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AIBU?

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Original poster

Laura Kuensburg again....

136 replies

chomalungma · 11/12/2019 16:28

She has been talking about the postal votes and how they look for the Labour party.

Either it's misinformation she's been given, or she is just telling what she knows.

Either way, she should know the law about postal votes.

"Anyone attending a postal vote opening session has a duty to maintain secrecy. Ballot papers will be kept face down throughout a postal vote opening sessio"

"It may be an offence to communicate any information obtained at postal vote opening sessions, including about votes cast, before a poll has closed. Anyone with information to suggest this has happened should report it immediately to the police"

She should be aware of the rules and know when to keep quiet. I would have thought that since she had been caught out recently with tweeting fake news from Conservative sources, she would have been more careful.

OP posts:
MrsMaiselsMuff · 11/12/2019 16:30

She doesn't care, if she loses her job at the BBC she'll go to Conservative HQ.

Ravenrob · 11/12/2019 16:35

Yeah, was thinking this myself when I heard her on the news earlier.

Buddywoo · 11/12/2019 16:39

It is disgraceful on many levels but I am not optimistic that she will lose her job. She should though.

recrudescence · 11/12/2019 16:40

I like Kuenssberg but talking about postal voting in this way breaks the law. She could be in really hot water.

AIBU1112 · 11/12/2019 16:41

Did you watch that video? She clearly says that by law, they're(the candidates) are not supposed to know but they sort of do. AND that both the Tories and the Labour candidates told her that it is grim for Labour. What did she do wrong? She just reported whatever she learned. Why is this a problem?

StreetwiseHercules · 11/12/2019 16:42

I think she will be in bother this time. She’s possibly the most biased and arrogant journalist at the BBC. Possibly pushed her luck too far now.

Original poster
chomalungma · 11/12/2019 16:44

What did she do wrong? She just reported whatever she learned. Why is this a problem
Postal votes laws - you are not supposed to look at the votes and definitely not allowed to reveal them.

She revealed them. As a BBC journalist, she is not supposed to break electoral law. For good reason.

OP posts:
AIBU1112 · 11/12/2019 16:45

She revealed what she learned. If anything, the Labour and Tory candidates should be in trouble. AFAIC, she did her job.

JinglingHellsBells · 11/12/2019 16:47

she just makes it all up. It's The World According to Laura. Her opinions, never facts.

KayakingOnDown · 11/12/2019 16:47

Wow that is breaking the Ofcom broadcasting code and BBC's own editorial guidelines - she should know better.

Disagree re bias though - she is definitely not pro-Tory.

Original poster
chomalungma · 11/12/2019 16:47

She revealed what she learned

Which is against the electoral law.

And yes - the people who looked at the votes have also broken electoral law.

OP posts:
AgeShallNotWitherHer · 11/12/2019 16:49

She repoted what she "knew" by virtue of her position as a reporter for the BBC. She reported it to the world.

Personally I can't stand her. It's always all about her and "her" story when it should be about the facts themselves.

thepeopleversuswork · 11/12/2019 16:49

The legality issue is worrying but presumably it was the parties which broke the rules primarily? Yes the BBC shouldn't run it and she probably will have her wrist slapped but presumably someone at one of the party HQs leaked it?

As a separate issue sick of people having a pop at Laura Kuenssburg for basically being a journalist. People seem to expect her to be a mouthpiece for Corbyn. She's terrier-like and sometimes highly irritating but she's doing her job. She's not obliged to take a pro-Labour stance.

A lot of this is just ill-disguised sexism in my view. You don't get people popping up when Adam Boulton or Norman Smith or any of these male "big beasts" runs an anti-Labour story.

AIBU1112 · 11/12/2019 16:50

So make sure that the candiates have their candidature(?) withdrawn. Why isn't there a bigger outrage over that? Surely the Polling agents who were counting the postal votes should also be in trouble. Why just Laura?

StealthPolarBear · 11/12/2019 16:51

I've never understood why people think she's pro tory. When I was on twitter she was about as anti as they come.

Original poster
chomalungma · 11/12/2019 16:53

As a separate issue sick of people having a pop at Laura Kuenssburg for basically being a journalist

Her and Peston both released fake news a few days ago because they didn't bother to fact check a story.

A lot of this is just ill-disguised sexism in my view. You don't get people popping up when Adam Boulton or Norman Smith or any of these male "big beasts" runs an anti-Labour

She is a BBC journalist close to the sources of power who works for an organisation we fund and trust and who has released Fake news because she was given it by a Conservative source who turned out to lie and now she's broken electoral law.

The BBC are supposed to be better than that.

OP posts:
RuffleCrow · 11/12/2019 16:54

Are you sure it's not just a technical thing about the exact number of votes or who's won in each constituency you're not allowed to reveal?

When i was in politics this sort of 'vague picture' info about the postal votes was pretty common amongst those in the know. Then again none of us were reporting it on the news!

Original poster
chomalungma · 11/12/2019 16:54

Why just Laura

Are you a binary thinker?

The people involved in the counting who have done this and Laura should be in trouble. It's not binary.

OP posts:
AIBU1112 · 11/12/2019 16:55

She also apologized and retracted the story. She has ethics that many journalists don't have. She is one of the true neutral journalists left.

Original poster
chomalungma · 11/12/2019 16:55

Are you sure it's not just a technical thing about the exact number of votes or who's won in each constituency you're not allowed to reveal

The rules are here.

www.electoralcommission.org.uk/media/1826

OP posts:
Original poster
chomalungma · 11/12/2019 16:55

She also apologized and retracted the story

She should have fact checked it in the first place. Basic journalism.

OP posts:
Leighhalfpennysthigh · 11/12/2019 16:57

People seem to expect her to be a mouthpiece for Corbyn

No, just report the facts like an unbiased journalist should. However the BBC is so obviously pro Tory and pro leave.

AIBU1112 · 11/12/2019 16:57

@chomalungma Are you happy with tokenism? Just Laura but the rest of them can be free and should not be named because they are not the people you have a beef with?

Original poster
chomalungma · 11/12/2019 16:59

Are you happy with tokenism? Just Laura but the rest of them can be free and should not be named because they are not the people you have a beef wit

I have no idea who the rest of them are.

I do know that a BBC journalist - a person who is a key member of a media organisation who we fund and which is supposed to be independent has, in the last 3 days, tweeted Fake news without fact checking, and has broken electoral law and OFCOM regulations.

Are you happy with that?

OP posts:
ForalltheSaints · 11/12/2019 17:10

If Laura Kuenssburg was so biased against the Conservatives, I am sure that Boris Johnson would have found any excuse not to be interviewed by her.

I agree that those who fed the information are the culprits, whether it is true or not.