/882881/Brexit-EU-secret-document-truth-British-public

          Conservative Government caught in a lie by official documents. Bound to be headline news on the EBC – somehow I think not.

             7 likes

          • Broadcasting-on-Behalf-of-the-Caliphate says:

            And what other cover-ups are there?
            a) Multiculturalism – a cover for the destruction of English culture and mass import of cheap labour.
            b) Islamophobia – accepted by the uk political system for the purpose of political correctness, but introduced by the Pakistani Islamic – British community as a political – legal tool to aid in the Islamification of Britain.

               17 likes

  30. G.W.F. says:

    Mugabe has gone and people are rejoicing in Parliament. It seems as if Zimbabwe now has a Parliament almost identical to the UK

    From the BBC report
    ‘Among the more bizarre experiences was finding ruling-party legislators offering themselves for interview to the BBC’

    I guess the BBC will pay well.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42079908

       10 likes

  31. G.W.F. says:

    Hey cracker we don’t want no white trash in the BBC.
    This job is for blacks, asian and effnig minorities, but no filthy whites.

    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/11/22/whites-banned-applying-job-bbc-ethnic-minorities-already-over-represented/
    http://media.breitbart.com/media/2017/11/BBC2-640×480.png

    BBC2-640×480.png

       19 likes

    • Lucy Pevensey says:

      G.W.F.
      Discrimination on the basis of white skin colour = “positive action”
      Freedom=slavery.

         15 likes

    • Englands Dreaming says:

      Someone should take legal action against the BBC for this, it’s simple racism.
      If a company advertised for a white Anglo Saxon employee in a place where BAME people are in the majority, such as Tower Hamlets, you would have plod immediately coming round to prosecute for racial discrimination and “hate” crimes. The cultural Marxists cant have it both ways.

         16 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      I uploaded an application in the name of Mr Raymond Cyst.

         7 likes

  32. taffman says:

    “Ratko Mladic jailed for life over Bosnia war genocide”
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42080090
    Will ISIS be next ?, including those the traitors from the UK ?
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/europe

       13 likes

  33. taffman says:

    Tory supporters and readers have hope!
    Al Beeb’s propaganda is not working, it hasn’t done for some time. Every time they open a HYS they get a hammering. They have done since we all voted for independence day EG……………………

    “Budget 2017: UK growth forecast cut sharply ”
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42082119
    Top post so far ……………….
    “You don’t get much growth, particularly tax growth, when it’s cheaper to employ another worker on a low income than it is to invest in training or new plant. This is the real cost of unregulated immigration.”
    Do your damnedest!

       28 likes

  34. Lucy Pevensey says:

    It’s interesting when the interviewer can’t control the narrative. Fidget.

       18 likes

    • Broadcasting-on-Behalf-of-the-Caliphate says:

      Hi Lucy Pevensey – someone has to create a narrative against the current political correctness that is leading to genocide of not just the English culture (genocide in its original form also meant cultural destruction) but a multitude of other native cultures.

      For example in the growing Islamic world – there is a continuation of a large scale genocide of native cultures – where everyone has to convert to Islam – even indigenous tribes have to convert to Islam as they are discovered or as they are brought into contact with Islam. That is why many Islamic states have 99% and higher of their population as officially being Muslim.

         17 likes

      • Lucy Pevensey says:

        While I don’t agree with much of what the man says (I would have more regard for his opinions had he remained Cassius Clay). He makes some points & his argument is not without merit. What the media & so-called academics have done now is to shut down discussion and render certain subjects off limits. Case closed. I like watching Parky squirm, the very suggestion of preserving different races & cultures made him completely uncomfortable. That a sporting hero should even THINK such things let alone express them publicly! The horror!

           8 likes

    • Oaknash says:

      Taffy – On Toady this morning, Norman Smith seemed to be suggesting that the expected economic downturn would be partly due to reduction of immigration – because we would be shutting our doors to all of these Europeans who were both more intelligent and had higher energy levels than us old bastards who are obviously trying to destroy the kids future.

