Westminstenders: Frozen

[RedToothBrush]

Boris Johnson was empty chaired by C4 with a block of ice.

The Conservatives went mental and have threatened to look at C4 broadcast remit.

This is illiberal and anti democratic.

Journalists are supposed to hold power to account on behalf of the public. If MPs don't turn up then they can't be held to account.

They have a duty to show. It's not good enough to avoid scrutiny because it might make you look bad. That's the whole point.

The contempt with which Johnson holds the press and public is reprehensible and you should be concerned whatever your political alligence. It allows corruption to fester without consequence.

And to then threaten C4 because they do their job in line with their responsibility as a broadcaster is alarming.

This is how authoritarian dictators work.

The ECHR (European Convention/ Court of Human Rights) has nothing to do with the EU. It is a separate entity entirely.

I know that
I didn't say otherwise 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks for the link @tobee. I’ve completed the complaint form.

There does seem to be an over representation of Siamese owners slaves on these threads

Former slave of Siameses here. 🙋‍♀️ We are currently pet-free. DH is enjoying the peace. Our Siameses were very vocal.

Thanks for your indefatigable reporting from the front line, thread regulars. I struggle to keep up, but dip in and out when I can. Lately, I am struggling to get my head around just how much of a shit show the current election is turning out to be. It’s like UK politics has jumped the shark and is in terminal decline. You couldn’t make some of the current stuff up.

It's not terribly edifying, is it boatyard.

The reflex to immediately suspect the police of murder makes it more difficult to get justice on the occasions when they have actually done so
As well as being grossly unfair to prejudge police officers dealing with with someone they had to assume could commit mass murder.

It's important to have the facts before accusing any of the emergency services of causing death,
whether that is by negligence, incompetence or any other reason

e.g. when the first news of Grenfell came out, my first thought was not to ask if the fire brigade had screwed up and caused scores of deaths

The tragic death of de Menezes was due to serious failings in processes and equipment, which does not remotely reach the level of murder

It cannot be compared to the attempted murder of the completely innocent Stephen Waldorf - which was indeed a brutal murder attempt, despite the 2 police officers being acquitted

It certainly cannot be compared to the actual mass murders of innocent civilians in Bloody Sunday, Ballymurphy and scores of other atrocities committed by the security forces in NI

I once complained to the BBC, about some athletics coverage as it goes. Not only did I get an extremely snotty reply which did not address my (as it turns out completely fair) concerns, I got it 6 months after lodging my complaint.

Meant to ask this last night, why did Rebecca Long-Bailey do the debate last night?

Meant to ask this last night, why did Rebecca Long-Bailey do the debate last night?

It wasnt a Leaders one tobee

My mum complained about a BBC show years ago (not for political reasons btw) Piggy. The reply she received was along the lines of "thanks for taking an interest in the show, it means a lot to us that you watch it" !

Cheers Just.

and yes, anyone paying attention at the time should have remembered that it was the ECHR which stopped people like this terrorist suspect being effectively interned,
so the govt had to obey the law

The Tories are guilty of many things, but it doesn't help convince people when they are reflexly accused without knowing the facts

The ECHR decision was was hardly a secret - there was great indignation at the time

We need to think of what to do legally about such potentially dangerous people, as the current system seems inadequate to protect the public.
However, there has been too much frothing from all sides of the political spectrum and too little discussion & logical thought

In counter to your question tobee why did Rishi Sunack do it?

It was described as seven senior figures from each party.

And no, I've not heard of Rishi Sunack before.

Personally I would have liked Ian Blackford to have been there representing the SNP.

We need to think of what to do legally about such potentially dangerous people, as the current system seems inadequate to protect the public.

That's a bit stable doors closing after the horses have bolted. There has been plenty of time to discuss this seriously and to come up with the answer.

Personally I would have liked Ian Blackford to have been there representing the SNP.

He'd have torn everyone a new one and would have done it eloquently

We need to think of what to do legally about such potentially dangerous people, as the current system seems inadequate to protect the public.

Wasnt Gove justice secretary?

It's useful to have a wardrobe full of bogeymen, so you can swap and change when needed. Especially as the IRA rather unsportingly held to their word and stopped their activities.

Sorry, DGR, I don't understand this reply. Can you elucidate further?

You can answer it yourself . When was the last time the public weren't scared of a group of shadowy bad men ?

Never is when.

Right now is "Islamist terrorists" (or whatever). Last weeks number one was Irish people. Before that it was reds under the bed. Before that it was various unpleasant combinations of Eastern Europeans and the Jewish religion. Before that it was Napoleonic spies, before that Jacobite rebels and so on ...

There are probably a few I've left out .... "Yardies" were a big thing in London for a while.

A scared population is so much easier to order around. So much so that you'd be a lunatic not to be tempted to deliberately scare your population to make them more pliant.

Is my assertion.

Someone made a fake tweet purporting to be Corbyn's response to the London Bridge attack.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/london-bridge-attack-jeremy-corbyn-twitter-hoax-fake-terror-shot-dead-a9226866.html

I remember hearing about Rishi Sunak being slated to do that now I come to think of it.

Dont worry everyone the NHS is safe with the Tories

NHS
Revealed: NHS plans to ration 34 everyday tests and treatments

www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/29/revealed-nhs-plans-to-ration-34-unnecessary-tests-and-treatments?CMP=share_btn_tw

While I'm sure you're right about cuddly Ian Blackford Just the phrase "tearing someone a new one" always makes me wince

The reflex to immediately suspect the police of murder makes it more difficult to get justice on the occasions when they have actually done so

It would be helpful if you stuck to the facts - what has actually been said vs what you imagine has been said.

Either way, I find the argument to be bogus. Comparable to the claim that false allegations of rape make it harder for women to get justice for rape. They don’t, It’s very difficult for women to get justice on their own terms irrespective of false allegations which are rare. It’s an argument used to shut down questioning of CJS procedure.

We should always be scrupulously rational and careful in cases where state is ending someone’s life. If that means that every police killing should be held up to the light for analysis that’s fine.

Tweeted my complaint to the broadcastERG.

Hope less watch it and deplete viewing figures!

We need to think of what to do legally about such potentially dangerous people, as the current system seems inadequate to protect the public.

What we don't want to do - for all sorts of reasons - is invent a system which happily locks up people on zero evidence "just because", which has been a long and proud English, if not British tradition that is an export success story. Especially since the last government made compensation for miscarriages of justice (from which is deducted your enforced board and lodgings costs) practically impossible to claim.

Sorry tobee I love how he calmly takes people down and its always a pleasure to listen to him in the HOC, not my favorite orator but hes on the list

I thought Sturgeon did very well, her amused contempt for Tice was a masterclass in politely goading your enemy. He was fit to explode when she’d finished with him but couldn’t because she hadn’t said a word out of turn. That woman is seriously good, whether or not you agree with her.