Saturday 7th March & Sunday 8th March 2015

[frightful_oik]

I'm not missing TV at all so far.

[ScarletGas]

Thanks, Oik!

Marr - the ghastly Sarah Baxter (Sunday Times) reckons nobody cares about the debates. Her and the other bloke and Marr had a weird little love-in that reminded me of some of the hideous dinner parties my ex took me to, all self-congratulatory assumptions that their opinions are right and very patronising remarks and snide chortling when they think the political views of others are wrong.

Caroline Flint is brilliant- she won't let Marr get away with talking over her. Some of her colleagues should takes notes.

Sheen is God. And he pointed out to Marr that it's difficult to talk about showbiz when he's being passionate about what's really going on.

Hammond - he is truly sinister, and I think he will be the leader of the Conservative Party at some point. I've said this before. I believe it.

Agree with all your points.
The suggestion was made during the paper review that if the floated idea that Cameron should have his own show went ahead it would need an "attack dog"

Then the reviewers suggested Marr!

[AnatolyKasparov]

Thanks, Oik!

Marr - the ghastly Sarah Baxter (Sunday Times) reckons nobody cares about the debates

Another former leftie who has made the well travelled, and deeply tedious, move to the right (whilst not admitting it, of course)

Polls this morning rather contradict that statement - did Marr mention that?

(that is a rhetorical question, btw)

[Willow904]

The treatment, by the BBC to those who tried to expose Savile.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Getting to the point I no longer want a tv, gone out of the habit of watching it, I no longer care what happens to the BBC.

The BBC may be poorly run, but as with the NHS, there is nothing inherently wrong with the concept, which is essentially left-wing and one of the few real equalisers where everyone gets to have quality tv at affordable prices. The current affairs dept is only one part of a service which gives us award winning dramas, advert free quality children's tv and many important services that are so relied on but oft forgotten such as local radio that lets you know your kid's school's closed on snow days. I'm not about to see all that thrown away because the establishment has its claws into its political output any more than I'm willing to give up on the NHS just because Lansley and Hunt have been meddling with it to such disastrous effect. Many pensioners on low budgets could ill afford Sky and Virgin's eye-watering prices. If you give up on the BBC funding model you would be condemning them to public access television which the Tories have already helpfully introduced on C8 in readiness for the much anticipated end of the BBC. They'll be delighted with your support for the Americanisation of our tv services. Sorry if I sound stroppy about this but the BBC model is something I feel very passionate about as a little bit of successful socialism in action. I want to fight the political bias and establishment meddling in the BBC, not just give up on the BBC altogether as that is exactly what the Tories want.

Morning all btw.

[Spacedone]

The treatment, by the BBC to those who tried to expose Savile.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Getting to the point I no longer want a tv, gone out of the habit of watching it, I no longer care what happens to the BBC.

Morning.At last,spring is here.
I stopped watching TV in 2009,apart from channel 4 news on catchup,which I gave up on 2 years ago.
Don't miss it at all,and buy boxsets if there's something I want to see.e.g,starring David Boreanaz.

I'm much the same. I do watch a bit of live TV on rare occasions but mostly my TV viewing is done by boxset these days. This week I will be mostly watching Smiley's People

[ephemerid]

I have had an idea.

If Cameron likes the "7" format, then he should do one thus:
Cameron Vs. Eddie Mair, Jeremy Paxman, Jon Snow, Kate Adie, Polly Toynbee, and Mishal Husain.

That could work - maybe with a subs bench including John Sweeney, Owen Jones, Zoe Williams......

If the other 6 leaders attending the only debate Cameron has deigned to grace with his presence have any sense, they will make his life a misery.
I think they should all walk out at some point, leaving just Ed behind, and see what Cameron does.

Unfortunately, their egos probably won't let then do it - it's be an unedifying bunfight of comical proportions, most likely.

