The Brazen Bias Corporation

Sally Chatterjee

The mastery of Mandelson: he lands in hot water and yet Osbourne gets all the bad headlines.

Worse, Osbourne is digging himself into a deeper hole with weasel word denials.

Israel

Well, at least they're not FauxNews.

Lance Grundy

Even now, has it dawned on the Conservative Party that if [despite the ferocious anti-Tory bias of the nation‘s ‘public service’ broadcaster] they manage to get into government they are going to have to deal with the BBC once and for all.

It should be broken up and privatised. There is no alternative.

Vision Aforethought

I noticed this too, but then, we all know which side the BBC leans towards. Assuming Obama wins, the next few years (or maybe months even), will be most interesting. A humorless, politically correct dark ages will soon be upon us. And then, we'll be saved by some enlightened force that has laid low and prepared. Almost sounds like a 1970s Science Fiction movie plot about a distopian future...

luke

Think you miss Robinson's point. All his reporting has focused on whether Osborne has shown a lack of judgment in whipping up a storm around mandelson and then getting found out himself from the same party.

That is why the BBC have focused on this rather than the mandelson affair which they clearly think doesnt have legs.

Steve Mink

No bias at all.

The first 'story' was idle tittle-rattle.

The second story was about a deal witnessed by an impartila observer which has been admitted in part by the parties concerned.

David Raynes

Simple, Osborne being slimy and possibly dishonest (or considering/discussing dishonesty) is a much bigger story than Mandy being slimy and in awe of the rich. We know about Mandy. We expect such things of him.

A neat attempt by you Melanie, to divert attention from the error of judgement that took Osborne onto that boat AND with Feldman in the first place. Osborne's answers to the quite proper questions were embarrassing. He needs (along with better judgement) better media handling advice.

Dave

Oh bless. Is Mel a journalist at all? She doesn't seem to understand how it works. Journalists have often been on the other end of pressure (phone calls, emails) from political parties.
But in this case, what started as EU Commissioner is on yacht... EU says no rules broken... gossip became a much bigger story where the opposition MIGHT have tried to obtain party funds illegally.
It's not just the Beeb who watched this story evolve, from the Telegraph to the Times (ooooh, tricky for them Rupert Murdoch was there too!) this story has gone from a bit of gossip involving Mandelson to front page news.

Mike N

Will the Brazen BBC ever report this-
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/5697
or this-
http://www.obamacrimes.com/attachments/001_PressReleaseObama082108.pdf
No smoke without fire ??
Seems U.S could do with a Melanie

David Boothroyd

Peter Mandelson was EU Commissioner for Trade, and was not doing anything on behalf of the Labour Party. He met a businessman affected by EU regulations to discuss them - a perfectly routine thing for an EU commissioner to do.

There are no questions arising about Peter Mandelson's judgment; there are serious questions about George Osborne.

Dr. Gianni V. Leone, MD, Vicenza Italy

Melanie,
Bravo...you said it all. Obama=Disaster

David Alcock

The BBC is in effect a political party (of neo-marxist colour), unaccountable to any electorate and lavishly and compulsorily paid for by the public. They can promote their beliefs in any number of ways without limit, unlike the other political parties who have rationed and prescribed timeslots. Ann Leslie was told that she must not speak of her book on the Andrew Marr program yet any left leaning luvvie can witter endlessly about their latest creation (Ann was followed by Julie Waters, who was not constrained).

Frighteningly, the imbecillic Adrian Edmonson felt free to say on the One Show (it replaced Blue Peter), that he can't wait for the death of Margaret Thatcher so that he can dance on her grave. In reponse to some perfunctory, 'hold on old chap', sort of noises from one of the lackies, he refused to give up asserting that he knew that everyone in the BBC felt the same way. This is probably true: but how worrying that these oiks like Jonathan Ross, and so called comedians on other programs can vent their leftie spleen ad lib, but news of Ann Leslies book is embargoed.

Little wonder that Mandy is excused. The BBC assumes the right to use its news and light entertainment programmes to undermine its political targets and promote its ideologies without sanction or control. Goverments can't take it on as they covet it's favours, fear it's scorn and any bad PR.

At least Tass and Pravda were accountable to someone. Come to think of it, thats probably where the BBC would think that they (T & P) got it wrong.

N. Simon

It's amazing that Osborne had such bad judgement that he allowed himself to be set-up by Mandelson and his friends.

I'd have thought that by now everyone knew that Mandelson plays very dirty games, even though he's got more to hide than anyone else Westminster!

