14th November 2010
UPDATE, 3rd Dec: John Rentoul links to this site with his ‘BBC Bias on Iraq’ article. Notice how the usual “Blair haters” never respond to the actual point of the story. They just regurgitate their own prejudices. The WE ALL KNOWERS are alive and well (sort of) and still after the best of us, never the worst.
UPDATE: A 2nd instalment for the day of ‘BBC Bias’ is now online – “On Poppy Burners & Arrest of an EDL member”
Click to Buy Tony Blair’s ‘A Journey’
DISGRACEFUL BBC BIAS ON REMEMBRANCE DAY
AIRBRUSHING TONY BLAIR
- CAN YOU SPOT TONY BLAIR? Today at the Remembrance Service: (L-R) Labour leader Ed Miliband, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg and British Prime Minister David Cameron wait to lay theirs wreaths at the Cenotaph during Remembrance Sunday in Whitehall, on November 14, 2010 in London. Tony Blair is hidden behind Nick Clegg, and remained out of shot through ALL the BBC’s coverage. Remembrance Sunday tributes were carried out across the nation to pay respects to all who those who lost their lives in current and past conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
[Picture above thanks to DayLife here]
David Dimbleby reporting on politicians attending: “former prime ministers Sir John Major, Gordon Brown…” and that was it, even as Tony Blair walked in front of the camera.
What? No Tony Blair?
As I watched the BBC’s coverage from the cenotaph this morning I wondered for a time if I was being paranoid. I noted from the start that the BBC’s cameras seemed to be strategically positioned in order NOT to fall at any time on Tony Blair. They will deny this, of course, but I DO know something about editing by camera position.
The prime minister who took the momentous decisions to take Britain to war in both Iraq and Afghanistan was hardly ever noticeable and never lingered on. Worse still, the broadcaster, supposedly respected by many it seems, David Dimbleby CLEARLY had made a decision or was instructed NOT to mention Mr Blair as even being present.
Now, I realise that the remembrance service is about the armed services and not about politicians, and rightly so. I have often attended the cenotaph commemoration service and if not there I usually attend my local service. BUT the dreadful and utterly biased BBC strategy of omitting Blair from the whole picture was clear as day.
He was standing in the second row of politicians next to John Major, and behind Nick Clegg who was next to David Cameron.
As Cameron moved to lay his wreath at the cenotaph we got a view of Sir John Major directly behind. But as Mr Clegg and the others went to lay their wreaths the camera in use was changed to a side shot. From that position we could NOT see who was behind Mr Clegg, although we had been given a full-on shot of John Major as Cameron moved to lay his wreath.
As if that wasn’t bad enough (and still not even a mention of the presence of Britain’s recent and most significant war decision-maker) THIS happened.
As the politicians left the scene in Whitehall, Brown, Major AND BLAIR and others, Dimbleby said- “former prime ministers, Sir John Major, Gordon Brown…”
NO MENTION OF TONY BLAIR!
Not even a reference to his being there.
Disgraceful. And we the licence payers PAY for THIS?
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Post linked at John Rentoul’s here
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MORE ON LONDON’S REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE
The BBC carried the Remembrance Day service from the cenotaph in Whitehall, live this morning. Streamed video news is only available in the UK, but anyone can read about it here.
The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and other members of the royal family, serving political leaders and previous prime ministers, including Brown, Blair, Major were in attendance.
On his second visit to the region Prince William laid a wreath at Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. (See report, AOL UK News)
The second in line to the throne was accompanied by Defence Secretary Liam Fox who placed his own floral tribute during the event on Sunday morning.
Dr Fox said: “Remembrance Sunday is a time when the entire country stops to recognise the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces on our behalf.
“I am extremely proud that Prince William and I could come to Camp Bastion to stand alongside the men and women serving in Afghanistan today.
“I pay tribute to them, and everyone who has served before them in this conflict, and others on behalf of the freedoms that the British people enjoy.”