I doubt there is any truth in this idea that the BBC will give Cameron a free session as claimed by the Indy, but if they do I hope that the other parties insist they get the same treatment.

[Sticky99]

Morning all,

David Cameron’s and Downing Street’s stance on the TV debates has gotten absurd. Why should the electorate care if the TV debates take “too much life out of the election campaign”? If Dave finds attending and participating in TV debates too stressful, or he can’t be bothered, I’d suggest he doesn’t ask the electorate to vote for him.

And the TV debates are not a Westminster, media-bubble obsession. Quite the contrary. The election debates in 2010 bought a new audience to political discussion, one that doesn’t watch Question Time, Newsnight, or follow broad election campaigns on the TV. A peak of 10.3 million viewers with an average of 9.4 million viewers is unheard of in modern political times.

As with a lot of things, Call me Dave has gotten himself into a right pickle now. If at the last moment he decides to attend the debates, all the attention will be on Dave, and anything other than an outstanding performance will be a failure for a man who considers himself to be a fantastic communicator. It is ironic that Dave so badly wanted a seven-way debate, because it might make himself look irrelevant and without a strong voice. Dave looked like a lost cause with only two other rivals in 2010.

On the flip side, if Call me Dave maintains his arrogance and chooses not to attend the election debates, he will be missing out on the most important advertising tool of the campaign. Whether he likes it or not, if over 10 million people watch the debates again, that is 10 million people that he won’t be making a retail pledge to. The dim numpty that is Craig Oliver and Crosby have boxed Dave into a corner, and with Dave not having the ability to think for himself, he is now in a lose-lose situation.

The comparisons to Tony Blair are desperate from the right, too. Critically, Blair was never desperate for a TV debate with Major as opposition leader in 1997. Cameron repeatedly pushed for the TV debates before 2010, convincing Sky, BBC and ITV to go ahead in organising them. Dave made a calculation that he would easily beat Brown and Clegg, in fact the opposite happened, with Clegg surprising people and Brown actually beating Cameron in some polling when voters were asked about the three leaders’ performances. Cameron made his bed when he repeatedly pushed for the 2010 TV debates, and now he can’t escape from his past decisions.

[AngryAsWell]

Not sure if this has been posted, but looks interesting
Labour pledges green premium bond windfall if they win

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015 ... ond-pledge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[refitman]

Jeez, Kevin McKenna has cited Wings Over Scotland in his latest "Labour are to blame for everything in Scotland" article.

[StephenDolan]

Jeez, Kevin McKenna has cited Wings Over Scotland in his latest "Labour are to blame for everything in Scotland" article.

Somerset's finest.

[refitman]

Yougov polling on the debates, for the Sunday Times:

blame.png (27.59 KiB) Viewed 12777 times

DEB.png (64.38 KiB) Viewed 12777 times

[Sticky99]

Fantastic - it looks as if the voters are mostly blaming Call me Dave for the chaotic TV debate discussions. Dave has drawn all this unnecessary attention on himself, voters will wonder what Dave has to hide. He will look like a lost cause in a controlled debate, no chance of doing a Bullingdon bullyboy act like he does in PMQ's. That is the only way that Dave can "debate". There is a very good reason why when Miliband pressed Dave on the debates in PMQ's last Wednesday, Dave turned around and said "we are debating here and now". Yep, it is the only debate he feels comfortable with - not answering any questions and loudly heckling his opponent with his party cheering him on. At least he was honest.

[citizenJA]

ALL politicians - and I include Ed in this - are willing to be ruthless to get into office and to influence the politics of the day.
That's why they're politicians. It seems to me that David Miliband made assumptions and Ed Miliband didn't.

Cheeky sod - I was elected because I showed the people the luuurve.

Ok alright, I suppose I did slag off the Tories and their group leader a wee bit.

Define 'ruthless', in this context, cJA, please.

Single-minded decency, love that won't waver, promises kept, care first, always, for the people, never feeble, never a bully, willing to sacrifice comfortable if it saves others from suffering.

