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Post by hireton on May 9, 2022 11:52:25 GMT
Posters on here, especially, but not exclusively, the SNP ones, are obsessive critics of the BBC. Davwel's comments alone would fil a pamphlet. I think the critics should adopt Popper's position & look for evidence that doesn't confirm their position. Otherwise they just find what they seek. Davwel is not a SNP supporter as far as I know. |
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Post by richardstamper on May 9, 2022 11:52:39 GMT
That's the kind of thing that does work I think as access is still there but pedestrians/cyclists are prioritised. It's doing nothing more than dumping large pot plants in the middle of roads to block them off as in Oxford that seems to cause the biggest backlash. I suspect it all comes down to cash. Re-streetscaping can cost a fortune if done properly with creative design, utility redirection, removal and rebuilding of roads, pavements, kerbs, street furniture etc but it can look marvellous and work superbly. However if you're absolutely strapped for money as all local authorities are these days then they'll try a quick and dirty alternative. I suspect the very people who complain so loudly are the same ones who vote for a UK government that legislates against the local authorities having the money to do a proper job. The available funding is definitely a factor in Oxford, where the County Council got £2.4M from the central Active Travel fund for a whole raft of schemes across the county, of which the LTNs in Oxford form only a small part. There were various "anti-LTN" independents standing in the elections last week for the City Council (although not the highway authority so with no responsibility for the LTNs). Only one independent was elected and he was an incumbent and wasn't firmly anti-LTN but said he wanted them improved which is difficult to object to. In my ward the usual battle is between Labour and Green; the independent almost certainly depressed the Labour vote so the Green was elected this time by more than the usual margin either way - FPTP strikes again. The independents mostly came third, well behind the two usual contenders in each ward. The exception was Littlemore where they came second; ironically, most of Littlemore was already an LTN but the creation of a new LTN on the direct route between them and the local shopping centre had caused much annoyance. The second and currently final tranche of LTNs will be implemented next week. A decision on whether to make the first tranche, implemented a year ago, permanent is imminent and a similar decision on the second tranche will be due some time next year. There are no district or county elections next year - district (city) elections are next in 2024 (2-councillor wards with a councillor elected every 2 years for a 4-year term) and the county council elections are next in 2025 and it remains to be seen whether the LTNs will remain an electorally significant factor after 2-3 years of operation. |
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steve
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Post by steve on May 9, 2022 12:01:57 GMT
@crofty
n breath in n breath out!
There you are nice n calm.
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Post by bardin1 on May 9, 2022 12:11:46 GMT
Posters on here, especially, but not exclusively, the SNP ones, are obsessive critics of the BBC. Davwel's comments alone would fil a pamphlet. I think the critics should adopt Popper's position & look for evidence that doesn't confirm their position. Otherwise they just find what they seek. I am far from a critic of the BBC - it is a tremendous institution and one of the last and best bastions of what I would call 'British' culture. I think however successive Tory and Labour governments, with the passive acquiescence of the Lib dems have interfered both with its funding and its independence and objectivity to the extent that they are devaluing it. I think that is a disgrace and is another nail in the coffin of Britain as a concept and 'country' |
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Post by caroline on May 9, 2022 12:14:59 GMT
robbiealive/Mobby
I withdraw my remark "grow a brain". I try to suppress my anger. Most of the time successfully.
