LabourHome reckons the BBC is biased against Ken Livingstone and they use yesterday's interview with me on the Politics Show to prove their case. The reason there was no one from the left on with me was that Michael White got stuck in traffic and arrived shortly after the programme finished. So no conspiracy there. They also complain that I was introduced as "some sort of independent expert". Rubbish. I was introduced as a blogger and Telegraph columnist. The clue is in the last bit, I'd have thought.
This follows Labour making an official complaint to the BBC when they omitted to mention the word "Conservative" in introducing me on News 24 the other day. They really are getting too paranoid for words. Perhaps CCHQ should complain to the BBC every time Kevin Maguire is on, and bleat that they should have introduced him with the words "Gordon Brown's ventriloquist's dummy".
PS LabourHome also reckon I was given a soft interview. Didn't feel like that from where I was sitting. The programme still hasn't been uploaded to the Politics Show website so I can't prove it to you one way or the other!
I bet CCHQ engineered the traffic jam...
ReplyDeleteMr Dale,
ReplyDeleteLabour is on the run. Gordon Brown is going to preside over a financial meltdown that will make "black wednesday" look like penny ante poker.
Rest assured - myself and my fellow Bilderbergers have our money safely tucked away. In the meantime the lumpen mob are strolling into totalitarianism with their eyes closed. This makes my own modest plans for world domination so much easier.
It's a little rich for Labour to bleat about BBC bias. We've had to endure ten years of pro-Labour guff from the socialist sycophants in the BBC newsrooms. It's about time they got a taste of their own medicine.
ReplyDelete"The reason there was no one from the left on with me was that Michael White got stuck in traffic and arrived shortly after the programme finished. So no conspiracy there."
ReplyDeleteNo conspiracy, though considerable irony...
DK
funny that the labour run Beeb is being the object of paranoid thoughts from labour central.. Or is this just Iain Dale whipping up excitement in his own television appearance.. how much did you pay labour home to complain... was it much like an episode of Lewis last night... will you be setting up websites soon opposing yourself to flame interest.
ReplyDeleteHa , I read that as 'Labour Home is biased against Red Ken' and assumed that it was back to the mutual loathing between the SWP hard left authoritarian Red Ken and New Labour.Not yet then....
ReplyDeleteI do think the BBC are pretty scared that they have burnt their boats by campaigning for Labour all these years though. While the pervading culture is progressive and Liberal they are less keen on Gordon Brown than Blair and explicit coverage has improved .
The threat of sky may be important
It's on the iPlayer... I presume this is the one, it's taking me ages to load anything on it lately...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b009hntq.shtml
Did they complain to the BBC or just bleat about it on their own website?
ReplyDeleteWhine whine whine....anyone appearing on such programmes should have any political affiliation declared, so as not to mislead the viewers.
ReplyDeleteFor example, Iain Dale should be introduced as 'some rather plump & self-satisfied Tory blogger or something'.
Interesting that every mention of of the incumbent's win in Iran, the BBC referred to his party as 'the Conservatives' or even 'Conservative Party'. I'm no expert, so anyone here able to confirm that this is an accurate translation?
ReplyDeleteAnd the correct response to this claptrap should be "So what !"
ReplyDeleteThe BBC are being lazy ins using bloggers. Bloggers are not indepdent as was shown by Guid and the e0mail You are trying to be a tory MP What is indepdent about that.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, the lefties will find a way to blame it on some sort of vast right wing conspiracy of road users.
ReplyDeleteIdeally Labour would want all BBC interviews with Conservatives to run as follows:
ReplyDeleteBBC: 'We're joined now by an evil Tory'
Conservative (viewers think He doesn't look Iranian, ohhh): 'Hello BBC person, I'm sorry for being a Tory.'
BBC: 'Quite right. The mind of the proletariat has decided it hates you and your policies. THIS IS TRUE ISN'T IT?'
Conservative: 'no but yeah but no but yeah but no but it's not really entirely true, please dont hurt me.'
BBC: 'The wonderful Labour party (that was seduced into war by the pentagon) is always right isn't it?'
Conservative: 'sorry Aunty, some people don't agree with labour (cowers)'
BBC: 'No, our sources close to the great leader say he is practically a God. Well I'm affraid that's all we have time for. In other news, scientists have determined that Alex Hilton might be a human being despite widespread belief to the contrary.'
perfect example of left and right wing versions of punctuality and efficency.
ReplyDeleteAs a good socialist, Mr White should have taken the people's transport and would have been there on time to defend Mr Livingstone.
ReplyDeleteThey also complain that I was introduced as "some sort of independent expert". Rubbish. I was introduced as a blogger and Telegraph columnist. The clue is in the last bit, I'd have thought.
ReplyDeleteYou mean, Iain, like that Andrew Marr - that other well known Tory?
The socialists can now see their defeat coming over the horizon. All that's left to them are mindlessly stupid and vindictive measures on hurting middle class kids in education or illegal discrimination measures against men at work (see Harriet "I'm a Token Woman" Harman for details ).
ReplyDeleteEven the BBC is trying to water down its rabid left wing bias given the impending defeat of its prefered government.
Labour home is the home of denial. They are bound to get more upset as the abject and dishonest failure of their careerist MPs comes close and the failure of the last ten years sinks in.
At risk of sounding a creep, I thought you acquitted yourself very well, Iain. You managed to promote Boris - and the Conservatives - without seeming overtly partisan.
ReplyDeleteI thought Tim Donovan had a little twinkle in his eye at the prospect of Boris as Mayor of London [ie. he seemed in favour]. And although you felt it was a tough interview - it came across softer [relatively speaking] than Jon Sopel interviewing David Cameron! [Was Sopel auditioning to take over from Paxo?]
I think it's hilarious that the Comrades are now complaining the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation are anti-Crackpot Ken. [As others have pointed out it's a case of biters being bit.] And wouldn't it be great if the anti-Crackpot Ken mood was spreading - amongst the Left.
Some call is bias, I call it good taste. Anyone but Ken.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Andrew Marr give Boris Johnson a very tough interview a few weeks ago, but let Livingstone off lightly ?
ReplyDeleteMan in a Shed said
ReplyDelete"All that's left to them are mindlessly stupid and vindictive measures on hurting middle class kids in education"
Surely it's only fair for the middle class to have a turn? After all, nulab have spent a decade destroying the workling class.
"Tory gloats over Labour whining about BBC bias..."
ReplyDeleteMakes a nice change, doesn't it.