      Actually thinking about it he may actually have a point – Lots of these “new Europeans” were certainly showing astounding levels of energy at Cologne railway stations last year.

         17 likes

    • Oaknash says:

      Thanks for that Lucy – brilliant clip.
      Nothing better than seeing a fast talking, hand wringing liberal totally taken apart and looking foolish by the blunt instrument of honesty and common sense.

      Whilst there are exceptions to this (as their always will be in life) On the whole what Ali said is true. Different cultures are generally like oil and water and whilst there may be some mixing at the edges on the whole integration never succeeds if both cultures still value their cultures and traditions. And especially so if the religion of one culture is always geared for aggressive expansion. How can they co-exist in the same space – Even if they say they want to?

      This is not racist this is common sense.
      The left would never call Ali a racist yet if a mainstream British politician came out with the same statement he would be labelled a nazi.
      I suppose the difference is – is that the liberal left do not value our own culture and traditions and the freedoms it has granted them. They are in so much of a hurry to ditch our own culture they cannot see that the vacuum left will in all likelihood be filled by something infinitely more unpleasant and less free.

         21 likes

  35. taffman says:

    Notice all the negative reporting by Al Beeb and the MSM about our economic future since the Great Brexit Freedom vote? “The UK economy is forecast to expand by an average of just 1.4% a year by 2022 due to uncertainty over Brexit and sluggish productivity levels.”
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42089984

    Labour say the projections, the weakest for decades, risk prolonging austerity and extending the squeeze on families.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42089984
    The ‘luvvies’ are talking down the British economy in the hope that it will fail – “a self fulfilling prophesy “.

       20 likes

  36. Scroblene says:

    Did I read this right; that Evan Davies actually tried to shred Labour on their manifesto, which only mentioned ‘productivity’ twice, but Labour then said that all their’investment’ was for education?

    Shurely some mistake here…

    I mean, that tyrant Blair said that was what it was all about, and that funny old boy Corbyn said ‘yeah, give twelve-year-olds the vote and free everything for life, and’ an Ipad, and free mobaws, and, and, and…’?

       11 likes

  37. popeye says:

    It’s all pervasive with the liberal luvvies, isn’t it? Just listened to Classic FM news at 7.00 (Globals), an item relating to on-line scams during the run-up to “25th December”. They can’t even bring themselves to say Christmas anymore. I wonder if they would just give calendar references to Eid or Diwali

       21 likes

    • Al Shubtill says:

      “Happy Holidays!”

      And a Happy Thanksgiving to any Americans who visit this site.

         13 likes

      • Scroblene says:

        And it’s Advent in ten days time too, Al!

        I wonder how many beeboids even vaguely understand what it means? Presumably Er Er Er Mishaaaaal doesn’t care either way – she gets paid to err…

        Perhaps a huge Advent post may just help them get away from their ridiculous and insulting stance on behalf of every blasted religion, except Christianity!

           7 likes

  38. Fedup2 says:

    Toady watch

    Fuming.
    John McDonald is given a fair interview but meeeshalll . During it she asks him a figure for how much interest will cost on the billions labour will borrow when they get power .

    Answer – shoddy journalism – it’s the time of the iPad and advisor – he couldn’t didn’t answer the question . He had an answer but chose not to reveal it.
    No challenge from meeshhall

    Second failure was on the latest nonsense obsession – productivity. Mcdonald said spend a shedload of tax money on investing in this that and the other and productivity will rise and reduced unemployment . No challenge . 1.2 million unemployed means next to no unemployment . Unless we want to employ the EU .no challenges

    And it ended – humph next . Interviewing a bloke about water divining. Al beeb bias- humph would have roasted mcdonald but the editorial fix was in.