I'm sorry, Ed Miliband, your relationship with David & family took a hit over the choices you men made. I can't thank you enough for making the choices you've made, Ed Miliband. I look forward to all of our families growing our way into peace.

It's probably a good idea, David Miliband, headquartered in California (last I heart heard), saving refugees all over the world leading your non-profit, ResQU.

[citizenJA]

Did the networks issue an RSVP with a respond by this time?
I detest guest showing up last minute.

[citizenJA]

The treatment, by the BBC to those who tried to expose Savile.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Getting to the point I no longer want a tv, gone out of the habit of watching it, I no longer care what happens to the BBC.

Morning.At last,spring is here.
I stopped watching TV in 2009,apart from channel 4 news on catchup,which I gave up on 2 years ago.
Don't miss it at all,and buy boxsets if there's something I want to see.e.g,starring David Boreanaz.

I'm much the same. I do watch a bit of live TV on rare occasions but mostly my TV viewing is done by boxset these days. This week I will be mostly watching Smiley's People

Ironic, isn't it? I don't watch television either. I love reading about Dave attempt to sell his stories at this juncture. Don't you like your government's record over the last five years, Dave?

[Eric_WLothian]

Jeez, Kevin McKenna has cited Wings Over Scotland in his latest "Labour are to blame for everything in Scotland" article.

Somerset's finest.

Not just 'Wings' but 'Bella Caledonia' and 'Newsnet' as well. They make the Mail, Sun and Telegraph look like sources of well balanced, unbiased, truthful information!

[citizenJA]

A bit of light laughter
Nigel Farage Tweeted A Simple Question And People Unsurprisingly Took The Piss

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahjewell/ni ... rq4QmJo232" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for that link. It started my day off with a good laugh

I'm still croaking with laughter.

[citizenJA]

My local rag

Police break down door of Mansfield man’s flat after DWP told them he could be suicidal

http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/police ... -1-7142688" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is not the way we provide assistance to the suicidal. Good lord. I don't have the courage to look at the link just yet - I'm rather down the well myself. Is the man still alive or did the police administer Tory therapy.

[citizenJA]

Goodnight, everyone.

What day is it please.

[Rebecca]

The treatment, by the BBC to those who tried to expose Savile.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Getting to the point I no longer want a tv, gone out of the habit of watching it, I no longer care what happens to the BBC.

The BBC may be poorly run, but as with the NHS, there is nothing inherently wrong with the concept, which is essentially left-wing and one of the few real equalisers where everyone gets to have quality tv at affordable prices. The current affairs dept is only one part of a service which gives us award winning dramas, advert free quality children's tv and many important services that are so relied on but oft forgotten such as local radio that lets you know your kid's school's closed on snow days. I'm not about to see all that thrown away because the establishment has its claws into its political output any more than I'm willing to give up on the NHS just because Lansley and Hunt have been meddling with it to such disastrous effect. Many pensioners on low budgets could ill afford Sky and Virgin's eye-watering prices. If you give up on the BBC funding model you would be condemning them to public access television which the Tories have already helpfully introduced on C8 in readiness for the much anticipated end of the BBC. They'll be delighted with your support for the Americanisation of our tv services. Sorry if I sound stroppy about this but the BBC model is something I feel very passionate about as a little bit of successful socialism in action. I want to fight the political bias and establishment meddling in the BBC, not just give up on the BBC altogether as that is exactly what the Tories want.

Morning all btw.

Good points,but,I would not pay 145 or whatever it is per annum to not watch TV.I did,for years,but not anymore.

[AngryAsWell]

Goodnight, everyone.

What day is it please.

Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 11:59 am



Morning CJA

[Toby Latimer]

My local rag

Police break down door of Mansfield man’s flat after DWP told them he could be suicidal

http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/police ... -1-7142688" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is not the way we provide assistance to the suicidal. Good lord. I don't have the courage to look at the link just yet - I'm rather down the well myself. Is the man still alive or did the police administer Tory therapy.

