Tag Archives: cover

Covid-19: it isn’t over, the news media are lying to you, and you are MORE likely to die

Lying: Boris Johnson has fed us a lot of diseased tripe about Covid-19 since February 2020 and the news media have been happy to help him. They’re still doing it now.

Feeling good about yourself because you’re double-vaccinated and the Tories have ended social distancing rules? How do you feel about this, then?

I know what some of you will say: it’s still better than everywhere else because Boris Johnson and his crooks have done such a good job with the vaccine. Right?

Wrong:

In a nutshell…

Here’s the reason:

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s someone who’s just back from abroad:

The death tollĀ since Johnson’s so-called Freedom Day (July 19) is appalling – and families of the deceased are being urged to take action:

And nearly as many more people are expected to die before Christmas – who would live if Johnson only saw sense and re-imposed life-saving restrictions. Ah, but he’s on his holibobs, isn’t he?

Among the dead are NHS nurses like this one, meaning the number of people qualified to help fight Covid-19 is decreasing.

Meanwhile the media are feeding is misinformation. Consider the BBC’s claims that the vaccination programme is good reason to excuse the government for the tens of thousands of deaths it caused at the start of the pandemic crisis:

It is reckoned that 20,000 people died because of mistakes made in the first few weeks of the crisis. That’s as many as are expected to have died between July 19 and December 25, after Johnson’s Freedom Day stunt.

Oh, and then there’s this:

And this:

AndĀ still the Tory apologists leap forward to excuse them. Jolyon Rubinstein is (almost) right on the button with his comment below (one Tory has stepped forward to apologise – although he’s nobody important):

Along came Ryan (below) to let the Tories off the hook with a lot of twaddle.

If the blame game gets us nowhere, why is Health Secretary Sajid Javid preparing to blame GPs for failing to hold enough face-to-face appointments with patients, after creating a funding scheme that doesn’t help?

Not only that, but we know that the governmentĀ didn’t pay attention to expert advice and take action accordingly.

Covid-19 is indeed (partially) a natural disaster, but it is one that has been made much worse by Boris Johnson and his cronies.

The situation is crystallised by the hypocrisy of the “He’s doing his best” narrative about Boris Johnson:

Yes, he’s “doing his best” by pretending to be Picasso in some paradise villa. Meanwhile:

Of course we know why Johnson took his holiday this week. It was to avoid having to answer the damning report on the government’s response to Covid-19 that became public this week.

He left that to his ministers, including a Health Secretary who hasn’t even bothered to read it…

… and aĀ former Health Secretary whoĀ lied to us that one of the countries that has performed best in handling the pandemic is now doing worse than the UK.Ā It isn’t.Ā New Zealand is much,Ā much healthier than we are:

Now get ready for the really bad news:

The situation in the UK is about to get much,Ā much worse. And that will happen because your Tory government couldn’t be bothered to prevent it, and because its complacent, client news media couldn’t be bothered to warn you.

Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.

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BBC covers up Johnson’s broken coronavirus testing promises; viewers switch to social media

It is any wonder that TV journalists are among the least-trusted in the UK in discussions of the coronavirus.

Today, in a segment on the arrival of the deadline for the government to meet its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests per day, the BBC broadcast part of an interview from six weeks ago in which Boris Johnson promised to reach 25,000 tests a day.

Nothing was said of his original promise, which was 250,000 tests a day – 10 times as many and two-and-a-half times the current target, which is believed to have been missed.

On Tuesday, the government was only managing 52,000 tests.

According toĀ Skwawkbox, the BBC

also framed the whole segment to make it appear that testing has always been the governmentā€™s ā€˜watchword throughout this crisisā€™ ā€“ even though the Tories have been so slow and dismissive on testing that the UK was one of the countries rebuked by the World Health Organisation for ignoring the WHOā€™s ā€˜test, test, testā€™ strategy that has allowed South Korea to reach zero domestic transmission without even having a lockdown.

The reality is that the Toriesā€™ political decision to ignore the WHOā€™s advice to put mass testing at the heart of the UKā€™s coronavirus strategy has needlessly cost thousands of lives ā€“ we have suffered more deaths than any other country apart from the US ā€“ and has inflicted massive and avoidable damage on our economy.

It’s another reason people are switching to the social media in their masses – This Site’s hits during April are nearly double what they were last year.

Source: Video: watch the BBCā€™s huge omission to cover for Toriesā€™ broken C19 testing promises | The SKWAWKBOX

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More on the Madness election song – check out what they’ve done with the artwork!

