Midweek Thread 29 July 2020

This coming Saturday – 1st August 2020 – marks the end of ‘free ‘ TV licences for those aged over 75 years . All were born since 1945 .The company the BBC uses to catch ‘licence evaders ‘- Capita -has a bad track record when pursuing the elderly over TV Licences . In fact it got so bad that even the BBC – yes – the BBC carried out an inquiry into how the employees of Capita were conducting themselves And their ‘incentives ‘.

Perhaps Friday would be an ideal day for the government to publish the results of its consultation on decriminalising the offence of not having a TV licence and start the process of controlling the BBC and if possible – ending it .

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410 Responses to Midweek Thread 29 July 2020

  1. Sluff says:

    According to Grant Shapps, Chris Whiity is instrumental in supporting the blanket Spain quarantine for returning holiday makers, including the Canary and Balearic islands, whose case rate is lower than the UK.

    Now although Whitty’s stock has been pretty high, the issue here is that he has no skin in the game. He’s a highly paid public service worker, with rock solid job secirity and guaranteed pension benefits.

    He can advocate trashing the economy and supporting an unachievable zero CV rate with no downside to himself.. He sails serenely above the unemployment, short time working, furlough, job insecurity which are the result of his advocacy.

    An ‘any risk is too much’ policy, equally advocated by the teaching unions, is sheer madness.

       29 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Sluff
      Since HMG decided to hide behind ‘scientific advice ‘ it has stuck with him . I get the impression that this form of science is just like any other ‘profession ‘ – you get the ‘advice’ you pay for .
      They could have got one who said – get testing in place at airports back in May To test all these arrivals – but no – so now they just look stupid again – unplanned – unthought through – and lacking planning .

      Maybe it’s the internal power jurisdiction politics doing it . But this socialist government is looking muddled . Labour and the BBC could sit on the sidelines for a bit …

      Also – the ethnic hotspots do not seem to be controllable so maybe the body count will do it instead …

         19 likes

  2. AsISeeIt says:

    In an unrelated development

    Or, how to sweeten the pill

    Or, how the BBC distracts from news that is unpalatable to its stock agendas.

    Well, the BBC pulls off the trick by simply employing the phrase ‘In an unrelated development’

    Let me give you the gist of this unrelated development (the good news from the BBC point of view) and then – as a sort of quiz question – see if you can guess the subject of the item it is tagged onto (the bad news for the BBC).

    Here we go…

    ‘One of those involved in the counter-trend told the BBC it was an attempt to “resist right-wing trolls taking over the internet and possibly killing someone in the process”.’

    ‘Hashtags related to BTS were also used during recent Black Lives Matter protests in the US to drown out racist online counter-campaigns.’

    Any guesses what the actual news headline was that this was a distraction from?

    You won’t believe it…

    ‘Pakistan blasphemy: Gunman shoots accused dead in court’

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53582578

    Somehow the BBC shifts, from retelling how an Islamic country has a law that persecutes non-muslims and how a local muslim extremist shoots some poor sod dead in court, into a slap for right wingers and a big up for BLM.

    Secunder Kermani BBC News, Islamabad – you’re a BBC star, son!

       38 likes

  3. StewGreen says:

    BBC Hindi TV
    BBC Marathi TV

    what are they ?
    Maybe a part of the World Service aimed at getting the Foreign Office message into India,

    Mentioned in thread

       33 likes

  4. StewGreen says:

    Sadiq’s Cycle lane madness

       23 likes

  5. Fedup2 says:

    Meanwhile at the entrance to crossrail there is a bloke on full pay throwing money into the ground – its delayed again – this time its ‘ the wrong kind or hole ‘ – its round when ot should have been square – to quote Sir Bernard of Cribbins – latest ‘go’ time 2022… or was it 2023 .. 2024 …

       16 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      How much we northerners love handing you Londoners our tax money
      for railways we never use.

      Railways whose real job is to increase the value of London land. (and the rates it pays)

         21 likes

  6. StewGreen says:

    If someone dares challenge your cult’s holy dogma
    monster them by labelling them “deniers”
    don’t you Naomi ?

       19 likes

  7. StewGreen says:

    Blue Socialist Party policy
    This week
    : “Fix your bike” £50 voucher website
    saying we should all lose weight

    Two weeks ago
    : £10 Vouchers to eat out, buy burgers etc.

       26 likes

  8. fakenewswatcher says:

    What inanities have the PC crowd come up with today?
    Well, beeb reports that someone has found ‘Chiefs’ with headdress to be ‘cultural appropriation’.
    Seems that once this rubbish has started, it will never stop, as the media look for someone else, who is offended. And lotsa little someone elses look for something to be offended about.
    Who knows where it will all end?

    I’ll begin by taking down my picture of Mt Fuji, in case the Japanese think I’ve appropriated it. The brass model of the gondola will have to go…who knows how offended the Italians could get? And, as for my wife’s collection of porcelain dogs? Does anyone know whether canines get offended? And then, what about the RSPCA? On their behalf?

    I could open up shop as an offence adviser, that’s probably next in line. Or an offence consultant?