       15 likes

    • Sluff says:

      Fedup2
      You are bang on the money. We don’t call her ‘useless’ Hussein for nothing.
      But maybe we should call her ‘err err err’ Hussein because she is hopelessly tongue-tied and stuttering. Mcdonnell fantasy economics (where political institutions will somehow be able to spot a future opportunity better than the bankers and entrepreneurs) had a pretty easy ride and his failure to answer the fair question about debt costs should have been ridiculed big time.
      But we all know that the reality is
      1. ‘Useless’ ticks the feminist and BAME boxes, so her actual ability is immaterial
      2. The editors can choose her when a ‘soft’ approach is desireable i.e. not making it too difficult for ones of their own.

      All of which apparently justifies a very large pay rise.

         20 likes

      • chrisH says:

        And Hussain said today that there`s a BBC bot that will be doing her spot on the Today Show over Christmas.
        Now there`s an idea-replace these vastly overpaid twerps with programmed bots. As they accused May of being remember?
        Hussain and Humphrys laughed nervously-I mean wouldn`t it be cheaper to paint a few bots into different colours and clothes, stick a Prince Albert ball bearing somewhere radical-and just get computer created voices for Polly Toynbee and Owen Jones to speak through a walkie talkie?

           1 likes

  39. Guest Who says:

    In which Emmy and the team find out that ‘independent’ does not mean ‘rigging to suit bbc ideals’ outside of W1A….

    Should have used her son again.

       6 likes

    • Sluff says:

      GW
      Mrs S has referred to her as ‘Emily Tottie’ for years, going back to her BBC London days.
      On account of the , shall we say, disparity between looks, journalistic ability, and career trajectory.
      Still. She twiddles her pen left-handed better than anyone else on TV. So she must be worth a big pay rise.

         8 likes

  40. Fedup2 says:

    Toady 2

    You might guess – the 0810 interview was a hardcore humph interviewing The Chancellor . Clever bias by al beeb – work experience girl interviews labour – veteran twat interviews Conservative -who everyone knows makes John major exciting .

    As an aside humph after dinner speech fee is about £20 000 a go. Nice work .

       14 likes

  41. JamesArthur says:

    John H. is being a real idiot this morning….with Hammond. He is interrupting all the time…throwing up spurious figures and arguments..a real professional.

       14 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      James
      I was trying to do a mental comparison with Brillo who I think would have given the chancellor a harder time by focused questioning and listening to answers – which humph doesn’t do. He is lazy and covers it by interrupting turning interviews into unnecessary combat . Time for humph to go water devining on his farm. He can House a few thousand immigrants which al beeb loves so much

         18 likes

      • Guest Who says:

        Just watched Brillo just do that with the Shad Chancer, being very unbbc by asking him to back up his claims, only to be fobbed off with Chatham House Rules exemptions.

        Maybe when the BBC does it it could be called Nick Robinson rules?

           14 likes

        • Wild Bill says:

          Which program was that please?

             2 likes

          • Guest Who says:

               7 likes

            • Guest Who says:

              He can remember the trend. But hasn’t look at the detail.

              Apparently.

              Hope he can find his way home.

              Chatham House Rules! Chatham House Rules!

              It’s all a secret! Fascists! Racists!

              You dare question my integrity? I have a list, and you are now on it.

              No wonder Mishal stepped carefully.

                 9 likes

              • JamesArthur says:

                Guest.. That was a good interview by Andrew N. It did show up Mr McDonnell for what he is…a dreamer in a position of limited power which is where he should stay. The lack of support from the BBC bods next to him was very telling…

                   7 likes

                • Beltane says:

                  It was a good interview JA, but I think describing McDonnell as ‘a dreamer’ gives the man a certain benignity. There’s nothing benign about John McDonnell, there are deeply prejudiced and jealous anti-English rages just beneath the skin.
                  Both Corbyn and McDonnell have benefited from mental makeovers, both appearing more balanced and sympatico thanks to obvious advice. But both are the same beneath the surface and both have the same putrescent spots.