Even the cover of the new Madness song,Ā Bullingdon Boys, is a jab at Boris Johnson and his colleagues – including former PM David Cameron.

Mr Cameron is depicted in the mask worn by serial killer Michael Myers in theĀ Halloween movies.

And Mr Johnson’s face is replaced by that of Porky Pig.

Other club members are depicted as a red-eyed reptile, the Devil, and an S&M fetishist (as far as I can tell).

According toĀ NME, the song is the first Madness have released in three years, andĀ is described as a ā€œbarbed swipe at the charlatans, rotters and chancers at the top of the tree who have done their best to take the shine off 2019.ā€

Inspired by the fact that 19 of the 54 UK Prime Ministers have come from Eton, the new song takes aim at Johnson, whoĀ was educated at Eton College before going on to study at Oxford, and his peers with anti-Tory lyrics.

The tagline on the artwork is a clear call for those of us with good taste in music to use our votes against Mr Johnson and his Tory cronies: “Don’t get bullied by the bully boys.”

If you haven’t already heard it via This Site’s previous article, here’s the song itself, again:

Source: Madness take barbed swipe at Boris Johnson on first new song in three years

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Why are people turning the Tory sexual harassment allegations into a joke?

Damian Green isn’t laughing – he’s tooling up with lawyers to fight allegations of inappropriate behaviour after he was named on the Tory sex spreadsheet [Image: Peter Nicholls/Reuters].

“Yes, that’s right,” said Mrs Mike. “Everybody’s making a big joke about it – and that is what allows it to continue.”

I had just pointed out the cover of the latest issue ofĀ Private Eye to her. Here it is:

Is it funny?

If you think so, ask yourself: Would you feel the same if you were a victim of the (alleged) monsters who have inflicted themselves on unwilling victims and forced them to stay silent? That is what has happened in some of the cases on the Tory sex spreadsheet – and never forget that there may be other cases yet to come to light.

Come to that, how about asking whether any other victims of sexual attack – of any kind – thinks it’s funny?

So, did Ian Hislop (the Eye‘s editor) shoot himself in the foot with that cover? It’s a good question. Perhaps it would be a good idea to use that cover as a yardstick for prevailing attitudes. Does a significant proportion of the public feel outraged? Or are they laughing along?

Michael Gove is probably hoping they’re laughing, after his rape “joke” attracted a storm of criticism – and absolutely nothing by way of reprimand from his boss – last weekend.

Labour’s Dawn Butler has drawn attention to it in a letter to Theresa May that asks what the minority prime minister is doing about the scandal – especially asĀ all the activities that have been identified were known to Mrs May, some of them for a considerable period of time, and she did nothing at all to stop them or bring the perpetrators to justice. Doesn’t this make her an accessory to every crime?

Is this the behaviour of anybody you would want to have as prime minister?

Ms Butler writes:

After your spokesperson expressed your ā€œserious concernā€ at reports of sexual harassment in WestminsterĀ on Friday, it was disappointing to hear the comments of a member of your cabinet, Michael Gove, on Radio 4 the next day, which made light of sexual abuse and rape. Abuse is the never the womanā€™s fault, and insinuating that those who experience it and come forward have lost any of their ā€œdignityā€ is inherently wrong and harmful. What action has been taken so that Mr Gove and others understand that ā€œjokesā€ like his make it harder for those who experience harassment to feel like they will be taken seriously if they speak out?

It’s a good letter, calling for robust action to ensure that members of all political parties (not just the Tories) know exactly what to do if they are sexually harassed.

And it attacks the culture that allows these abuses and then makes jokes about it like theĀ Private Eye cover above.

But it doesn’t go far enough. Perhaps Ms Butler is being diplomatic.

Personally, This Writer thinks it is time the police were dispatched to the Whips’ Office and to 10 Downing Street and searched both buildings for any and all evidence about MPs’ and ministers’ sex crimes.

I do not believe Theresa May will tell the truth about her involvement in these activities. IĀ do believe she and her cronies will try to hide – or destroy – any evidence before the authorities have a chance to find them.

Look at what she has done since this scandal broke: Nothing. She has passed the buck to the Speaker’s office. She has asked for an investigation into whether a minister broke the ministerial code (which doesn’t appear to cover such matters) at a time when he wasn’t a minister. She has not suspended the whip from any of the politicians who have been named.

The problem of abuse and harassment of women isnā€™t restricted to those who make unwanted advances on women; it extends to a culture that has tolerated or made light of abuse for far too long. All political parties have a responsibility to act thoroughly and properly where instances of unacceptable behaviour come to light, and to take appropriate action.