       34 likes

  9. StewGreen says:

    10:45am weekdays Women’s Hour ends with a 15 min drama
    It’s being ended
    “15 Minute Serial on @BBCRadio4
    , which will come off air sometime next year. “

       9 likes

  10. StewGreen says:

    BuzzFeed can’t make it
    so its staff go straight into the BBC

       15 likes

  11. StewGreen says:

    What’s the endgame ?
    Wars keep happening
    all refugees keep coming to the UK
    until the whole world lives in the UK ?

    Mujahed Aqlan has not seen his family since he fled Yemen The BBC are aiding his campaign to bring them all here.

       34 likes

    • taffman says:

      I don’t think Al Beeb are telling us the true numbers that our Border Farce are ferrying in across the Channel either ?

      The Tory Government’s inaction in securing our borders is gathering trouble in store for the future. A bomb will go off, snowflakes will light candles and we will hear the oft repeated “lessons to be learned ” .
      This Tory Government are Liberals disguised as Conservatives . I am having doubts that they will go through with Brexit .

         27 likes

    • G says:

      I’m sure we could manage a whip round to buy a ticket………

         6 likes

  12. Guest Who says:

    Without belief the bbc would founder on reality.

    #CCBGB

       31 likes

  13. StewGreen says:

    The BBC Trending guy things he debunks “far right conspiracy theories”
    .. is he not in reality pushing his own wacky conspiracy theories ?

       7 likes

  14. StewGreen says:

    Mariana Misinformation was getting stick for her headline
    “Wiley: Rapper suspended from Facebook after abusing Jewish critics”
    after 35 hours of hassle she changed it to
    …. “Wiley: Rapper deleted from Facebook and Instagram after anti-Semitic tirade”

    Actually her first title was right
    cos she had made the point in the first sentence that his tweets had been an anti-Semitic tirade.

    6 Edit phases
    https://www.newssniffer.co.uk/articles/1979052/diff/4/5

       11 likes

  15. G.W.F. says:

    Boris is to appoint a British version of Kayleigh McEnany
    Guido provides the short list.
    Large proportion from the BBC. Oh dear Boris. You missed out gorgeous Maitliss.

    Allegra Stratton
    Four years apiece as national editor of ITV News and political editor of BBC Newsnight. Currently Rishi Sunak’s Director of Strategic Communications and married to James Forsyth, political editor of The Spectator. Safe hire, bonus points for gender.
    Julie Etchingham
    Presenter and reporter for ITV News at Ten, ITV Tonight & Exposure. Received praise over her moderation of ITV’s 2019 election debate – although Number 10 was not happy with the number of times she interrupted Boris…
    Angus Walker
    Former ITV News Correspondent. Currently an education SpAd. A loyal choice…
    Guto Harri
    Former Communications Director to Boris when he was mayor. Background of 18 years as a journalist at the BBC. Is he still trusted by Boris?
    Tom Bradby
    Knows the Lobby well as former political editor for ITV News for ten years. Currently presents ITV News at Ten so is used to the spotlight. Might find it hard to reconcile views to the job…
    Jane Hill
    One of the best-known faces on BBC News. Once worked at the US Democratic Party’s National Headquarters in Washington, for Senate Democrats. Useful to reach out to the Lobby…
    Dermot Murnaghan
    Has worked for the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, and Sky News. Would be able to deftly deal with broadcasters. Anchored Sky’s election results in programme 2019.
    Iain Dale
    Experienced broadcaster with the quick-wittedness needed for the role. Former Tory candidate who worked for David Davis’ leadership campaign. Although Dale has often cited how he has voted for four different parties in recent years…
    Niall Paterson
    Has the experience. Being Scottish is a bonus…
    Tom Newton-Dunn
    Said to be keen. Not a chance.

    https://order-order.com/2020/07/29/number-10-spokesman-runners-and-riders/

       8 likes

    • vlad says:

      Boris will be hard pressed to fine anyone who comes close to Kayleigh McEnany – sharp as a whip (and easy on the eye). Is he seriously considering beeboids?

      https://www.youtube.com/c/FoxNews/search?query=Kayleigh+McEnany

         16 likes

    • JimS says:

      Surely Alastair Campbell is the obvious choice, he is more familiar with Blair’s, sorry Boris’, policies than Boris.

         13 likes

    • gb123 says:

      I would like to see Katie Hopkins in the role . It would drive the establishment elites wild and would be great fun to watch.
      If only……

         27 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      None of these have a chance – it must be an ethnic who can bang a few words together – which is tricky because they tend to be ‘coached ‘ like Meeshall is .

      On a completely different subject – thr marxists are going after the Tate gallery because of slavery . So up pops the excellent Trevor Phillips to remind them that Tate and Mr Lyle didn’t do their sugar operations until 5 years after slavery was abolished .
      I suppose they’ll go after wilberforce next

         18 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Its gonna be that Norman Smith !

         3 likes

    • Scroblene says:

      “Iain Dale
      Experienced broadcaster with the quick-wittedness needed for the role. Former Tory candidate who worked for David Davis’ leadership campaign. Although Dale has often cited how he has voted for four different parties in recent years…”

      Unfortunately, as a Citizen of T.Wells (or just pay their Poll Tax), I agree that you have to vote strategically, to keep the nutters at bay, stifle the spenders, piss off the wasters, and generally create mayhem wherever possible! I quite understand what he means!