They were accompanied by senior British military officers in theatre, including Commander British Forces, Lieutenant General James Bucknall, Commander Task Force Helmand, Brigadier James Chiswell and the British Ambassador to Kabul, Sir William Patey.
Prince William left Camp Bastion for the UK soon after the memorial.
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RELATED
PREVIOUS POSTS HERE ON BBB BIAS
- BBC’s Iraq Inquiry coverage (and impartiality rules) under scrutiny
- BBC APOLOGISES TO BLAIR. Oh, sorry, I meant GELDOF. Well, it’s a start
- Top BBC reporter guilty of misrepresenting Iraq Inquiry evidence
I did not expect the BBC to refer to Mr Blair’s generous donation to the Royal British Legion of millions of pounds – ALL the proceeds from his memoirs. They clearly believe he did this for the wrong reasons. But I am utterly ashamed that they airbrushed Britain’s most significant prime minister in over half a century, like it or not, from this commemoration. And people wonder why I am still writing this blog. It’s called fairness.
Like most of us in this country I want to thank the services to the dedication to freedom and democracy of our armed forces, HERE and around the world.
We WILL remember.
ADDENDUM
Just spotted this useful graphic at Guido Fawkes’ site.
If this is accurate, and it probably is, since 1945 only 3,431 British soldiers have died in combat. I say “only” because comparatively it IS “only” !! From 1914 to 1945, (31 years) it was one and a quarter million. From 1945 to 2010 (65 years) it was a three and a half thousand. This is about 0.27% of the 1914-1945 period.
While not meaning to belittle any deaths in wars of any magnitude, necessity or ferocity, I have long held the view that the screams of – “so many soldiers died in Iraq and Afghanistan” – is completely wrong-headed and worse disingenuous. It’s not only wrong-headed because in fact for 6/9 years wars there are actually FEW soldiers who have died in the ongoing Middle East wars. It is disingenuous because those who scream those words the loudest are never, or at least seldom those in the frontline. The screamers have a different agenda. Only, they are not honest enough or perhaps bright enough to admit it or even know it. Their agenda is so-called liberal understanding for all – aka capitulation to evil.
Click to Buy Tony Blair’s ‘A Journey’
_______________
Sign the Ban Blair-Baiting petition here
Recent comments:
“All countries need a leader who isn’t afraid to fight terrorism. I believe Mr. Blair did a necessary job in helping his allies. Are we all just supposed to lie down and wait for them to come for us, I don’t think so.”
And – “Mr. Blair is one of the finest politicians to have had the privilege of serving the United Kingdom, and Britons are fortunate to have had him as their Prime Minister. Time will show that Mr. Blair’s approach to affairs in the Middle East were and remain correct. From a member of the Commonwealth, thank you, Mr. Blair, for your continued service to legitimate and lasting (and not convenient or politically expedient) freedom.”
AND – “Tony Blair was the greatest Prime Minister since Winston Churchill and the only regret I have he didn’t get my vote as I live in Canada.”
AND – “I am sick and tired of television and radio interviewers asking the same old questions over and over, regarding the decision to go to war in Iraq, presumably they hope Mr Blair will let slip some secret information which they would then use against him. History will show if the decision was the right one, (I believe it was) but people must accept that Tony Blair is an honourable man, and made his decision based on the known facts and not with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.”
Tags: Afghanistan, airbrushing Tony Blair, BBC, biased BBC, British Armed Forces, Camp Bastion, cenotaph 2010, David Cameron, David Dimbleby, Daylife, Dimbleby, Ed Miliband, Gordon Brown, Helmand Province, Iraq, john major, John Rentoul, Middle East, nick clegg, prime minister, Prince William, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday, Royal British Legion, the queen, Tony Blair, TV coverage, UK war dead graphic, Whitehall, William Patey, Winston Churchill, World War I
Tony Blair 
November 14, 2010 at 4:58 pm |
I can see his ears!