Thing is, the guy wasn't actually suicidal - he had been on the phone in frustration to the DWP earlier after his benefits were delayed. He relayed this frustration to the IDS stooge at the DWP & mentioned Channel 4 Dispatches that had reported on the increase in suicides amongst claimants.

“I said it was no wonder people did it because the DWP make life so difficult for them. I didn’t think any more about it.”

For this the DWP sent the police round who broke down his door, and left him all night without security.

[AngryAsWell]

The treatment, by the BBC to those who tried to expose Savile.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Getting to the point I no longer want a tv, gone out of the habit of watching it, I no longer care what happens to the BBC.

The BBC may be poorly run, but as with the NHS, there is nothing inherently wrong with the concept, which is essentially left-wing and one of the few real equalisers where everyone gets to have quality tv at affordable prices. The current affairs dept is only one part of a service which gives us award winning dramas, advert free quality children's tv and many important services that are so relied on but oft forgotten such as local radio that lets you know your kid's school's closed on snow days. I'm not about to see all that thrown away because the establishment has its claws into its political output any more than I'm willing to give up on the NHS just because Lansley and Hunt have been meddling with it to such disastrous effect. Many pensioners on low budgets could ill afford Sky and Virgin's eye-watering prices. If you give up on the BBC funding model you would be condemning them to public access television which the Tories have already helpfully introduced on C8 in readiness for the much anticipated end of the BBC. They'll be delighted with your support for the Americanisation of our tv services. Sorry if I sound stroppy about this but the BBC model is something I feel very passionate about as a little bit of successful socialism in action. I want to fight the political bias and establishment meddling in the BBC, not just give up on the BBC altogether as that is exactly what the Tories want.

Morning all btw.

I totally agree Willow. We have sky and now and then watch Fox "News" to bring a touch of reality back to our annoyance at the BBC news. If our TV's descended into the privatised hell that is USA "news" coverage we would be in a terrible place!
To my mind we need to keep hold of the BBC but get the right wing out of it, and force (somehow?) unbiased reporting.

[AnatolyKasparov]

But how do we do that?

Any attempt, even indirectly, by a prime minister Miliband to counter the current bias at the BBC would lead to "Red Ed wants to appoint his commissars" screaming by the usual suspects

[Willow904]

The treatment, by the BBC to those who tried to expose Savile.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Getting to the point I no longer want a tv, gone out of the habit of watching it, I no longer care what happens to the BBC.

The BBC may be poorly run, but as with the NHS, there is nothing inherently wrong with the concept, which is essentially left-wing and one of the few real equalisers where everyone gets to have quality tv at affordable prices. The current affairs dept is only one part of a service which gives us award winning dramas, advert free quality children's tv and many important services that are so relied on but oft forgotten such as local radio that lets you know your kid's school's closed on snow days. I'm not about to see all that thrown away because the establishment has its claws into its political output any more than I'm willing to give up on the NHS just because Lansley and Hunt have been meddling with it to such disastrous effect. Many pensioners on low budgets could ill afford Sky and Virgin's eye-watering prices. If you give up on the BBC funding model you would be condemning them to public access television which the Tories have already helpfully introduced on C8 in readiness for the much anticipated end of the BBC. They'll be delighted with your support for the Americanisation of our tv services. Sorry if I sound stroppy about this but the BBC model is something I feel very passionate about as a little bit of successful socialism in action. I want to fight the political bias and establishment meddling in the BBC, not just give up on the BBC altogether as that is exactly what the Tories want.

Morning all btw.

Good points,but,I would not pay 145 or whatever it is per annum to not watch TV.I did,for years,but not anymore.

Well that's why the license is only applicable to people who own and watch a tv. As more people watch on demand on computers rather than live tv it may transpire that not enough people want live television enough to support the funding of the BBC through a license fee, but until that becomes the case I still feel it's the best way to achieve value for money for those who do wish to receive broadcast tele and at the moment that's still the vast majority of people.