      And he plays golf at Kings Hill, which is an American clone from ‘Back to the Future’, so he may just get President Trump down here for a visit…

         4 likes

  16. StewGreen says:

    And someone has put out a new video on Katie’s account

    (one gripe, impressions should never need you to say the person’s name)

       7 likes

  17. StewGreen says:

    Cancel Culture
    Rowan Atkinson at Parliament in 2012

       13 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Dear Stew
      Thank you for posting something from 8? Years ago which shows how far we are descending . I was thinking of the ‘damn’ Starkey comment as mr Atkinson was speaking .

      It can be argued that free speech -or lack of it – was evolved beyond section 5A public order act and people can be fired and silenced without any court involvement at all .

      A word now – one word – I would submit can kill a career and soon it will be physically killing people – Islam being the most likely assailant followed by all things ‘coloured ‘.

      I hope the campaign returns – but it’s extremely unlikely since things have got even worse ‘ insulting words or behaviour ‘as it says in that Act . How sad .

         12 likes

  18. pugnazious says:

    Sarah Sands, out-going Today editor, shows exactly what is wrong with Today with a delusional and stupid attack on the government using highly emotive terms claiming there is no bias and misunderstanding why the government objected to the programme…it wasn’t just who was interviewed but the tone and manner of the interviews when it was a government minister….you just had to listen to Robinson attack the health minister this week in a patroninsing and insulting manner to see precisely what is wrong with the programme as he tried to belittle her and stop her actually saying anything, it seemed more him trying to prove how ‘brilliant’ he was than actually get any useful and informative comments from her….

    ‘The Government “puts its feet on the windpipe” of Radio 4’s Today programme in a bid to diminish the power of the BBC and punish it for interviewing pro-Remain Tory MPs, its editor has claimed.

    Sarah Sands said Downing Street’s boycott of the programme was an attempt to exert control, and one that did not succeed.

    In a discussion with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, published yesterday, Sands said she was taken aback when No 10 refused her request to put the newly-elected Boris Johnson on the programme the morning after his victory.

    “On election night, the climax to an occasionally fractious election campaign, I discovered that the next Conservative administration believed we were too big for our boots,” she said.

    “In the days that followed it became clear that the boycott was serious. A former colleague close to the administration explained the philosophy. It was, they said, from the Trump playbook. The Government had a big majority, it felt it could lay down rules on media engagement. It had its feet on our windpipe.

    “It was taking the opportunity to diminish the power of the BBC.”

    She added: “The Today programme must be punished for interviewing some of those Remainers – they used to be called members of the Government – in the run-up to the election.”

    No 10 considered the programme to have “the wrong kind of guests and of listeners”, she said.

    Sands refused to apologise to No 10 because she did not believe the programme had demonstrated any bias.

    “The BBC is not biased. What I reckon it does have is a slightly wistful impulse towards social cohesion. It desperately wants to do the right thing. It likes community rather than sowing division. This can mean wish to police language.”

    She said that some outside the BBC “suggested I throw myself at the feet of No 10. But I did not intend to beg for forgiveness. We did not regard ourselves as being at war with No 10, so I saw no reason to sue for peace.

    “I said I would not beg, and I didn’t. But I did go to Downing Street to see if we could find a way through.”

    Sands admitted that a plan – since abandoned as a result of lockdown – to have Nick Robinson co-host the programme from Manchester was a sop to the Government.

    She disclosed details of a meeting at which “Downing Street wondered if we were representing the view of the ‘Red Wall’, the Labour seats that the Tories had won in the election, rather than university-educated southerners.’

       17 likes

  19. StewGreen says:

    “The WHO is Corrupt” – Matt Ridley new 1 hour interview

       11 likes

  20. Kaiser says:

    rugby union the sporting pastime of the middle class

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/53587404

    Fans group Exeter Chiefs 4 Change, which had been campaigning for amendments to the club’s branding, described the board’s decision as “tone deaf”.

    “It’s incredibly disappointing that Exeter Chiefs has thrown away this opportunity to show itself as an inclusive club,” the group said.

    Indigenous peoples have made it clear time and time again that all uses of their imagery in this way are offensive, harmful and unacceptable.”

    Indigenous ? to exeter? chief, big chief , chieftain

    really what the f*** is wrong with these people

       36 likes

    • Richard Pinder says:

      Calls by BBC World Service to ban the Kaizer Chiefs Football Club could cause mass riots in Africa. As it is the most supported team in Black Africa with a support base of over 16,000,000 fans. The Kaiser Chiefs culturally appropriated Native American imagery in their branding from the now defunct Atlanta Chiefs American soccer team.

      “I Predict a Riot” is a song by Indie rock band, Kaizer Chiefs, who culturally appropriated their name through the same source. The cultural appropriation of the words Chiefs and Indie could cause BLM riots at future concerts, as most are not Indians or Red Indians, including the guitarist, Andrew “Whitey” White. Vijay Mistry is the only member not culturally appropriating the Indie brand.