Susie

Come on Melanie - there's a big difference between the generally unsavoury air around Mandy's Corfu frolics, but with no specific allegations laid, and Osborne's dodgy dealings with Deripaska, at least as chronicled by his old Bullingdon drinking chum Nat R.

seb

It's almost good enough for Ripley's 'Believe It - Or Not!' Bill Turnbull and Sian Williams on today's BBC breakfast news gave brief air time to the Mandelson's Revenge theory that was the Daily Mail's front page and they did so while appearing to suggest that the Mail might, possibly, have something.

I expect that P45s are, at this moment, being drawn up for both Turnbull and Williams.

Geoff M

Given the spotlight on dodgy donations and loans, following Labours excesses in these matters, does anyone seriously think that Osborne would risk it all for £50,000.

Thats small change.

This is obviously a "fit up" that the BBC is up to its elbows in.

Also, Melanie, how about Robert Peston - a principle player who to quote the BBC -

"Peston said the allegations against Mr Osborne were not going to go away."

Peston is the son of a Labour peer. Peston has already caused controversy in recent weeks with his market-moving stories that have exascerbated problems in the market for millions of people.

Hows that for lack of bias.

These people should be ashamed.

Jan Maciag

While there is a great fuss made about the dangers of large donations (irrespective of parties) we never ever hear why all political parties require them. The simple fact is that all our mainstream parties are merely components of a new establishment power base that has become detached/detached itself from everyday life. This has resulted in the loss of mass support from the small battalions of ordinary citizenry. And, with that loss, has come both a financial and a democratic deficit.

In an interlaced mix, the media (with the BBC at its head) fills the democratic hole and rich men fill the other. Neither do it without an expectation of protection and reward.

raymond joseph douglas

The BBC,as you rightly say,are now brazen across a whole number of issues.Family issues,marriage,Israel,Gay rights etc,all these must pass the BBC test!Social conservatives,friends of Israel,are routinely trashed by smug BBC voices as bigots and living in the past!We have just had our TV licence demand!How i long for the smug BBC to be cut down to size!

Stephen

Melanie, you do yourself no favours with this shoot the messenger argument. The Mail are running this story as their lead too. Are they left wing conspirators? There is clearly no case for Mandelson to answer else that story would have run - pure dynamite. The issue is, therefore, what is a prospective chancellor doing getting even remotely involved in discussions about party funding? And remember he invited the chief fundraiser along. This is about the credibility and judgement of our future finance minister.

Huw Thornton

It's not just the BBC, Melanie. Look at the press - Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail for example - which are giving this story such prominence.

Do you think that they are by chance part of the same Gramsci-ist conspiracy? It's scary to think of Telegraph executives and journalists beavering away relentlessly to bring international communism to Britain. I wonder if any of them have met Ayers?

RH

The world according to Britains state controlled media:
Scandal and requiring saturation coverage = Tories not taking any money and not lieing about it.

Not a Scandal and barely worth a mention = Labour Prime Minister taking money and lieing about it.

The sad fact is that due to our appalling media we are likely to have another labour government in a year or two and not only our children will be paying for it but our grandchildren too.

zachary albion

Reform of the political BBC has to be a priority for any new Government.

It is intolerable they use their power over the political careers of politicians to completely ignore their obligations to impartiality.

Root & branch reform is needed - & it should start with the hiring policy of the BBC.

How can any State Broadcaster, by its own admission (Andrew Marr for one admitted this) that the BBC is not neutral or impartial - & employs a massive amount of those on the "liberal left".

If the next Government does not do something about the BBC, I have a sstrong feeling that people like me will.

Hereford

Stop paying the licence fee. You don't need a television with iPlayer, 4oD (Channel 4) and ITV Catchup. All these provide you with all the content worth watching through the internet. Other channels will follow inevitably.

I no longer have a telly. I don't pay a licence fee and I watch what I want, when I want.

At least I know I am not funding the bais of the BBC.

Sarah Palin's Wink

Raymond Joseph Douglas - The BBC is now the biggest promoter of islam in Britain - more proactive than Saudi Arabia or moonbat imams.

As I've said before - it doesn't need reform. The rot is now in the bones. It needs to be destroyed. I have suggested before, not in just, that Broadcasting House be blown up and left as a brownfield site for five years to detoxify. Longer if necessary. Then sold off for luxury apartments with a heliport and parking for private helicopters on the roof for capitalists. Everything the hissing slithy tothes who giggle and hug themselves in meeting rooms, walking down the corridors, eating in the staff canteen, gloating in the studios, loathe.

jon dee

After ignoring the Mandelson story I listened to Peston and Robinson damn Osborne and the Tories on Today.Their excitement was unconcealable and their bias so obvious. As a moderate BBC subscriber I found their behaviour insulting.