[letsskiptotheleft]

Jeez, Kevin McKenna has cited Wings Over Scotland in his latest "Labour are to blame for everything in Scotland" article.

Bellend, his only use is gathering clicks from cyber-nats.

[ohsocynical]

Not sure if this has been posted, but looks interesting
Labour pledges green premium bond windfall if they win

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015 ... ond-pledge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That sounds like an excellent idea.

[Willow904]

But how do we do that?

Any attempt, even indirectly, by a prime minister Miliband to counter the current bias at the BBC would lead to "Red Ed wants to appoint his commissars" screaming by the usual suspects

I think it has to be a cultural change that is more general rather than specifically aimed at the BBC. The higher echelons of our society are over-represented by people from independent schools and certain universities. Tackling the unfair advantages implicated in our system of unpaid internships to get top jobs in media, law, journalism etc is where you start, rather than interfering in BBC appointments as such. Oh and the implementation of Leveson recommendations in full would also be of benefit as a lot of the worse bias of the BBC is in its verbatim reporting of what has been printed in our right-wing dominated press, allowing the papers to set the political agenda in terms of what is and isn't "news".

[pk1]

Considering the BBC runs 4 TV channels on mainstream TV plus radio channels and the World service that provides news & entertainment to many countries, I personally don't begrudge £12.12 per month to pay for it.

£3 per week is less than the cost of a pint or a packet of cigarettes.

[AngryAsWell]

But how do we do that?

Any attempt, even indirectly, by a prime minister Miliband to counter the current bias at the BBC would lead to "Red Ed wants to appoint his commissars" screaming by the usual suspects

Yet there was no such screaming when (was it Shapps? yea it was) threatened the BBC last year was there? That was a direct threat.
Chris Patten accuses Grant Shapps of ‘ill-judged’ BBC attack
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/poli ... 921637.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

Considering the BBC runs 4 TV channels on mainstream TV plus radio channels and the World service that provides news & entertainment to many countries, I personally don't begrudge £12.12 per month to pay for it.

£3 per week is less than the cost of a pint or a packet of cigarettes.

I begrudge paying for government propaganda. As I always say, people like me are supposed to suck that up and watch the nature documentaries.

And I don't even live in Wales, where I'm reliably informed it's even worse.

I only do Radio 3. I can listen via my internet radio to any number of classical stations from abroad if that goes.

[AngryAsWell]

We have got to get this lot out = simple as that.
One bath for 12 women and 11 babies: UK asylum housing by G4S
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdo ... 3g.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[LadyCentauria]

Sky news has an amusing budget rap.

http://news.sky.com/video/1439437/the-s ... rap-battle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I saw that the other night and thought it brilliantly done!

[citizenJA]

My local rag

Police break down door of Mansfield man’s flat after DWP told them he could be suicidal

http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/police ... -1-7142688" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is not the way we provide assistance to the suicidal. Good lord. I don't have the courage to look at the link just yet - I'm rather down the well myself. Is the man still alive or did the police administer Tory therapy.

Thing is, the guy wasn't actually suicidal - he had been on the phone in frustration to the DWP earlier after his benefits were delayed. He relayed this frustration to the IDS stooge at the DWP & mentioned Channel 4 Dispatches that had reported on the increase in suicides amongst claimants.

“I said it was no wonder people did it because the DWP make life so difficult for them. I didn’t think any more about it.”

For this the DWP sent the police round who broke down his door, and left him all night without security.

Cops not in uniform? I don't understand that at all. The DWP's job is to make sure everyone entitled receive social security provision in a timely manner. Up is down with this Tory government. Sound likes a scene out of Brazil.

[yahyah]

@Spinning Hugo - thanks for responding to my questions.
I agree with you fully on the Lib Dems & Chris Huhne, not about Ed.