         18 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Anyone playing Halo is damned twice over.

         5 likes

  21. taffman says:

    “Science and environment”
    \\Extinction: Quarter of UK mammals ‘under threat’//
    The main drift of the article is about buildings expanding on wildlife’s land. Not mentioned is mass immigration , legal or otherwise, causing the demand for more buildings and houses or the government’s failure to keep their promise to reduce mass immigration ?

       29 likes

  22. taffman says:

    In the interest of impartiality, is there any reader out there that can give evidence of Al Beeb broadcasting right wing bias or a pro Brexit story ?

       27 likes

  23. taffman says:

    “UK car production slumps to lowest level since 1954”
    Another anti Brexit story again? They never mention the fact that Germany exports lots of cars to the UK or that tariffs work both ways?

       28 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Taffman, the BBC also forgot to mention Theresa May’s Carbon NetZero policy, the legislation she had passed in Parliament that petrol and diesel and hybrid vehicles will not be allowed to be made and sold in the UK from 2040, possibly from 2035. It was at that point that car manufacturing and sales in the UK fell. It is nothing to do with Brexit.

      But hey, da BBC wanna get down wiv’ da kids, if Internet firms do misinformation, the BBC can show ’em a clean pair of trainer heels and lead the way.

         10 likes

  24. taffman says:

    “Black pupils face trebled exclusion rate in some areas”
    Is it caused by racism or just bad behaviour?

       33 likes

    • Zelazek says:

      The suggestion is being made on the BBC website that there should be more black teachers in senior positions who then won’t misinterpret “cultural differences” as “bad behaviour” like the racist white teachers are doing at the moment.
      Why doesn’t it occur to everyone that the logical conclusion to this way of thinking and indeed the perfect solution to the problem is to have apartheid in education?

         27 likes

      • taffman says:

        Zelazek
        I have posted this before : that we are in the ridiculous situation where we, the indigenous population are expected to assimilate with the immigrant population, and not the other way round.
        When did parliament decide that ridiculous idea without the consent of the people of Britain?
        “The tail has been wagging the dog for too long” !

           28 likes

        • Zelazek says:

          Taffman

          I agree with you.

          There are some groups (white European Christians) that can assimilate and within one or two generations are indistinguishable from native Brits. But there are others who either cannot change or have no desire to change. They will never integrate never mind assimilate.

          Liberals have a contradictory view of blacks. On the one hand they say they are exactly the same as whites and there should be no disparity in outcomes for the two groups; on the other there are all these cultural differences among blacks that whites are failing to address. (Never the other way around of course.)

          I think everyone secretly knows the truth but is terrified to admit it: Blacks are a separate sub-species of human. They have a much lower IQ on average than whites, their temperament is on average more impulsive and their behaviour on average more boisterous. If people recognised this, they might actually be able to solve a few problems and make life better for the black population.

             11 likes

          • Up2snuff says:

            Z, I do not agree with the claim of your third paragraph. After the Floyd death, when things were really kicking off, I wanted to stir my little grey cells that haven’t gone AWOL to remind me of the name of some very clever and very successful BAME people who made good in America in the 19th and early 20th century. That was to demonstrate not just to the regulars on here but any casual readers, especially those who might support BLM and ANTIFA and the Communists/Marxists/Socialists that America – far from disadvantaging BAME people – had enabled those with ability to enjoy and equality of opportunity and do very well for themselves, often passing on some benefits to others.

            You can dig back for the post. It was a weekend one as I recall about a fortnight after George Floyd’s death. Unfortunately so much stuff runs through my shrivelling brain, it tends to squeeze out names at times. Thomas Sowell I can remember and would be a great current example. Just G**gle ‘Black American’ and ‘peanuts’ or ‘who invented peanut butter?’ or ‘first millionaire black American man’ or ‘first black American woman’ and you will find ample evidence to counter your third paragraph.

               1 likes

    • JamesArthur says:

      Exactly Taff
      And is it due to the fact that some schools in London are 95% black?
      Depends on how they measured it

      Are Indians or chinese affected by this systemic racism?

         6 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        I rarely get to meet up with all my friends but one little reunion a while back had four of us meet for a lunch and various catchings ups and reminiscencing. Missing was one Chinese wife, who was a PhD and had family caring duties. Present were three other PhDs, Indonesian, Chinese and English.

        All the Doctorates were earned in the UK.

           1 likes

  25. Scroblene says:

    Sleepless in Kent, a weary Scrobs started to listen to Radio 5 Dead for the first time in several months, just to see what had changed.

    Nothing.

    First item, Matt Hancock’s decision was poo pooed by some bloke from Oxford Uni.

    Second item, President Trump is ‘wrong’ about Hydroxychloroquine. Says who? Some gal from California, that well-known Republican state.

    And we now turn to the Tourism Minister for The Balearic Islands, who says there’s no problem, and our Prime Minister is definitely wrong.

    Ah well, back to a superb ‘Genesis’ YouTube from the seventies…

       28 likes

  26. Guest Who says:

    Have to hand it to the bbc; when they trawl the bottom a come up with nothing, they are not afraid to show it.

