Grant Shapps and the BBC

It seems Grant Shapps has misjudged the British public, so I question Grant Shapps:

Grant Shapps told the Sunday Telegraph the BBC must tackle a culture of secrecy and waste in the wake of recentscandals and rows over stars' salaries and pay-offs to senior executives.Would that be in the same way that MPs have 'tackled' the culture of secrecy and waste in the wake of the expenses scandal?

And he said there was a "question of credibility" for the BBC over whether it applied "fairness" to its reporting of politics. If the public were asked who was more credible, MPs or the BBC, who does Shapps think would be voted 'most credible'?

Shapps said the £145.50 annual fee would be "too much" if the BBC failed to reform. I'd be happier to pay more, if there was a chance of not receiving the BBC's output.

Shapps made clear Conservative frustrations with the BBC: "They have ended up working in this culture which is buried in the last century, which is 'we are the BBC, we do what we like, we don't have to be too accountable'," he told the paper. And which century do MPs operate in, with their weird customs and ways of doing things? Do MPs really think they are 'accountable'?

Shapps: "But they are raising £3.6bn through the licence fee, which is a tax, and, quite rightly, the public wants to have sight of how the money is spent. Things like the pay-offs have really caused concern, as have, obviously, things like Savile and Hall and the culture that goes around that. I think it is one of too much secrecy." MPs' salaries are a tax as well, and we get much more for the the money we pay to the BBC.

He said the BBC director-general, Lord Hall, should consider publishing all expenditure over £500 – including stars' salaries – and opening up to freedom of information requests. Can I opt out of paying MP salaries? Agreed, transparency is a good thing.

Shapps: "If they do that they can make sure they win back public trust. If they don't, they are in danger of frittering away Auntie's public trust that has been built over a long time." In my opinion, the BBC have never lost the public's trust.

Shapps: "I would also say that £145.50 is quite a lot to pay for everyone in the country who has a TV. It is too much if we don't see the kind of reforms [we expect]" Like Grant Shapps cares about the level of the licence fee. Is he going to suggest some of that is shared with Sky?

A BBC spokesman said: "Mr Shapps is right that transparency is key to the future of the BBC. So is its freedom from political pressure.

When I read this sort of crap from people like Shapps I think perhaps Russell Brand is right - we need a revolution to get wrong-thinking people like Shapps away from power and out of situations where he could harm perfectly decent public institutions.
If people weren't happy paying the licence fee, there would be more cases of non-payment.
Shapps should reconsider his ideas on this occasion, IMHO.

Deportation by SMS - WTF?

So here is the story: text messages (SMS) are being sent to people advising them that they are not at liberty to stay in the UK and they should leave.

Link to Guardian article
Link to Indepenent article

When I first heard this story, in the Independent, my brain could not compute.
Firstly, why would anyone choose to communicate regarding such a delicate subject using such an impersonal method?
If you send an SMS message, you can't guarantee it's been read. I have friends I text about possible nights out, and they never respond - it's so frustrating!

But still the SMS comes. So you assume it's been sent to the right person.
I get a load of texts from O2. That's only right; they supply my phone and airtime, and I can't be bothered to go online and update my preferences so that I don't receive these text messages. There is no follow-up; O2 don't ring me up and ask if I received their SMS. My learning? There are no consequences to ignoring SMS.

So, people don't respond to SMS, and ignore SMS which are not from people they know.
Surely a better option would be to have someone visit the intended 'target' - that would be more effective.

What's the point of sending these, and why be so impersonal?

I'm a floating voter. I think the Tories are doing better on the economy, but Labour are more considerate.
When I hear about initiatives like this, though, it makes me wonder if there aren't more important things in this life, like manners and compassion. And then I start thinking about Michael Gove and other less 'nice' Tories, and it makes me think that possibly it might be worth having a Labour government again. Sod fiscal discipline, at least if we're all nice to each other we can go to hell in a handcart all together and smile about it.

Eco Day at School (TAB First)

Saturday morning and we go to school regardless. For today is "ECO DAY" and our our presence is required.
In truth, Eco Day is just a bit of gardening, but on an industrial scale. By turning up to help, we are probably doing about a term's work in a day for the school. We move soil, weed flower beds, and generally titivate areas so that the school looks nice and attracts 'mini-beasts' (insects to you and me) at the right time of year.
The day was supposed to go on until three pm, but it was raining and a bit miserable, so we called it a day at about one pm. Then went home and had a bath to warm our chilly bones.

Ralph Miliband and the Daily Mail

The whole affair has affirmed my view that the Daily Mail is not a pleasant paper to read.
Why bother dragging up and insulting the memory of a dead man?

Others have said that Cameron's and Osborne's upbringing has similarly been questioned.
But I don't think that's right.
Someone said they've been accused of being 'posh boys' - that was actually an accusation levelled at them by Nadine Dorries, a tory. And in my opinion, the front bench on either side of the House is equally posh. So that doesn't wash.

The fact that Cameron's and Osborne's status has been questioned, I agree with. People have said they are products of Eton and they don't know how people on benefits live, that the laws they pass benefit people like them. I agree with that as well.
But I don't know Cameron's father's name, or his views, nor do I know Osborne's father's name, or views. I know he ran a paint company and became fabulously wealthy.
I don't believe any journalists have completed a widely-published hatchet-job on Cameron's or Osborne's father.

On the other hand, I don't think I'll ever forget Ralph Miliband's name, or the diary entry he wrote when he was 17.
Nor will I forget that Ralph Miliband served in the Royal Navy for three years while Rothermere sucked up to Hitler.
Nor will I forget that the Mail's attempt to smear Ralph Miliband, and Ed by association, backfired spectacularly and kept news from the Tory conference off the front pages.

The article published last week, and still causing bad feeling, shows more clearly than ever that British newspapers are merely the mouthpieces of their owners / editors, a way to promulgate bilge (in the case of the Mail).

You can love a country and question where it is going at the same time. You can question the necessity of the institutions and direction of political travel. That's because we live in a democracy.

The reason Ralph Miliband is so despised by the Daily Mail/Dacre, is because he questioned things.
The Daily Mail doesn't want you to question things.
It wants to tell you what's wrong with this country, and have you accept it wholesale.
It wants you to follow blindly its worldview.
You can't stop to think about this.
If you stop to think, you might notice the little man behind the curtain, telling you that this country is going to hell in a handcart.
What? No, there's no man there, don't look over there, look here, look at how Labour will screw up the country.
Look at how the country is falling apart because women don't stay at home to look after the children any more.
Look over here, and see how immigration is bringing this country to its knees...
Just don't look over there - there's nothing to see.

It's almost enough to make you vote for Ed Miliband, just to prove to Paul Dacre and the rest in charge at the Mail that this sort of crap won't wash.
If you deal in dishing dirt for long enough, you'll end up smelling of shit.