I have been a LP member a long time but don't claim to be a spokesperson (although I was for a long time chair of a large constituency and old habits die hard) . I am very aware of the schisms in the LP and as you rightly say rivalries in all parties exist and to some extent are necessary to prevent a party becoming moribund. What makes me really angry though is not arguments about policy differences but the way Daily Mail readers can just latch on to the latest smears against Labour without any reflection at all. It is abundantly clear that Smeargate is not a reflection of any internal labour splits, there is absolutely no evidence that the unnamed source or the ? disgruntled ex employee was a member of the LP or a supporter of any grouping inside the LP or even if they actually exist at all. The campaign meeting was a scheduled event with proper transparency and stopping for a meal did not break Covid guidelines. We do not know if the police will issue a FPN but if they do then Starmer will most likely resign. If a FPN happens, which is unlikely, there might well then be arguments in the LP about whether he should resign or not and there will certainly be arguments about who should replace him but that is not the issue yet. At the moment we are faced with what looks like an obvious smear against Starmer and then the usual anti labour groupies who try to tarnish the whole LP with accusations of splits which do not exist to keep the story running for as long as possible by expanding it with more lies. Abbots remarks were a reflection of what is current thinking in most of the LP. We don't think Starmer did anything wrong but if the police decide he did we will accept the consequences and start arguing about where we go from there later.
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Post by robbiealive on May 9, 2022 12:23:08 GMT
Posters on here, especially, but not exclusively, the SNP ones, are obsessive critics of the BBC. Davwel's comments alone would fil a pamphlet. I think the critics should adopt Popper's position & look for evidence that doesn't confirm their position. Otherwise they just find what they seek. Davwel is not a SNP supporter as far as I know. My comment was clumsily expressed. I like his comments. Esp other day when he was criticising the BBC bias in a match between PNE & Reading? That shows an admirable dedication. |
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Post by robbiealive on May 9, 2022 12:29:20 GMT
Posters on here, especially, but not exclusively, the SNP ones, are obsessive critics of the BBC. Davwel's comments alone would fil a pamphlet. I think the critics should adopt Popper's position & look for evidence that doesn't confirm their position. Otherwise they just find what they seek. I am far from a critic of the BBC - it is a tremendous institution and one of the last and best bastions of what I would call 'British' culture. I think however successive Tory and Labour governments, with the passive acquiescence of the Lib dems have interfered both with its funding and its independence and objectivity to the extent that they are devaluing it. I think that is a disgrace and is another nail in the coffin of Britain as a concept and 'country' I agree. I have not had a licence or TV reception since '91, so can't comment on BBC TV really. But I find R4 news & docus etc well-produced & often fascinating. You get some medical Prof from UCLA or somewhere talking about Long Covid for 10 minutes & you think, Jesus, I learnt something. I know I'm one of a dying breed but Frankly My Dear I Don't Give a Sh-t |
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steve
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Post by steve on May 9, 2022 12:31:49 GMT
According to the Times, Keir Starmer is considering announcing that, if he were to be fined for breaking lockdown rules in Durham, he would resign.
A promise he should make given that it's pretty evident that he hasn't broken any rules and that any judgement by Durham police that he did would have to be based on a ruling that political activity wasn't valid as a exception unless it's Tory political activity.
Which seems extremely unlikely.
Such a statement reinforces Starmer's moral high ground and makes the convict in number ten look even more contemptible.
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Post by shevii on May 9, 2022 12:41:10 GMT
Looks like "beergate" does have traction now:
YouGov
@yougov
Most Britons think that Keir Starmer either "definitely" or "probably" broke lockdown rules with #Beergate
Definitely did: 24%
Probably did: 30%
Probably did not: 16%
Definitely did not: 5%
I think those figures were 28% last week so it has had traction.
For what it is worth I'd be "probably" but as a technical and completely understandable breach rather than foaming at the mouth about deliberately breaking the rules and having a full on party and then another party and then another. They had options to stay completely within the law- eat in your room, work almost exclusively on zoom etc, and they well may have ended the day with a meal to wind things down rather than working at anything meaningful. However the simplest solution was to get everyone in a room, most of whom might have been in close proximity during the day anyway and feed them there. Anything else would have been complicated and less productive. The beer, and we don't know if it was "one", is the issue that could have been avoided and has added to the optics. Not much real reason to need to have alcohol that couldn't have waited until home/hotel room and I doubt without the beer photo this story would have got anywhere.