       12 likes

  27. Guest Who says:

    Lewis writes another War and Peace twitter epic.

    Maybe he should publish a book for Surkeer to hold up?

    A little one.

       14 likes

  28. Guest Who says:

    BBC News

    Garrett Foster was shot dead while pushing his fiancée’s wheelchair at an anti-racism march in Austin, Texas, his mother has said.

    ***

    It can all be sorted in post. With a quote.

       7 likes

    • tomo says:

      If he was pushing a wheelchair and simultaneously shooting an AK-47 it might explain why he missed the car driver who returned fire….

         0 likes

  29. Guest Who says:

    This got a massive reaction, mostly from Nick Bryant and Shaimaa Khalili, now of Oz.

    I think they are an item, which is so sweet given the distance.

       14 likes

  30. Guest Who says:

    BBC Moaning Emole

    ***

    ‘Forgotten’ community left to fall off a cliff

    Emma Tullett was sitting on the sofa scrolling through YouTube music videos when her home began to fall apart. A window blind came crashing down and as her partner tried to reattach the fitting, he saw a row of trees slowly sliding over the nearby cliff edge.

    “He said ‘you need to get out’ and I think that’s when I just lost it a little bit,” the 42-year-old said. She gathered up her four children, throwing coats over the youngest, aged six and eight. In the dash for safety, she didn’t even have time to put on their shoes.

    Read full article >

    William McLennan
    BBC News

    ***
    Being the bbc it is a bit thin on context, so I could not be @rsed again clicking on, but have to wonder if Bill checked if Tullett man of house was a) present and/or either fecund Parent b) had had a site survey prior to purchase before watching vids all day not on the perils of coastal erosion since time immemorial?

       15 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      This sounds like the poor folk on the north side of the Isle of Sheppey, Guest. Not necessarily the Tulletts but one family who lost their house had lived there for 30 years. Sheppey is not exactly coastal …..

         1 likes

  31. Doobster78 says:

    On the Exeter Chiefs name issue (raised above). I see Mike Bushell has stuck it top of the news today. Clearly the BBC want in on the campaign !!!

    I hadn’t heard about this so looked up who was offended by this name on their twitter feed ……

    Now, why would Rebecca be so so offended by all this ?

    But then you see her BIO, and it explains it all. These are the people who actively seek out “offence” and these are exactly the people the BBC love. Expect her on your screens soon.

    Rebecca Broad Seedling
    @RebeccaComms
    Freelance writer & organic social media consultant.
    @DevonWildlife
    Trustee.
    Clients
    @SouthWestMutual

    @Vixen_Labs

    she/her Seedling FRSA Deciduous tree BSc Bio Cactus more gravy pls

       16 likes

  32. AsISeeIt says:

    Not Quite The Headline News doesn’t quite have the catchy ring of Not The Nine O’Clock News but one does one’s best to find a little light relief in our national press front page minor headlines, adverts, features and lesser items.

    If a regular survey of the front pages does nothing else, it does tend to put the lie to the BBC’s oft repeated justificatory assertion that our newspapers are a cess pool of Tory supporting, misogynistic, conservative bigotry. Au contraire.

    The tabloid Daily Express today presents readers with a full-length pin up of an NHS nurse. Far from a vision of starchy uniformed pulchritudinous saucy medicinal promise with a there-there, come-hither smile, our NHS lovely is of course masked, draped in those horrible shapeless scrubs and holding aloft a placard. The Express voices her pay demands ‘We deserve better, nurses march for pay rises’

    If, like me, you sense the Chinese Flu is giving certain organisations the excuse to bring in measures they fancied doing anyway but wouldn’t have got away with in peacetime (so to speak) then here’s an example in The Telegraph which warns ‘Video-call appointments with GP may be here to stay’. Gotta love that NHS.

    Speaking of failing overbearing nationalised tarnished treasures the Telegraph mildly chastises our national broadcaster ‘BBC failing to create watercooler moments’. I think they mean to say no one is watching anymore.

    Back to the Express where there’s apparently ‘Just 24 hours to save free TV licences’. Judging by all the previous NHS salvation deadlines it has to be a good bet they will survive – my money is on a last minute Rishi-Boris bailout.

    From the national debt black hole to the Guardian which seems to be desperate to steal away the audience for The Voice. I mean the black-interest newspaper not the TV talent show. Having previously given away enough Black History Wallchart to wallpaper the entire BBC staff canteen plus all their gender-neutral staff restrooms, the Guardian today gives up its entire from page to ‘Young British and black, voices of the BLM generation’. One feels the Guardian is so uncomfortable with Britain they really ought to relocate. From Manchester Guardian to Lagos Guardian perhaps?

    And on that happy note let’s end with an ‘and finaly’ moment provided by the Telegraph and requiring no further comment from me ‘Paralympian may cut off leg to stay eligible’

    There’s a metaphor for modern Britain

    I guess I lied about making a further comment.

       14 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Asiseeit – that’s a great service you are providing . So much better to have a decent ‘filter’ of ‘what the papers say ‘ rather than a couple of bubble dwellers out snowflaking each other on ‘paper reviews’ which I don’t bother with any more ….

