A pathetic last gasp from the editor of More or Less on incapacity deaths
Biased Broadcasting Corporation: It seems the BBC’s More or Less programme really is more interested in broadcasting the views of the Conservative Government than in providing a genuinely impartial public service.
I had another email from Richard Vadon, the editor of BBC Radio 4’s More or Less today – and it was absolutely pathetic.
“I note that you have published my reply on your website without permission under those circumstances I will be making no further responses.”
I have replied as follows:
“You never asked for any of it to be kept in confidence. Why should you wish it to be? You broadcast your programme happily enough but, now that you’re being asked to justify it in public, suddenly you have nothing to say.
“The public can judge you on that.”
I’ll let you know my own judgement right now: Pathetic.
Feel free to offer your own opinions via the BBC More or Less website.
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… and inference will be drawn!
If you want something to be kept confidential, don’t include it in an email. I wasn’t aware questions about programming where bound by gagging clauses. So much for a free press.
How can you have a free press when it is under the control of the Tories let’s remember that the board of governors also the BBC are all rich and most probably are Tories and that most of the press in this country are friends of the Tory party
Well said Mike, we will judge
The BBC is a joke and has been for years, I hope and pray they lose taxpayers money because no one will ever watch the Conservative channel
Your last email response was very detailed and backed by the real background story, something that he appears not to have been interested in at the time of making the programme. Had he done his job better and dug deeper into the roots of the story, he would have found a more interesting and productive programme to edit. His latest cowardly response tactic shows his true colours in not having anything more to discuss other than his previous standard BBC holding response, which would have done the business for most normal replies….however his detailed response left more glaring questions than decent answers. Therefore if you are in a hole, stop digging. Good to know my licence fee is being wasted on half-truth political broadcasts.
Vadon you work for the BBC which, last time I looked is a publically funded institution. We pay your wages. What you say in answer to an enquiry from a member of the public is going to be shared with others. I would share it with my mates in the pub, someone else would show it to their colleagues at work, Mike shared it with his followers on this blog. Why on earth would you be surprised by that or are you so naive as to not have anticipated that.
Given that even the most unaware individual would have predicted that correspondence with someone who has made a point of invoking the Freedom of Information Act to gain the inadequate response from the DWP and that there is considerable public controversy around this matter that Mike is centrally involved with why would you not predict he would share it.
I can understand that you are embarrassed by your response to his criticism of More or Less but to now throw a hissy fit that he has shared your poor defence of a weak analysis is to further demonstrate that your original program and your subsequent response are in fact indefensible.
I know that there have been a number of criticisms and complaints about the tenor of the original program and you should both respond to those serious criticisms and broadcast a more accurate reflection of the damning figures the DWP actually managed to release.
Good old Biased By Choice, haven’t got the cojones to defend their appalling coverage of current events. Of course they’re not talking to impressionable children in this case, and don’t appear to have realised that we adults don’t keep “our little secrets” to stop other adults getting into trouble.
He was just looking for an escape route – and like most mainstream broadcasters, he opted for the cowards way out.
The role of the BBC is to act as a conduit for power and the political establishment. The board of the BBC Trust who are supposed to oversee checks and balances with regards to maintaining impartiality and be accountable to, and a reflection of, the British public, is mainly comprised of lawyers, bankers and industrialists
In case you haven’t noticed, Andrew Neil is being really belligerent towards any and all people on the Jeremy Corbyn Team. I was reminded of when Andrew Neil “tasked” Tony Blair on whether or not there should be a referendum on the illegal Iraq war, AN was almost deferential to the point of being sycophantic. He would never be so bellicose with any Tory guest but he has shown total disregard and contempt for anyone associated with the left. Russophobia has always been a strong point with the BBC, second only to their devotion to promoting the Tory Line. For that matter, they don’t dare step out of line with the right of Labour, he most certainly wouldn’t have ever spoken to Chuka or Harriet the way he treated McDonell or Richard Murphy. As you say, the Biased Broadcasting Company.
This character works for a public corporation. His comments should be read/heard by the general public. He appears to consider himself to be above any criticism. Keep up the good work Mike..
Just sent this to the More or Less website. It will probably be deleted but I needed to say what I feel:
I used to be proud of the BBC however now I can see how much you all cover up for the crimes of the Government. I suggest you research fully any items you are reporting on in future and report the truth not lies otherwise more and more people are going to turn off from the BBC and you will lose your job. After all if you were worth anything you would want to report the truth of how many people have died after being found fit for work! The BBC I thought would want to work for all the people in our country not lie for the Government! On no I forgot it’s jobs for the boys isn’t it or funny hand shakes!