The Spectator's Notes

4 July 2009

Charles Moore's reflections on the week

When the BBC decided to publish the expenses of its senior executives last week, I went straight to the website to track down my lunch with the Director-General, Mark Thompson, on 6 January. There it was, described as ‘business lunch to discuss project, £58.90’. Readers might like to be reminded that the ‘project’ was my scheme to keep my television but refuse to pay my licence fee unless the BBC sacked Jonathan Ross. The renewal date for my licence is coming up shortly and, the ‘project’, modestly assisted by Mr Thompson’s ‘business lunch’, is on track. Ross’s own pay, by the way, is said to be £6 million per year, but there the BBC’s new openness finds its limit. The pay of ‘artists’ or ‘talent’, as opposed to that of senior executives, remains a para-state secret.

The comedian Ricky Gervais wants to ban bullfighting on the grounds that it is ‘cruel’. Why, then, does he not want to ban Jonathan Ross?

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ian skidmore

July 2nd, 2009 12:39pm Report this comment

If only the bulls would vote to ban Gervais and Ross

Oxon

July 2nd, 2009 5:17pm Report this comment

Why not ban bullfighting? I tell you what, have the prat in the fancy garb go in without a weapon and see if he can last 10 minutes (no leaping out the boundary allowed), and at the end the man proves some survival skills and the bull is allowed to survive.

Helen

July 4th, 2009 10:02am Report this comment

I kind of agree with Oxon. I reckon they ought to take up the ancient Cretan idea of Bull dancing; that would be worth watching. People pitting their strength and agility against the bull. And they and the bull get to live afterwards (if they're fast enough). Were I twenty years younger I'd have a go.

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