         5 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      AISI, I note from my scanning of the front pages c/o BBC w-s, that the Headline Writers at the Dreary Torygraph have a bit of a problem with numeracy, memory or both.

      Six months from the start of UK Lockdown is August, not July, and its 24th of the month, not 30th, if you count the months in which it occurred as whole months. Otherwise, September 24th will do.

      Symptomatic of how a once great newspaper has declined and become a more of a ‘comic’ in the last thirty years. ‘Some might say’ that that parallels a similar or greater decline at the BBC.

         7 likes

  33. Rich says:

    Doobs,

    Change it. Call their bluff. Keep the name and change the branding from an American to a Dumonii Celtic chieftain, the tribe that gave Devon it’s name, all horned-helmet, sword-in-hand, flowing locks, moustachiod and wild-eyed. Obviously I’m thinking more Cu Chulainn than Vitalstatistix. Boudicca might be pushing it.

    Apparently the Dumonii kept the Roman invasion largely at bay in Devon. A more culturally and historically relevant patriotic club identity might promote even more passion and pride amongst the Devon natives than Hiawatha does at present. We shouldn’t have to ‘culturally appropriate’ when we have so much of our own.

       18 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      With obesity back in the headlines Big Time, maybe we could call Leicester RFC (or the cricket county) ‘The Pies’ or ‘The Cheeses.

      Other suggestions for UK-based culturally appropriate team names are welcome. Suggestions anyone?

      Is it a Bank Holiday?

      Have I slipped through a time warp?

         6 likes

  34. fakenewswatcher says:

    Just remembered Amol Rajan’s amusing R4 Media Show yesterday, on which he discussed impartiality, objectivity, opinion, ‘facts’ etc.
    There were 4 MSM guest (incl the compulsory one from the Guardian).
    Were we in for a discussion on impartiality?
    Well, Amol put as the first practical example out there the question: ‘Is Trump racist?’ Was that factual?
    We can guess the rest of the discussion now, quite easily. By simply picking and ‘cleverly’ phrasing his topic, Amal had taken us all in. NOT. Transparent, big time, Amol.
    Rather a nice end to the discussion, when Nazeen, of the Guardian, was shot down by Andrew Neill, who told her she was talking nonsense for declaring ‘racism’ and ‘xenophobia’ to be a product of ‘free speech’, and speaking in favour of the ‘cancel’ culture. In fact, AN was the only dissenter in a cosy pc consensus, that included ITV. Another ‘independent’ broadcaster…ho, ho, ho.

       16 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Wednesday 4:30pm Media Show “Whose truth is it anyway?
      Guests:
      Tom Rosenstiel, Executive Director of the American Press Institute;
      Rachel Corp, Editor of ITV News;
      Andrew Neil, Chairman of The Spectator;
      lefty nutter : Nesrine Malik, columnist at The Guardian.

      She was ridiculous
      ” They say that free speech is being closed and that voices are being shut out.
      I say that is OK cos big media is not a level playing field
      Most voices are university educated (I agree) right-wingers (total BS there)
      .. the left don’t get a voice “

      This is is the voice that was one of the panellists on Moral Maze 6 days ago … so she’s had at least 2 big appearance in a week.

      On Trump, Andrew Neil was logical
      Sure you can say whattever you like in an OPINION piece
      but never on the news, cos such labels are opinion.

      He also said he’s still in negotiation will BBC & commercial networks about his future shows.

         5 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Stew, “lefty nutter : Nesrine Malik” don’t hold back, tell us how you really feel.

           3 likes

  35. The Sage says:

    The ghastly Mark Easton this morning did a puff piece for a think tank named British Future, which he claimed was independent and a new and pretty harmless middle of the road organisation established to span the political divide. Well, maybe in the BBC’s eyes.
    But take a look at who actually works for British Future:
    http://www.britishfuture.org/about/who-we-are/
    Doesn’t look very middle of the road to me.

       9 likes

    • G says:

      TS,
      All university children I see. That’s a good start…………
      But there, they have to be employed somewhere ‘cos few others will take them on. If it wasn’t this outfit, it would be a charity.

         5 likes

  36. taffman says:

    “Rape convictions fall to record low in England and Wales”
    Try looking in Rotherham, Rochester and Oldham.

       19 likes

  37. taffman says:

    “Man charged after police officer stabbing”
    Hidden away in ‘Local News’. Is it because it was one of those “men” again?

       15 likes

    • JamesArthur says:

      I noticed that…are you sure it wasn’t a right wing terrorist attack
      You can be sure if he was white with a bald head that is what the BBC headline would be 🙂

         12 likes

  38. G says:

    Some debate on Toady earlier about the confusion over chinese virus etiquette. Nobinson thrusting the line that the public don’t know or understand the rules. Well Nobinson, as long as a policy of devolution exists, the confusion will continue.
    I know, for all you politicians who strive to complicate as much as life as is possible, simply devolute down to a micro level: Counties, then towns and Cities then down to district and or street level. There, that should create total chaos as you would hope for. All those wonderful thousands of ‘Committees’. Wading in mud.