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Post by shevii on May 9, 2022 12:49:57 GMT
Also interesting yougov finding that more Labour (+16) than Tory (-3) think Starmer should resign if fined. Minefield there for interpreting the responses- either Tory voters want Starmer kept in place more than Labour voters do
(so acting out of factional interest) or Tory voters care less about the breaking of the covid laws, which would fit in with their more libertarian/less state intervention views.
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Post by crossbat11 on May 9, 2022 12:50:58 GMT
robbiealive PLEASE stop using the letter “n” for “and”. It’s ugly and lazy and pointless and makes me cross.  Your view maybe, but what about Rosie n Daisie's? |
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Post by jib on May 9, 2022 13:00:18 GMT
According to the Times, Keir Starmer is considering announcing that, if he were to be fined for breaking lockdown rules in Durham, he would resign. A promise he should make given that it's pretty evident that he hasn't broken any rules and that any judgement by Durham police that he did would have to be based on a ruling that political activity wasn't valid as a exception unless it's Tory political activity. Which seems extremely unlikely. Such a statement reinforces Starmer's moral high ground and makes the convict in number ten look even more contemptible. The cack handed buffoon has, through his crony friends in the ROC media, really landed himself in it now. By trying to smear a man who understands what honour means, the dimwit has exposed himself to be measured by those standards. What's the odd the ROC media will forget this story PDQ. |
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domjg
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Post by domjg on May 9, 2022 13:00:37 GMT
I am far from a critic of the BBC - it is a tremendous institution and one of the last and best bastions of what I would call 'British' culture. I think however successive Tory and Labour governments, with the passive acquiescence of the Lib dems have interfered both with its funding and its independence and objectivity to the extent that they are devaluing it. I think that is a disgrace and is another nail in the coffin of Britain as a concept and 'country' I agree. I have not had a licence or TV reception since '91, so can't comment on BBC TV really. But I find R4 news & docus etc well-produced & often fascinating. You get some medical Prof from UCLA or somewhere talking about Long Covid for 10 minutes & you think, Jesus, I learnt something. I know I'm one of a dying breed but Frankly My Dear I Don't Give a Sh-t The BBC does some great stuff and I'm especially grateful to the extra parent that is the CBeebies channel and to Radio 3 but the news organisation in recent years has gone to a very bad place imho. I was an avid, trusting consumer of BBC current affairs output until the referendum from which point on they both stretched the concept of balance beyond breaking point and have tried to reframe their output as more 'friendly' to what they think the 'patriotic' WWC wants to hear as well as simultaneously becoming terrified of this populist gvt. I listened to the R4 Today programme almost every day from the age of about 15 up to 2018 or thereabouts when it finally dawned on me that the reason I was arriving at work every morning feeling enraged was that the programme was slowly transmogrifying into the Mail on Radio, esp when presented by Mr 'why doesn't Ireland leave the EU with us' Humphries. I understand I'm not alone in feeling this way with listener numbers having plummeted. PM went the same way shortly afterwards with the departure of Eddie Mair who it seemd to me was the last of the fearless BBC news presenters/interviewers. R3 only from then on. I haven't watched Newsnight in years despite having always had a crush on Kirsty Wark! |
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c-a-r-f-r-e-w
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A step on the way toward the demise of the liberal elite? Or just a blip…
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Post by c-a-r-f-r-e-w on May 9, 2022 13:02:41 GMT
German election news from the Times:
“Olaf Scholz was handed a stinging rebuke by voters last night, with his Social Democratic Party on course to suffer a crushing defeat in state elections.
“After a campaign dominated as much by his handling of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis as local issues, the 63-year-old chancellor’s party was forecast to lose in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein by about 25 points. That would be by far its worst performance in the region since the Second World War.
The SPD, which before the Russian invasion had hopes of winning the election, now looks likely to slump into third place behind the Green party, according to initial projections.
