Britannia Radio

Biased BBC

Monday, November 10, 2008 Laban # Balance at its best ... James Naughtie on the Today programme five minutes ago ... "Yesterday we remembered those brave men who fought for their country. But what about those brave men who refusedto fight ?" Comments: 1 (unread) - Biased BBC Home David Vance # HAPPY HOUR. There's been a lot of debate on the BBC this morning on the report from the Home Affairs select committee calling for the banning of what is called "below-cost" selling of alcohol. The idea of government setting minimum prices for alcohol is one idea put forward by the Committee's oleaginous chairman, Keith Vaz. Now before we get caught up in the debate about whether it is the price of alcohol or the availability of alcohol which is leading to widespread reckless drinking, I notice that the BBC pays no attention whatsoever to the totalitarian instinct behind this report, namely that politicians will decide the price we pay for alcohol. What next - the government to set minimum pricing for food "in order to combat obesity"? What bothers me is that way in which government continues to intrude into our lives and the only issue the BBC wants to discuss is just how great this intrusion should be. The other aspect of this debate entirely missing from BBC coverage is that those who drink excessively and who commit crime get away with blue murder if and when they are apprehended and brought to court. Judicial weakness is as much of issue here as the price of a can of lager, but somehow that is never mentioned by the BBC. In framing the debate in this particular way, the BBC helps ease through the totalitarian instincts of our political class and that is enough to drive anyone to drink! Comments: 0 - Biased BBC Home David Vance # TAX CUTS. If there is one concept that is guaranteed to raise hackles at the BBC, it is the idea that government might seek to cut taxes. For years now the BBC has assiduously retailed the Labour line that any cut in taxation would result in less doctorsnursesnteachers and so as Prudence Brown has cranked up taxation, the Conservative Party backed away from the idea of cutting tax (wrongly in my view). But now that dear Prudence has mired the UK economy in recession, all of sudden Labour is now making noises of tax cuts. As are the Lib-Dems! So the Tories under Boy David have been forced to come out and say that a future Conservative government would look to cut taxation. However what got my attention this morning was on Today circa 6.30am when John Humphyrs was sneering at the Conservative notion that tax cuts could be paid for through efficiency savings. Humphyrs seemed much more comfortable with the Labour notion that in order to cut taxes you just borrow more and more and more. It might be news to fat cat BBC presenters like Mr Humphyrs BUT there is no organisation in this land that, if pushed, could not find efficiency savings. In fact this is a central engine of effective capitalism. But in the neo-socialist cossetted world of license-payer funded indulgences, Humphyrs seems unable to grasp this key economic tenet. Labour under Brown has built up a bloated public sector which, like the BBC, could provide substantial savings were the axe to be taken to parts of it. But the BBC prefers to wallow in the tax and spend philosophy of Labour and that is why it will prove very difficult for Cameron to obtain a fair hearing for his (belated) tax cuts. Comments: 3 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Hugh # An alternative view The great thing about guest columns on the Beeb's website is that they allow different voices to give their take on the big events of the moment – voices we might not normally hear, such as this piece by [democrat, arch-Obama supporter and] "social commentator" Nancy Giles. So, instead of the usual left-leaning commentary on the significance ofObama's win on race relations in the US that we're used to, the Beeb treats us to some full on left-wing commentary on the significance of Obama's win on race relations in the US. What a fantastic idea! Comments: 7 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Sunday, November 09, 2008