       5 likes

  39. Sluff says:

    Sometimes the bias is so strong and the narrative so critical that it transcends the quality of the so-called reporting.

    Shock. horror. The next BAME victimhood story is the relatively high numbers of school exclusions of black kids.

    Knobson ‘interviewed’ i.e. had a cosy chat with that well-known education expert the………errrrr……..Bishop of Dover !!!??? Whose main credentials are that she is a female but even more importantly a black clergy person.

    She was clearly chosen on account of her ethnicity. She knew nothing about the topic. All we got was bland leftmob generalities. Nothing about the mechanism of exclusions. The process. The stages. Nothing about the benefits of exclusion – the reasonable entitlement of other kids to feel safe at school and be able to learn without fear.

    If a kid carries a knife to school or arranges an assault on a fellow pupil outside the school gates should we pat them on the head if they are black and leave it at that? Are we saying that the head teachers who give out the exclusions are racists? Pretty hard to argue the headteacher unions are full of right wing racists, I suggest.

    So what we have is a bland, meaningless, superficial report from the BBC with no attempt to inform. The sole aim was to keep up its relentless BAME victimhood agenda.

    In other words, Toady performing to its usual standard.

       27 likes

    • JimS says:

      Gardeners sometimes say that there is no such thing as a weed, rather it is the wrong plant in the wrong place.

      There must be a lot of people starting to think that fifty-seven degrees north is the wrong place for at lot of ‘weeds’ that would and should be better kept between the tropics.

      The BBC are like the amateurs, who having just moved into an Alpine village, insist on trying to grow mangoes, discarding the local flora to the compost heap.

         6 likes

  40. StewGreen says:

    Another beeboid tweets they are leaving
    norman smith @BBCNormanS
    “BBC Assistant Political Editor. Citizen of Muswell Hill”

       6 likes

    • JamesArthur says:

      Wonder with which quango he will get a cosy position ?

         5 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Muswell Hill? You mean Peston Town.

      I was looking at a map of my city yesterday and getting all homesick again for nearly the first time in months (just last two weeks or so have I been missing the old place since February) and I noted there suddenly appear to be all these new districts. Has Mayor Khan* been running amok with the geographics?

      (* Any similarity with a late-Jewish gent of similar name is considered unfortunate and may be or could be possibly co-incidental.)

         3 likes

    • Fedup2 says:

      Stew -sorry – just read your norman smith – you beat me by a couple of hours .,

      Id much rather have someone called ‘allegro’ as the government’s spokeman not a ‘norman’ or – indeed a ‘mo’

         4 likes

  41. Rich says:

    I’m sure you all know. The 2020 Virgin BAFTAs are coming up soon. Live and Virtual, whatever that really means, on ‘your’ bBbc.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8573013/Suranne-Jones-Katie-McGlynn-lead-nominees-posing-home-BAFTAs-virtual-photo-shoot.html

    I haven’t a clue who most of these people are and haven’t seen the majority of the programmes mentioned either. The thing is I’m not really interested in familiarizing myself with any of them in any way and I don’t think it’s just me.

       11 likes

  42. Fedup2 says:

    Not BBC
    Mail on,one reports that Diane abbots son has been given an indefinite hospital order after blaming all his troubles on drugs . Meaning he ll be out to get a safe labour seat very soon .

    The bubble looking after its own . That character was on the fast track civil service promotion game . Meaning someone who wasn’t the son of a shadow Home Secretary – wasn’t .

       18 likes

    • Guest Who says:

      Maybe the Dimbles could do a doco?

      Fronted by Lewis Goodhall.

      Edited by Sarah Sands.

      Music by Lily.

         6 likes

  43. Guest Who says:

    https://archbishopcranmer.com/bbc-michael-curry-soul-of-america/

    It’s mystery. Editorial integrity?

       2 likes

    • richard D says:

      Michael Curry – predictably divisive, partisan and about as non-christian in his prejudiced views as he can be (and indeed, a complete ‘twat’ when overstaying his self-aggrandising welcome at the podium on ‘that’ wedding day.)

      Alistair Cooke – I remember him well…. at least I remember his voice very well indeed, and his style – calm, informative, and keen to extol the virtues and virtuosities of his adopted country.

      It was he who sparked my interest in the US when I was a very young person, and with little hope, at that time, of walking in his footsteps, looking with his eyes, at a country which, not without its faults, dominated the world with its ideas, energy and drive. A true artist with the spoken word, he was just so far above the current Beeboid masses in his broadcasting skills. His loss was a great one to our country. Incomparable man.

      I wonder if there is, or ever has been, any immigrant Beeb ‘hero’ on the BBC World stage who similarly extols the UK to his former countrymen – somehow, I think not, it justdoesn’t appear to be the style inculcated in the BBC to be anything but negative about this country.