Its main rival, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), was projected to win about 41 per cent of the vote, handing it almost enough seats in the state parliament to govern alone. The Green party appeared to be heading for second place, with 19 per cent, with the SPD on 16 per cent.
The scale of the defeat was unexpected: polls had suggested the margin between the parties would be closer.”
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Post by hireton on May 9, 2022 13:02:46 GMT
Also interesting yougov finding that more Labour (+16) than Tory (-3) think Starmer should resign if fined. Minefield there for interpreting the responses- either Tory voters want Starmer kept in place more than Labour voters do (so acting out of factional interest) or Tory voters care less about the breaking of the covid laws, which would fit in with their more libertarian/less state intervention views. Or more likely they recognise that if Starmer resigns it exposes Johnson and the Tory Party even more! |
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c-a-r-f-r-e-w
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Posts: 6,721
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Post by c-a-r-f-r-e-w on May 9, 2022 13:05:40 GMT
Also in the Times:
“Wordle players around the world have been left puzzled after a “major recent news event” prompted The New York Times to swap today’s word for some users.
The change confused players sharing their results today as they learnt that there were two different answers.”
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Post by hireton on May 9, 2022 13:09:27 GMT
Re the BBC, Scotland etc. Like bardin1 I am generally supportive of the BBC, especially its radio output. I think its UK news output is now poor, superficial and too frightened of offending the Tory Party and the quality of BBC Scotland news is very poor. More generally, I think James Robertson's "The news where you are" ( a terrible phrase and indicative of a mindset) sums at a lot humorously certainly for those outwith England and perhaps for some regions in England: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhL57cjN8xYIncidentally, Robertson's novel "And the Land Lay Still" is worth reading. |
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domjg
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Post by domjg on May 9, 2022 13:13:44 GMT
German election news from the Times:
“Olaf Scholz was handed a stinging rebuke by voters last night, with his Social Democratic Party on course to suffer a crushing defeat in state elections.
“After a campaign dominated as much by his handling of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis as local issues, the 63-year-old chancellor’s party was forecast to lose in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein by about 25 points. That would be by far its worst performance in the region since the Second World War.
The SPD, which before the Russian invasion had hopes of winning the election, now looks likely to slump into third place behind the Green party, according to initial projections.
Its main rival, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), was projected to win about 41 per cent of the vote, handing it almost enough seats in the state parliament to govern alone. The Green party appeared to be heading for second place, with 19 per cent, with the SPD on 16 per cent.
The scale of the defeat was unexpected: polls had suggested the margin between the parties would be closer.”Indeed. As per my earlier comment on this the CDU were always expected to be re-elected here with a very popular local leader but the scale of the CDU win and SPD defeat was significantly greater than had been expected and much of it maybe to do with the headless chicken approach to Ukraine in the coalition government of late while the CDU leader Merz visits Kyiv and looks statemanlike. All eyes on Nord Rhein Westfalen next week which was almost a toss up in 2017 and had been expected to see an SPD led coalition after next Sunday following the impressive SPD win in Saarland earlier this year but that may not now be the case. |
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pjw1961
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Post by pjw1961 on May 9, 2022 13:16:51 GMT
Also in the Times:
“Wordle players around the world have been left puzzled after a “major recent news event” prompted The New York Times to swap today’s word for some users.
The change confused players sharing their results today as they learnt that there were two different answers.”Fetus was an answer. |
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Post by mercian on May 9, 2022 13:24:27 GMT
pjw1961 What a pity they can't spell.