NotaSheep

The BBC have crossed a line over their coverage of this story; they chose to minimise their coverage of the claims about Peter Mandelson and then pushed the George Osborne story to the top of the news agenda. The reasoning is obvious and it stinks to high heaven.

The Conservative party have a choice; either carry on as they are and hope that the general public see through the drip, drip, drip of the attacks on the probity and competence of the Conservative Party and its leaders or go on the attack. And when I say attack I mean attacking hard Gordon Brown's appalling record of ruining this country's economy, attacking over and over again the sleaze that has been at the heart of this Labour government almost from day one and attacking the BBC for its bias. The Conservative leadership have to understand that the BBC hate the Tories almost as much as Gordon Brown does and that the BBC will work almost as hard to destroy them as Gordon's chums will. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson are planning a three month or so campaign of mud-throwing to be followed by a snap General Election if the polls look to be moving in their favour.

Ronnie

David Boothroyd, if the stories about Lord Mandelson are correct, he was a guest of a major non-EU businessman, on his yacht, and shaped EU trade regulations in his favour.

If that is correct it is rather serious and well worth reporting, unless it is being investigated by the appropriate EU authorities.

If the story about George Osborne is correct then that is also worth reporting.

It does all seem a bit odd, not just the BBC.

Verity

Zachary Albion, you cannot reform the melding and blending of a bubbling stew and return it to its constituent parts.

The BBC is a toxic, seeping wound on British civil life and is in need of excision. It's foul and has been seeping poison into British life for at least 20 years -- or at least, the stench has become more noticable during the past 20 years. I think it was probably always foul underneath because it has always been communist.

People should stop fretting about the licence fee and demand that it have its licence to broadcast removed.

It is an absolutely nauseating outfit.

Robert Ryan

I AGREE with Paddy , the Irish are very clever. What makes Osborne guilty is the fact that their CHIEF FUNDRASER was there too. Lack of moral fibre.

uba

Does anyone want to join THE BROTHERHOOD. Say so in the Times social page.

hadrian

Whilst it is undeniable that the BBC demonstrate a decided bias against the Tories and abominate Lady Thatcher, and Robinson's and Peston's handling of this story oozes undisguised glee, it is not always the liberal leaning left who are so haughtily detached from lesser mortals not slavishly following their statist/humanistic world view. On a recent Question Time it was none other than Ken Clarke who loftily bemoaned Miss Palin from Alaska. The whole Oxbridge mentality leaves a lot to be desired for its inculcating such intellectual snobbery.
The BBC happily also produce Andrew Neil's Week in Politics which is a refreshingly more balanced act- mind you, it does go out at a pretty ungodly hour when all but we anoraks will have long been tucked up in bed! Maybe the scheduling says it all about the BBC's grudging attitude towards it?
As for Adrian Edmonson on The One Show, I fully agree that his blatant anti-Thatcher sentiments are entirely blameworthy. Don't hear him saying much about our former PM and his lies over funding and a whole unjustifed war in Iraq. Time for the BBC to be demolished, I fully agree. The mere idea of patriotism would send it reeling.
As for the relentless santiisation of Islam and the near blanket media black-out on the atrocities that go on in its name around the globe one fears that is far more deep-seated than just the BBC. Again it is just a symptom of the humanistic mindset that accepts no absolute standard of values ( save the illogical PC one, of course!)

Hayward Maberley

Mrs/Ms Wink
If you are to attempt a Lewis Carroll at least be accurate, no th!
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves"
the first line of Jabberwocky.
However that is the problem with being one eyed on the other side of the pond, the Pacific that is. What with seeing Russia all the time.

JohnW

Stephen, 11:07

"...the credibility and judgement of our future finance minister."

Are you serious? Since when have credibility and judgement ever been a requirement to be Chancellor? Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are prime examples of why such qualities have no relevance at all!

Dave

Oh Verity. You simple, simple, simple soul. Can you get BBC podcasts from where you live? Can you access the video? Perhaps you can pop out and buy the boxsets of;
Crandford? Life on Mars? Doctor Who? Pulling? Gavin and Stacy? The Archers?
Did you see The Proms this year? Big Cat Diary? Are you ready for Autumnwatch?
Perhaps you think local democracy and local/regional news is important? Well the BBC is the only place to get it as the market fails to deliver.
And of course it provides Mel with an income and a platform for her... interesting views

jose garcia

WELL when the tories get back into power, do you think they will have the balls to cut the BBC in two parts?
1 private and another privatized?

i would love it to happen but not so sure