         7 likes

  44. Broadcasting-on-Behalf-of-the-Caliphate says:

    On the BBC news homepage in their MUST SEE section is the following headline “Quiz: Why Did These Statues Become Targets for Anti-Racist Protests that takes you to the following quiz:
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53580266

       4 likes

    • JamesArthur says:

      I think I will put in a complaint..for what it is worth. This is not a quiz…as the answers are opinion and not fact. On Edward Coulson. They could have put what was he..
      A philanthropist who put a load of money into Bristol..but they didn’t
      The rest are the same. It is not informative nor useful but incites hatred and division
      BBC ‘s version of history
      BarStewards the lot of them

         14 likes

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

        Please don’t complain to the BBC – complain to your local MP assuming your local MP is not woke.

        The BBC is beyond salvaging. It needs to be dismantled, become subscription based and have the British removed from its title.

           8 likes

      • Fedup2 says:

        I like the irony that someone i had never heard of – with a statue i had nevet seen – is now even more known to history.

           6 likes

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

          I like the irony that someone i had never heard of … is now even more known to history.”

          It comes from “research” by activist departments in universities.

             3 likes

  45. StewGreen says:

    Spotted on Twitter
    Anti-Brexit shit poster trolls are posting a graphic saying this
    “This is being shared around by Brexit voters.
    They are shifting all the blame onto the Tories”

    Let’s do a reverse image search
    to see who really first posted the image

    Oh, FBPE, Socialist accounts !

       16 likes

  46. Jeff says:

    That ghastly, pantomime “right winger” Fatty Ferrari, on LBC, is giving it the “fully wellie” on mask wearing this morning.

    There really are a lot of sad and frightened people around these days.
    Some poor old bloke came on fretting about the lack of mask wearing in public. Fatty asked him, “What would you say to those who aren’t complying with the rules?” “I’d ask them, do you want to be responsible for more deaths.” the poor old sod replied. It’s just too pathetic for words.

    I ventured out to Kew Gardens yesterday. I’ve got a mask, but I absolutely loathe wearing it. It’s not just that it’s uncomfortable and stifles the ability to breathe, it’s that it’s an act of supplication. I feel as though I’m making a show of complying with this ludicrous state of mass hysteria.

    Thankfully there weren’t many of us on the trains. BoJo and the media have done an absolutely splendid job in frightening the bejesus out of the population.
    Even at Kew Gardens station the benches have tape across them to try to stop you sitting. It’s a wooden seat on an open air platform, what on Earth could happen?
    The worst you’re likely to get is a bleedin’ splinter in your arris…

       24 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      Jeff, I have a friend who is type 1 Diabetic, has had heart attacks and on top of that lot has a new undiagnosed health problem which may be something really serious. [ Note for any people of a certain political and social disposition who have had their sense of humour removed or have surrendered it to the authorities – I was being ironic for emphasis & humour sake. 😉 ] She is pleased about the facemask rule and is going shopping again this week. Last week was her first time in a shop since mid-March.

      But OTOH you have a point. It was noticeable here, where the Local Authority claims it is desperately short of cash, how there was enough money and manpower to go out everywhere – even in quite remote places – and put up signs at the start of the UK Lockdown telling people to stay two metres apart.

         6 likes

  47. StewGreen says:

    Farage on Talk Radio trailing his big 4:30pm announcement
    He’s been up to the Hilton in Bromsgrove
    157 migrants getting £40 pw spending money
    Serco have booked the hotel until, the end of the year
    There 48,000 migrants being housed in this way currently
    £4bn over 10 year planned cost
    (before this years rise)
    80% of the UK aslyum seekers are 18-26 yo young men

    This is NOT new news May 15th Tweets show video of the hotel pointing out that like the Glasgow hotel , it’s being used for migrants during Covid.

       16 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      *Former* Bromsgrove Hilton
      It’s a bit cheeky not to mention it stopped being a Hilton some time ago

      On 9th of July the Indy reported the 48,000 figure (slow video page)

      But here is the number in an earlier June 29th parliament debate

         11 likes

      • john in cheshire says:

        Charity should begin at home. Once we’ve cared for all of our own, then we can maybe start to think about others.

        Deporting the million plus illegals from our country would be a good start, Mrs Patel.
        Deporting all the 26,000 or so known muslim terrorists would be an easy start. Preventing the begum woman from re-entering our country would send a positive signal that she’s listening to us, her paymasters.

        Otherwise, she’s not earning her wage, is yet another useless ethnic and needs to be replaced with a proper, patriotic English man.

           9 likes

  48. carterdaniel says:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53588709

    Show symptoms?
    People can take 10 days off work because they think they ” show symptoms’.
    Good one Boris – He hasn’t got a clue
    If someone thinks they are pregnant, they should rest for 9 months. Don’t bother about getting tested.

       9 likes

  49. Doobster78 says:

    Can anyone enlighten me ?

    Why if a institution, a company a club etc etc has a Management Board made up of 75 % White and 25 % BAME, do the BBC , MSM and Liberal Lefties shout “racism” and “much more needs to be done”

    BUT

    If that institution, company or club then, through fear of being labelled racist by the out of control left, appoints more BAMES, for the sake of appointing them, not “the best person for the job” criteria. get its quota to 75 % BAME and 25% WHITE,

    Then, why is that not racist ?? Why is that in BBC land “to be celebrated” ?? Why is that “moving in the right direction” ??

    Why does Racism only EVER work one way ??????????

       20 likes