November 14, 2010 at 5:07 pm |
Yes, Pete. I was going to say that, but I couldn’t kick the man any more when the rest of them are always down on him.
How ARE you, me ol’ mate, anyway?
November 14, 2010 at 5:58 pm |
I’m pretty good thank you. I’ve been up to my neck in it the last few weeks, particularly putting together this BMCR idea which has taken off like a rocket. Just a pity this idea isn’t one which is going to make me any money!
I’ve been up to the smoke every week for the last three weeks and I’m going up again on Wednesday. Life is pretty exhausting at the moment. How about you?
November 14, 2010 at 6:43 pm |
Sorry, Peter – I’ve forgotten. What’s the BMCR idea?
Life is hectic here too. Usually is, actually.
November 14, 2010 at 7:19 pm |
Facebook page: British Medicinal Cannabis Register
http://peterreynolds.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/british-medicinal-cannabis-register/
Some very, very eminent people have agreed to sit on the council. In particular, Baroness Meacher, Paul Flynn MP (not a million miles away!) and, most satisfying of all, Professor Les Iversen, who also just happens to be chairman of the government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Quite a coup that one.
November 14, 2010 at 7:42 pm |
Good for you, Peter. Well done. Can’t take to Paul Flynn though. An anti-Iraq war Old Labourite. Rather pompous, in the Archbishop of Canterbury style. Only not as sharp or as learned as Rowan Williams. Though he probably thinks he is. I expect you like them both, cos they’re both Welsh.
Good luck with your council. Are you chairing it?
Btw, Baroness Meacher? Not related to Michael, by any chance? He’s another wally!
November 14, 2010 at 4:59 pm |
You’d have thought they could have managed a front row seat for their biggest doner ever, wouldn’t you?
November 14, 2010 at 5:10 pm |
Well, I’m glad they didn’t do THAT. If they had upfronted him in any way, then that would have been given as the reason he gave the British Legion all those millions, wouldn’t it?
A mention of his PRESENCE not his present would have been something. David Dimbleby and his BBC Co are a disgrace, imho.
November 14, 2010 at 6:22 pm |
It is a pretty disturbing story that you tell today. I was on Weymouth seafront earlier for our local service then walking the dogs, then glued to the Grand Prix so I haven’t seen the BBC coverage yet.
I was outraged about GW saying waterboarding was OK the other day but haven’t had time to write about it. What’s your view on that?
November 14, 2010 at 6:56 pm |
Well, Peter. Waterboarding? I think I’d have to write more than a quick response here to let you know what I think. But here’s a clue – there are a lot of things that outrage me. Waterboarding isn’t one of them.
November 14, 2010 at 7:12 pm |
In that case, you should try it some time or, as a special favour to my ol’ mate, Dr Mengele and I will give you the option of waterboarding or having your fingernails pulled out. Which would you prefer?
Incidentally, ol’ matey Mengy knows full well any information we get out of you will be completely unreliable anyway. He just does it for fun.
November 14, 2010 at 7:34 pm |
Thannks for the choice, Peter. I’ll have the waterboarding, then. Doesn’t incapacitate your fingers for life and no-one has died of it.
There’s a bit in Blair’s book – read it yet, btw? – where he says something like – “if there were two planes, one onto which would be loaded suspected Islamist terrorists and the other without, which plane would the people who complain about our treatment of suspected terrorists put their kids on?”
We are fighting with our hands (very CLEAN hands, of course) tied behind our backs when we treat these terror suspects gently, as though they’d treat us that way. They do not recognise international laws or human rights and yet WE are expected to in the puerile and naive belief that we will muddle through somehow without lowering ourselves to their level.
It’s rubbish, of course.
It’s a war, only not the kind we’re used to. And in war, different rules apply.
