Congratulations to Dave Hodgson, the new Mayor of Bedford!
A really promising result for us and a real disappointment for Labour and the Tories. Bedford Borough is a lot more rural than it's name suggests, and the Tories were predicted to do very well, and polled 49.9% in Mid Beds in the last general election.
If the Conservatives really were the only party with solutions to Britain's problems and a plan for the future they would've romped home in this election. Instead it's clear that people are putting their trust in the Liberal Democrats to represent them at local government level.
Labour can take nothing away from this election. Just more evidence that 2-party politics is dead and buried and that Labour are beyond recovery.
Congratulations once again and all the best in your new post, Dave!
Friday 16 October 2009
A few thoughts on the BNP
So the 'BNP Question Time' is going to be broadcast. On Thursday, as it happens.
I'm just hoping the BBC are sensible and don't dedicate a whole hour to discussing race, immigration and 'political correctness gone mad'. When UKIP appear we don't see an entire QT on the Lisbon Treaty, or a programme dedicated to global warming for the appearance of a Green Party member. Allowing Griffin to hijack the agenda is the worst thing the BBC can do, especially after the Radio 1 newsbeat interview with two 'young BNP supporters' ( the boss of their 'record label' and their head of publicity) that raised a few eyebrows last week.
The BBC should avoid asking any questions about immigration or race altogether. Griffin's trump card is his public speaking ability. He can rattle off the polished, sanitised, 'we're not racists' official party line on immigration and race relations very well. I doubt he'll have the same energy and expertise on other policy areas. To really put the BNP under the spotlight, lets have a question time about the environment, the economy and spending plans, media/sport and education. Dedicating any time at all to race and immigration gives Griffin his chance to shine, and gets his face all over the next mornings papers.
I'm just hoping the BBC are sensible and don't dedicate a whole hour to discussing race, immigration and 'political correctness gone mad'. When UKIP appear we don't see an entire QT on the Lisbon Treaty, or a programme dedicated to global warming for the appearance of a Green Party member. Allowing Griffin to hijack the agenda is the worst thing the BBC can do, especially after the Radio 1 newsbeat interview with two 'young BNP supporters' ( the boss of their 'record label' and their head of publicity) that raised a few eyebrows last week.
The BBC should avoid asking any questions about immigration or race altogether. Griffin's trump card is his public speaking ability. He can rattle off the polished, sanitised, 'we're not racists' official party line on immigration and race relations very well. I doubt he'll have the same energy and expertise on other policy areas. To really put the BNP under the spotlight, lets have a question time about the environment, the economy and spending plans, media/sport and education. Dedicating any time at all to race and immigration gives Griffin his chance to shine, and gets his face all over the next mornings papers.
Shameful journalism
It's really sad to see articles like this being published so soon after an unexpected death of a man who kept himself to himself and upset nobody.
Interestingly the title of the piece has now been changed, removing the assertion that there was 'nothing natural' about Mr Gately's death. The title is now slightly more dignified, although the ridiculous assertions that Gately practically died of homosexuality still remain, tacked on to the bottom of the article as if to just tick the 'gay jibe' box on the Daily Mail op-ed checklist.
The Daily Mail don't help themselves by allowing this kind of trash journalism to go to print. An article so defamatory about a well-respected popular figure won't go down well with many people at all, not even it's usual readership. For a paper that so often criticises politicians and particularly younger people for lacking respect, this sneering, presumptuous nonsense hardly shows the Mail leading by example when it comes to respectful behaviour.
Smearing and cheap shots are often the mark of a poor journalist. Smearing and cheap shots at a man who's just suddenly died at only 33 are the mark of the most contemptable article I'll probably read all year.
Interestingly the title of the piece has now been changed, removing the assertion that there was 'nothing natural' about Mr Gately's death. The title is now slightly more dignified, although the ridiculous assertions that Gately practically died of homosexuality still remain, tacked on to the bottom of the article as if to just tick the 'gay jibe' box on the Daily Mail op-ed checklist.
The Daily Mail don't help themselves by allowing this kind of trash journalism to go to print. An article so defamatory about a well-respected popular figure won't go down well with many people at all, not even it's usual readership. For a paper that so often criticises politicians and particularly younger people for lacking respect, this sneering, presumptuous nonsense hardly shows the Mail leading by example when it comes to respectful behaviour.
Smearing and cheap shots are often the mark of a poor journalist. Smearing and cheap shots at a man who's just suddenly died at only 33 are the mark of the most contemptable article I'll probably read all year.
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