                     11 likes

                  • JamesArthur says:

                    Beltane – yes you are right. Dreamer is too nice…deranged, deluded, deceitful are probably more accurate. Has anyone noticed as part of the make over -the technique politicians like him use. They tuck their pointy finger under their thumb when debating so as not to do what comes natural to them – finger wag…Mr McDonnell lets it slip more than most

                       6 likes

                    • Beltane says:

                      They would hate to concede the fact but that little gesture started its TV life with that towering political colossus, Anthony Blair.

                         3 likes

                • Guest Who says:

                  JA – I rather suspect the BBC bods were starting to gather, like ;ess Kool-aided members of the Labour Party, what the consequences of anything other than total submission to Dear Leader will be.

                  And they do also pay rates.

                     2 likes

      • Kaiser says:

        i presume thats not humphs only home, suddenly I can see the upside of jezza land tax

           1 likes

  42. Guest Who says:

    Have submitted a Fisk of the Monday TVL parliamentary debate to BBBC editors as a bit long as a post. Hope it got though. If not will divide up.

    One key point was the MPs making hay out of how many Conservative MPs on the committee who were ex BBC and by sheer coincidence loved the BBC. The committee was stacked 2:1 pro BBC.

    Given pension legacies, a clear conflict of interest.

    And not one mentioned the likes of Ben Bradshaw or James Purnell.

    It was like it was a total sham from start to moving on.

       20 likes

  43. MarkyMark says:

    BBC Society 23nov2017 ….

    Is society more easily offended than ever before?
    “In the documentary, Offence, Power and Progress, journalist Mobeen Azhar (@Mobeen_Azhar) sets out to understand the arguments put forward by those who believe that making their offence publicly known will create a more culturally aware, progressive society.”

    School scraps Christmas tradition after poor Ofsted report{bbc.co.uk 23nov2017}
    ‘A primary school’s tradition of pupils decorating their town’s Christmas tree has been scrapped due to an “inadequate” Ofsted report.’

    Australia backpackers ‘exploited and mistreated’

       8 likes

  44. scribblingscribe says:

    On my Sky News App there is not a single positive story from the Budget. Just gloom and doom.

    I wonder if Sky tries to out Guardian the BBC. If so, I think they are winning.

       12 likes

  45. Wild Bill says:

    BBC blatant racism against white students, how is this allowed?

    http://www.w4mpjobs.org/JobDetails.aspx?jobid=63564

       9 likes

  46. Fedup2 says:

    Following up from Toady today – even the London Evening Standard notice that fruit loop mcdonald throwing out his line about “ We ve got iPads and advisors to do that “ when asked a factual question about interest repayment on the nationL debt when al labour get office and borrow £500 000 000 000 for their planned giveaways . – I like putting the 0 in as it improves conception of what 50 billion actually is.,
    Perhaps because he was being interviewed by meeeshaaalll he let his mouth go a bit –

       11 likes

  47. Up2snuff says:

    Today, I am reminded of the views of some other contributors to this site that are broadly that the BBC takes a negative view of ‘England’ and its activities at home and abroad.

    International Cricket – Various views:

    BBC Web-site Home Page: Ashes debutant Vince hits 83 to save England on day one (factually negative)

    BBC W-s Sports Page: Ashes: England’s James Vince makes 83 before Australia rally in first Test (accurate & partially negative)

    Up2snuff: Ashes First Test evenly balanced after rain affected first day. (accurate & balanced)

    Up2snuff: Exciting 50s from new England batsmen bodes well for Ashes series (positive)
    Up2snuff: Fifties from new England batsmen bodes well for Ashes series (positive variant)

    Up2snuff: England lose Captain but debutant Vince dominates lacklustre bowling (accurate & slightly patriotic)

    Up2snuff: Consistent Australian attack concede two 50s for England in 1st Test (accurate & still slightly patriotic)

    Up2snuff: England on top with two 50s on Day 1 of Ashes (a viewpoint & rather more patriotic)

    PS: Note to BBC – the England Ladies cricket team do not play for the Ashes. That is the trophy for England v. Australia Men’s cricket.

       5 likes