November 15, 2010 at 1:35 am |
Ah but BS, nobody has died from having their fingernails pulled out either as far as I know. Nor from the KGB’s preferred nethod (acc. to Mr Solzhenitsyn) of having their scrotum slowly trodden on (usually by a female interrogator).
As for Tone’s ridiculous thought-experiment: well, as the SUSPECTED Islamic terrorists would obviously be as innocent in the eyes of the law as some well-known SUSPECTED war criminals, I’d go for whichever flight had more seats (probably the one with the brown guys if Blair’s attitude and your are anything to go by). Much more comfy.
P. S. I could see his ears too. And did it occur to you that he might have requested low-key coverage?
P.P.S. Not all that polite…..
November 15, 2010 at 1:58 am |
Well, I’m glad you and I won’t be sitting on the same plane, Rob. Otherwise one of us might suggest to the other that we wander outside to settle our differences.
And yes, it did cross my mind that Blair might have wanted it low-profile. I dismissed that thought for two reasons. If he requested that, the Beeb would do the opposite. They can’t help it. They react knee-jerkingly to Blair. Like you do.
Also, if he didn’t want to attend for some reason he could have stayed abroad. Only just got back on Saturday from the Mid-East and Canada to name but two.
Polite? What’s this? Is that eineklein questioning MY politeness? Or just stating a fact about your own politeness? That reminds me – didn’t you just describe me as “evil” for something at your blog? For something I said, presumably? Probably to do with not liking Islamist extremists.
Btw, I have an easy relationship with Peter. He invariably makes me smile. So, I wasn’t actually volunteering for waterboarding or finger-nail pulling or the other one, if you must throw that into the mix. I was just saying that waterboarding isn’t fatal.
November 15, 2010 at 12:34 pm |
Not impugning your politeness, BS. I described you as “evil” in a post on my blog arising from your post before this one, the one where you criticise TB for being insufficiently anti-Muslim and pro-Wilders, and quote such “experts” on Islam as the catholc.com website. (Though that is just the latest of a string of posts where you reveal some very unpleasant attitudes and aspirations indeed). You commented to the effect that I was being a hypocrite by being polite when I posted here and roundly criticising you on my own blog. I simply pointed out that I’m not always all THAT polite here: I just know you prefer not to have people drawing attention on your own blog to your…how shall I put it?…less than total commitment to democracy and British values. So I do that elsewhere.
I posted another comment (on the post following this one)which while not as robust as the stuff I put on my own blog is a tad critical. I see it’s still awaiting moderation, which might suggest that you prefer me just to post here on the occasions when I agree with you. (Hey, even Darth Vader wasn’t wrong ALL the time.) Suits me.
November 15, 2010 at 1:17 pm |
OK, Rob, you’re not entirely evil either – just naive or blinded by your commitment to “liberal” values. The kind of values which drives so-called “liberals” (in the live and let live/die mode) NEVER or at least SELDOM to criticise Muslim cultural/religious niceties imported here such as honour killings, female genital mutilation and multiple marriages. The kind of values which, even from the so-called Internationalist Left, mean that we must NEVER intervene where we see real evil in the world, because it’s none of our business. Even when it is.
I am pro-Wilders for several reasons but at least partly because he is pro freedom of speech. Funny how you’re not, with YOUR “values” and all. But I am also pro him because he is at least to an extent right that SOME immigrants are living under the misapprehension that we in Europe are going to roll over and swallow Sharia and its extremely discriminatory laws. OK, I realise some of us are for rolling over – YOU, for a start. But most of us aren’t in favour of that kind of backward-looking barbarism, or in favour of diluting or even eventually losing the secular liberal laws, based on Christianity, which took us centuries to attain.
PLEASE PLEASE DO draw attention to anything you like at my blog. Let others be the judge of MY commitment to democracy and British values. We already know yours.
As for your other comment – sorry, haven’t see it yet. I’ll go and approve it, whatever it says.