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c-a-r-f-r-e-w
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A step on the way toward the demise of the liberal elite? Or just a blip…
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Post by c-a-r-f-r-e-w on May 9, 2022 13:54:50 GMT
Indeed. As per my earlier comment on this the CDU were always expected to be re-elected here with a very popular local leader but the scale of the CDU win and SPD defeat was significantly greater than had been expected and much of it maybe to do with the headless chicken approach to Ukraine in the coalition government of late while the CDU leader Merz visits Kyiv and looks statemanlike. All eyes on Nord Rhein Westfalen next week which was almost a toss up in 2017 and had been expected to see an SPD led coalition after next Sunday following the impressive SPD win in Saarland earlier this year but that may not now be the case. Yes. Looking at the polling for Nordrhein-Westfalen:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_North_Rhine-Westphalia_state_election… one can see it’s seen some volatility. Started off with the CDU and SPD pretty close in 2017 as you say, then a big lead for CDU, then flipped to quite a big lead for SPD, and now it’s pretty close. Election on Sunday? |
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Post by hireton on May 9, 2022 14:16:24 GMT
Starmer is expected to make a statement at 4pm that he will resign if issued with a FPN. Spotlight would then back on Johnson and his Tory supporters as to why Johnson who has been issued with a FPN doesn't.
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domjg
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Post by domjg on May 9, 2022 14:16:44 GMT
Indeed. As per my earlier comment on this the CDU were always expected to be re-elected here with a very popular local leader but the scale of the CDU win and SPD defeat was significantly greater than had been expected and much of it maybe to do with the headless chicken approach to Ukraine in the coalition government of late while the CDU leader Merz visits Kyiv and looks statemanlike. All eyes on Nord Rhein Westfalen next week which was almost a toss up in 2017 and had been expected to see an SPD led coalition after next Sunday following the impressive SPD win in Saarland earlier this year but that may not now be the case. Yes. Looking at the polling for Nordrhein-Westfalen: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_North_Rhine-Westphalia_state_election… one can see it’s seen some volatility. Started off with the CDU and SPD pretty close in 2017 as you say, then a big lead for CDU, then flipped to quite a big lead for SPD, and now it’s pretty close. Election on Sunday? You can see the SPD nudging into the lead about the time of the state parliament election in Saarland in March where the SPD did so well but they've fallen back again now. |
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Post by davwel on May 9, 2022 14:18:11 GMT
Robbie A @ 12.39 and 13.23 pm
My criticism of the BBC on the PNE v Fulham (NOT Reading) game on April 19th was that they replaced the normally neutral commentary by one penned by a passionate Fulham supporter.
I praise the BBC when they are neutral, evaluate the evidence, and act responsibly, but on Apr 19th the sheer bias of the commentary would have shocked every neutral. This was done by the BBC because it was important to their producers to spotlight the promotion of a successful London team. So normal service was suspended for supporters outside the SE.
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neilj
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Post by neilj on May 9, 2022 14:19:11 GMT
Despite the spin some have put on it in the press Labour seems to be doing okay in the 'red wall' seats
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Post by bardin1 on May 9, 2022 14:22:48 GMT
Re the BBC, Scotland etc. Like bardin1 I am generally supportive of the BBC, especially its radio output. I think its UK news output is now poor, superficial and too frightened of offending the Tory Party and the quality of BBC Scotland news is very poor. More generally, I think James Robertson's "The news where you are" ( a terrible phrase and indicative of a mindset) sums at a lot humorously certainly for those outwith England and perhaps for some regions in England: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhL57cjN8xYIncidentally, Robertson's novel "And the Land Lay Still" is worth reading. James Robertson is appearing at our book festival on 22nd May ( I am on the committee) www.birnambookfestival.co.uk/bbf-events/james-roberston-news-of-the-dead/Worth a visit to Bonnie Birnam for it Danny and Alec should also attend for this event, for the opening speaker Professor Devi Sridhar ( I will be stewarding so can keep them apart!) www.birnambookfestival.co.uk/bbf-events/opening-night/ |