@51A
re: Leanne Wood.
I had high hopes for her when she was first elected leader of Plaid and I was still pondering who to vote for in the future. But she has been underwhelming, trying to get some of the reflected glory of the SNP and posing as the 'politics of hope'. She also doesn't come across as very bright.

Also, not necessarily everyone in Wales does know [or care] who she is.
A recent poll showed, according to Cardiff uni's Prof Roger Scully: ''most respondents even in Wales did not know who Leanne Wood was: some 75.5% of respondents immediately chose Don’t Know, while only 13.3% of them correctly identified her.'' He does say that it was a small sample but none the less may show she is not making much impact.

& I don't know what the local Plaid set up is like where you are, but here there are things done in local council & planning that if it were the BNP or UKIP pushing for protection of English speaking areas would be seen as racist or at the very least questionable. Seeing it in action in an area where Plaid have influence, and seeing the actions of the Plaid councillor I voted for who supported a local party donor in an outrageous planning application I will not be placing an X for him in the future.

[PorFavor]

Good morfternoon.

@ AngryAsWell

Thanks for the Nigel Farage thing!

@ citizenJA

You're asking me?

[citizenJA]

Good morfternoon.

@ AngryAsWell

Thanks for the Nigel Farage thing!

@ citizenJA

You're asking me?

Good-afternoon, PorFavor!
Was it the what day is it? question?
No, just a kind of small voice calling out into the wilderness waiting for an answer.
Thankfully, AngryAsWell let me know today is Sunday. Thank you, AAW!
I heard the church bell chimes too.
I've not been well but am feeling much better now.
Hope everyone is okay here.
I'm reading the recommends posted.

[letsskiptotheleft]

@Spinning Hugo - thanks for responding to my questions.
I agree with you fully on the Lib Dems & Chris Huhne, not about Ed.

@51A
re: Leanne Wood.
I had high hopes for her when she was first elected leader of Plaid and I was still pondering who to vote for in the future. But she has been underwhelming, trying to get some of the reflected glory of the SNP and posing as the 'politics of hope'. She also doesn't come across as very bright.

Also, not necessarily everyone in Wales does know [or care] who she is.
A recent poll showed, according to Cardiff uni's Prof Roger Scully: ''most respondents even in Wales did not know who Leanne Wood was: some 75.5% of respondents immediately chose Don’t Know, while only 13.3% of them correctly identified her.'' He does say that it was a small sample but none the less may show she is not making much impact.

Reflected glory indeed, she may as well have a "I love Nicola" badge on her lapel. She appeared on the Sheen documentary the other day and said the level of political debate and intelligence was much stronger in Scotland, gee thanks.

Come and knock my door if she wants, I will be quite civil, even make a cup of tea, but please don't insult those who you try to win over. Plaid don't like it back at them, few have blocked me when challenged over their glib statements. Unlike them Miliband has a chance of being elected, he has to be pragmatic at times, not a utopian like the sometimes dense Woods..

[PorFavor]

In this game of TV chicken, will David Cameron be first to blink? (Andrew Rawnsley, Guardian - or is it the Observer?)

A good read, pulling all the strands together as it does (and probably a repeat, for which I apologise).

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... -hold-firm

[PorFavor]

@ citizenJA

Yes - I was referring to the "what day is it" question!

[Spacedone]

Sky news has an amusing budget rap.

http://news.sky.com/video/1439437/the-s ... rap-battle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I saw that the other night and thought it brilliantly done!

Is it just me or is Osborne morphing into Mr Bean?

[ErnstRemarx]

Oh looky, knives out chaps!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 93587.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[letsskiptotheleft]

Sky news has an amusing budget rap.

http://news.sky.com/video/1439437/the-s ... rap-battle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I saw that the other night and thought it brilliantly done!

Is it just me or is Osborne morphing into Mr Bean?

It's not you, thank you for hammering nail on the head.