November 15, 2010 at 3:04 pm |
No apologies for drawing attention to the latest post on my blog, particularly as it’s all about my novel!
http://peterreynolds.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/london-games-the-novel/
Please distribute as widely as you can.
You know it makes sense!
November 15, 2010 at 10:09 pm |
Have left a comment, Peter. I’ll also try to blog on it when I have time. Best wishes to you with this. It sounds intriguing and is a great idea.
November 15, 2010 at 11:18 pm |
Thank you. Six months work, 80,000 words. I love it and I’m already on the next.
November 15, 2010 at 11:41 pm |
Good man. Keep at it. I want a signed copy.
November 16, 2010 at 4:00 am |
Thank you for approving the other comment. Incidentally honour killings, FGM and multiple marriages are in no way Muslim innovations: the USA had all of them until recently and while FGM is more of an African thing we has the others in antiquity here too. Not clever, not modern, and certainly not “liberal” but not Muslim either. (BTW, a small hint: only right-wing Americans use “liberal” as a term of abuse. It’s the details that give one away.)
November 16, 2010 at 11:48 am |
Rob,
I think you are UTTERLY and completely wrong about what the USA had until recently – honour killings, FGM, multiple marriages. Provide a link to prove yourself NOT lying. If present at all in the USA they were brought in by NON-westerners.
All are Muslim. Clearly so. Cease your idle prattle, or provide links to prove your points.
I also KNOW, I need no hints from you, that Americans use “liberal” as a term of abuse. They also use “socialist” in the same way. I have had long debates about this with Americans where I defended OUR meaning of those words. Americans associate both with communism, wrongly, of course, but they have a history of fighting communism.
It’s your lack of authoritative detail that give you away.
November 16, 2010 at 11:38 am |
I’m with you there Rob. “Liberal” is a badge of honour as far as I’m concerned.
November 16, 2010 at 11:52 am |
Peter, I’m almost tempted to tell you my association with “Liberal”, and what I learned from those years. Almost tempted, but I won’t.
Now, “liberal” is a badge of honour, if only it understood its limitations, and moved with the times.
Interesting that I also used the phrase “badge of honour” in another reply to a comment a liitle while ago, here.
November 16, 2010 at 12:12 pm |
It only had a capital “l” because it was at the beginning of a sentence. Liberal in the sense of the LibDems is now a badge of shame, hypocrisy and deception. I could have leaned their way once. Now they’ve lost me for ever.
November 16, 2010 at 1:21 pm |
I’m afraid the Lib Dems lost me when they failed to support the Iraq decision. They proudly claim to be internationalist, as does the Labour party, of course. But when it comes right down to it they are only good at ‘internationalism’ when things are going happily and everything is lovey-dovey. When it comes to stepping up to the plate, internationally, they are utter cowards. The use of the word “liberal” is wasted on them. Then again I believe it’s largely wasted on western ‘liberal democracies’ these days.
They should rename their philosophies to “Liberal Capitulation”.
Melanie Phillips has an article worth reading, btw, which gets to the nub of much of this confusion over the rights and wrongs of aspiring and sticking to “liberalism”, though she doesn’t present it as such. Of course the so-called liberal-minded Rob will not even bother to look. Once I was in his place, in that way. I’ve learned.
http://www.melaniephillips.com/articles-new/?p=778
Excerpt:
November 14, 2010 at 6:18 pm |
as the politicians left the cenotaph you did see a shot of Blair walking behind Gordon Brown and to the left just as D Dimbleby mentioned the former PM’d of Major and Brown
November 14, 2010 at 6:53 pm |
I KNOW, Celia!!! That’s why I mentioned it. The whole way through the service the cameras and Dimbleby ignored Tony Blair.
And when he could have and should have mentioned Blair with Brown and Major as they walked together past the camera STILL DUMBLEHEAD REFUSED! Atrocious.