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Post by robbiealive on May 9, 2022 14:28:24 GMT
PM went the same way shortly afterwards with the departure of Eddie Mair who it seemd to me was the last of the fearless BBC news presenters/interviewers. R3 only from then on. I haven't watched Newsnight in years despite having always had a crush on Kirsty Wark! 1. I merely commented that the site is anti-BBC, that all repeated crticisms become tedious, & that you should avoid what Laszlow then called the confirmation hypothesis. If you don't like the News programmes don't listen to them. That this should lead you to avoid all BBC Radio 4 seems to me bizarre. 2. Of cousre BBC under pressure from the worst ghovernment we had in decades. Imagine dealing with tired n emotional Dorries, so brain dead that she planned to privatise Ch 4, without knowing its funding model. How low can we sink. 3. Most news reports are poor. As I said above the NI results were headlined Sinn Fein Triumph, New Mandate for United Ireland, pictures of SF leaders hugging, plaudits flow in from Sturgeon etc, blah bl--dy blah, when their vote & seat numbers were static. Were the public informed by yr reliable & fave news source that all that happened was that Alliance etc had taken seats off the DUP etc. Did it give tghem a full lowdown on the idiocy of the DUP & Brexit? |
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domjg
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Post by domjg on May 9, 2022 14:45:30 GMT
PM went the same way shortly afterwards with the departure of Eddie Mair who it seemd to me was the last of the fearless BBC news presenters/interviewers. R3 only from then on. I haven't watched Newsnight in years despite having always had a crush on Kirsty Wark! 1. I merely commented that the site is anti-BBC, that all repeated crticisms become tedious, & that you should avoid what Laszlow then called the confirmation hypothesis. If you don't like the News programmes don't listen to them. That this should lead you to avoid all BBC Radio 4 seems to me bizarre. 2. Of cousre BBC under pressure from the worst ghovernment we had in decades. Imagine dealing with tired n emotional Dorries, so brain dead that she planned to privatise Ch 4, without knowing its funding model. How low can we sink. 3. Most news reports are poor. As I said above the NI results were headlined Sinn Fein Triumph, New Mandate for United Ireland, pictures of SF leaders hugging, plaudits flow in from Sturgeon etc, blah bl--dy blah, when their vote & seat numbers were static. Were the public informed by yr reliable & fave news source that all that happened was that Alliance etc had taken seats off the DUP etc. Did it give tghem a full lowdown on the idiocy of the DUP & Brexit? You have a point re the rest of R4 output which can indeed be very interesting. I guess I see it as a point of principle now to avoid the whole station irrational as that might be. I agree no news reports get it completely right but Channel 4 news aside even Sky are better than the BBC which became paralysed by fear of offending the new religion of Brexit which to me has destroyed any claim it had to analytical objectivity. I also watch the German Heute and Heute Journal programmes on Zdf a few times a week and am struck by the level of interrogation and analysis from a mainstream news show that's lacking here. |
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Post by lululemonmustdobetter on May 9, 2022 15:07:56 GMT
The BBC does some great stuff and I'm especially grateful to the extra parent that is the CBeebies channel and to Radio 3 but the news organisation in recent years has gone to a very bad place imho. I was an avid, trusting consumer of BBC current affairs output until the referendum from which point on they both stretched the concept of balance beyond breaking point and have tried to reframe their output as more 'friendly' to what they think the 'patriotic' WWC wants to hear as well as simultaneously becoming terrified of this populist gvt. I listened to the R4 Today programme almost every day from the age of about 15 up to 2018 or thereabouts when it finally dawned on me that the reason I was arriving at work every morning feeling enraged was that the programme was slowly transmogrifying into the Mail on Radio, esp when presented by Mr 'why doesn't Ireland leave the EU with us' Humphries. I understand I'm not alone in feeling this way with listener numbers having plummeted. PM went the same way shortly afterwards with the departure of Eddie Mair who it seemd to me was the last of the fearless BBC news presenters/interviewers. R3 only from then on. I haven't watched Newsnight in years despite having always had a crush on Kirsty Wark! |
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Post by Mark on May 9, 2022 15:17:27 GMT
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