I had as more of a third rate extra from "I Claudius" or "Up Pompeii" but you're right, a skinny Mr Bean suits.

[letsskiptotheleft]

Oh looky, knives out chaps!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 93587.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Read that earlier this morning, too early.

Christ there's a paucity of talent on the Lib Dem benches, and that's now, quite what it will be like come May only time will tell.

[ErnstRemarx]

Feck me I was only joking

debates.jpg

B_hrUqpXEAAZoYb.jpg

They better not.

Empty chair the bastard. He's shown his contempt for the electorate and the broadcasters - it's about time he was shown equal contempt.

Edited to add the "chair", without which this post very little sense...

[yahyah]

Saw a few minutes of Sky News last after turning over from the usual bland BBC News 24.

They did a very hard hitting report on Cameron, the Tories and the apparent cover up of files realting to paedophiles.
It was overtly critical of Cameron, exposing Tory hypocrisy in a week when he was copping headlines about action on child exploitation, much more so than the BBC would have dared to be.

Maybe Faisal Islam is having an influence ?

[Eric_WLothian]

This is not the way we provide assistance to the suicidal. Good lord. I don't have the courage to look at the link just yet - I'm rather down the well myself. Is the man still alive or did the police administer Tory therapy.

Thing is, the guy wasn't actually suicidal - he had been on the phone in frustration to the DWP earlier after his benefits were delayed. He relayed this frustration to the IDS stooge at the DWP & mentioned Channel 4 Dispatches that had reported on the increase in suicides amongst claimants.

“I said it was no wonder people did it because the DWP make life so difficult for them. I didn’t think any more about it.”

For this the DWP sent the police round who broke down his door, and left him all night without security.

Cops not in uniform? I don't understand that at all. The DWP's job is to make sure everyone entitled receive social security provision in a timely manner. Up is down with this Tory government. Sound likes a scene out of Brazil.

Presumably the non-uniformed officers happened to be the nearest when the call went out.
I don't see this reflecting badly on the police. They were alerted (wrongly) to a potential suicide. They attended and when they got no response, they broke in. Had it been a genuine attempted suicide, they would then have been in a position to help. They offered to secure the door.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: ”The officers had shouted into Mr Ramsdale’s letter box three or four times and had knocked on the door for between 5-10 minutes to get his attention before deciding to break down the door. The police offered to secure the door afterwards.”

A lose-lose situation for them. Had they not attended or not forced entry they could have been leaving somebody dying in the house.

[citizenJA]

"Here’s a list of things that you wouldn’t want to be called if you were a party leader facing an election in 60 days’ time. Scared. Arrogant. Cynical. Hypocritical. Cowardly. Calculating. High-handed. Feeble. Duplicitous. Undemocratic. Chicken."

- Andrew Rawnsley

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... -hold-firm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Musing about 'CallMe' Dave Cameron

[pk1]

Saw a few minutes of Sky News last after turning over from the usual bland BBC News 24.

They did a very hard hitting report on Cameron, the Tories and the apparent cover up of files realting to paedophiles.
It was overtly critical of Cameron, exposing Tory hypocrisy in a week when he was copping headlines about action on child exploitation, much more so than the BBC would have dared to be.

Maybe Faisal Islam is having an influence ?

You should have been watching it just now.

They had Marilyn Halls, the lady that formed the victim support group.

She's on fire ! Her anger & frustration can be felt from here.

She doesn't believe a word coming from the Govt & says they should reveal the contents of those files immediately or be accused of being complicit & political cowardice. She said what Cameron did last week at a cost of £9m, is nothing more than political grand-standing.

She accuses the lack of urgent scrutiny as a further abuse on those already abused.

[Eric_WLothian]

Jeez, Kevin McKenna has cited Wings Over Scotland in his latest "Labour are to blame for everything in Scotland" article.

Bellend, his only use is gathering clicks from cyber-nats.

Well, looking btl, he's pretty good at it.