No-one expects a round of applause for TB since both Iraq and Afghanistan were controversial. But just a MENTION of the name or presence ONCE of the leader who took the country in surely should have been included. I tell you what, if he was dead, today they would have mentioned him. They would not fear nor hate him so much if he were out of their reach. They are still fighting yesterday’s battles over Hutton and Gilligan.
They make me thoroughly sick.
November 14, 2010 at 7:14 pm |
And I definitely saw ol’ Tone’s right cheek and eyebrow on BBC News just now.
November 14, 2010 at 7:37 pm |
Damn, I missed that! It’s getting rarer and rarer to catch a glimpse of him these days. Give me a quick call if you see a big toe, will you?
Oh, hang on – a rare bird – perhaps a blair – just flew past my window. No, sorry, it was my attic’s bat.
November 15, 2010 at 7:31 am |
Hold the front page – ageing,washed up ex Prime Minister not seen on TV on an event that is supposed to be remembering dead heros, not live cowards. Schoolgirl has hissy fit and wets her gym knickers in anger.
Blair Supporter is excused PE at school today 🙂
November 15, 2010 at 12:57 pm |
Hold the front page – another Blair hater wastes his time at Blair Supporter’s as well as at Rentoul’s. His teacher says, “we have fun, don’t we, Alan, playing around with the big boys?” while putting him on the naughty mat.
November 15, 2010 at 3:06 pm |
Hold the front page – ageing, washed up, ex ad man finishes writing his second novel and needs literary agent and/or publisher.
http://peterreynolds.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/london-games-the-novel/
November 15, 2010 at 12:04 pm |
.I complained this morning to the BBC about air brushing blair out of the cenotaph service…will be interesting to see what their response is. ??
November 15, 2010 at 12:59 pm |
Good for you, Steve. Please let me know what happens. If I get time today I may well do my complaining bit too.
November 15, 2010 at 3:08 pm |
But you have to go through three stages of complaint before you even get to the BBC. At present you’re talking to Capita in Belfast.
http://peterreynolds.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/a-fundamental-problem-at-the-bbc/
November 15, 2010 at 10:51 pm |
So right Peter. And I have just experienced the inadequacy of the BBC’s complaints site. I tapped out my complaint NOW, a few minutes ago, about Blair’s non-mention at the Remembrance Day service. I clicked send and guess what – got an error message! Luckily I had pasted my comment into a notepad file, so I can try again.
But this is seriously worrying. How often do people just give up, and therefore the number of complaints they get are not logged properly.
This is the URL for their complaints form, if anyone else wants to use it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/
But I won’t give up. We Blair supporters are a tenacious lot.
November 15, 2010 at 11:22 pm |
I have a reply from the BBC Trust about the BBC complaints system and, I can reveal, once you get through to the real BBC at the Editiorial Complaints Unit, you get a real reply.
A complex story. I hope I find time to write it soon!
November 15, 2010 at 11:41 pm |
Did you use their website to contact the Beeb or did you ring them, Peter?
I have used their site before and had bland sort of replies. But I haven’t rung them to complain.
November 16, 2010 at 11:37 am |
Telephone, online, letter, I’ve used them all. It’s all meaningless until you get to the Editorial Complaints Unit.
November 15, 2010 at 1:37 pm |
Well it’s great to see another catfight breaking out on the ktbfpm website! I never realised how much I missed them.
Think I’ll have to pop on over for a little eine kleine minor whiner too, just to see what’s going on.
November 15, 2010 at 2:30 pm |
Rob has great fun there, Peter. Calls me “Uncle Jimmy”, btw. John or Jimmy, it’s all the same to me.
November 17, 2010 at 11:14 pm |
[…] […]
November 18, 2010 at 12:23 am |
At least one of the commenters at The Pink Prince seems to understand what the forces and politics are all about. Good for him:
February 14, 2011 at 7:09 pm |
[…] BBC BIAS 1 – Remembrance Day 2010, Cenotaph, Whitehall, London […]