Therefore, I was extremely concerned by reports in Sunday newspapersĀ that your chief of staff and chief whip made you aware of allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Ministers and Conservative MPs. Can you confirm if you were made aware of allegations about members of your party or Government, and what action you took, if any?

Can you explain why the investigation into Mark Garnier appears to be confined toĀ whether he broke the Ministerial Code at a time when he wasnā€™t a Minister?Ā Further, can you confirm that both he, and Stephen Crabb, will be investigated by the Conservative Party and have the whip suspended while investigations into their conduct take place?

Sunday newspaper reports claim that you are concerned that taking action against ministers could risk the Government collapsing. All party political considerations should be put to one side to ensure we take serious action. I am hopeful that if we do,Ā this could prove to be a turning point that sees us make progress in tackling the sexism and misogyny that pervades our society.

Source: Put aside party political interest to tackle sex pest claims ā€“ Dawn Butler letter to PM | LabourList

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BBC responds to complaints about anti-austerity demo – with a form letter

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Vox Political readers forcemajeure007 and Sarah Ledsom have been in touch to forward the responses they have received from the BBC to their complaints about the non-coverage of the People’s Assembly anti-austerity demonstration on Saturday.

Like the (lack of) coverage itself, it is extremely disappointing.

Both commenters received exactly the same response, with the only change in wording at the top – their own names. The remainder reads as follows:

“Thanks for contacting us about coverage of the Peopleā€™s Assembly anti-austerity demonstration on 21 June.

“We understand you feel there was insufficient coverage of this demonstration by BBC News.

“We have received a wide range of feedback about our coverage of this story. In order to use our TV licence fee resources efficiently, this general response aims to answer the key concerns raised, but we apologise in advance if it doesnā€™t address your specific points in the manner you would prefer.

“Your concerns were raised with senior editorial staff at BBC News who responded as follows:

ā€œ’We covered this demonstration on the BBC News Channel* with five reports throughout Saturday evening, on the BBC News website on Sunday, as well as on social media. We choose which stories we cover based on how newsworthy they are and what else is happening and we didnā€™t provide extensive coverage because of a number of bigger national and international news stories that day, including the escalating crisis in Iraq, British citizens fighting in Syria and the death of Gerry Conlon.**

“‘We frequently report on the UK economy and what it means for the British public. We also reflect the concerns of people such as those demonstrating, and others who hold opposing views, across our daily news output on TV, radio as well as online, and we also explore them in more depth including in our political programming and current affairs investigations, debates on ā€˜Question Timeā€™ and during interviews and analysis on programmes such as ā€˜PMā€™ and ā€˜Newsnightā€™. Inevitably, there may be disagreements over the level of prominence we give to stories, but we believe our coverage of this subject has been fair and impartial.’ā€

It seems the BBC’s bosses have caught the Tory disease and cannot be bothered to apologise when they make a mistake. If they received a “wide range” of feedback about their coverage, and are now responding with a form letter, rather than individually, you can be sure that many, many people complained. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the response was wholly negative, given that coverage was restricted to a few spots on the rolling news channel and the utterly pathetic excuse for a story on the website.

Does anybody else believeĀ that was fair and impartial?

If so, consider this. In 2011 the BBC covered a PRO-austerity demonstration by the Taxpayers’ Alliance (of all organisations). Total attendance: 350 people.

They’ll cover a 350-strong pro-austerity demo but not a 50,000-strong anti-austerity event.

Fair and impartial?

Don’t make me choke.

*If it was on the BBC News Channel, why not the main news?

** And the Solstice, which happens every year.

Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike

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Ask the BBC why it didn’t cover the anti-austerity demo – here’s what you can expect!

This is what happened when a friend of Vox Political, going by the monicker Sick Britain, contacted the BBC to ask why there has been no coverage of today’s (June 21) anti-austerity demonstration in London, which was attended by more than 50,000 people.

The BBC has mentioned the demonstration – as a pretext for a discussion of government austerity policies on Any Questions and Any Answers (both on Radio 4) but the national public service broadcaster’s news bulletins were mysteriously silent about it throughout the day of the event itself.

This seems particularly odd when one considers the fact that the demo began outside Broadcasting House, and that I’m told extra security guards were on duty today, while the entrances were protected with metal fencing.

Some of you may wish to complain to the BBC about its lack of coverage. Hereā€™s how you can do it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/

Phone: 03700 100 222 *
03700 100 212 * (textphone)
*24 hours, charged as 01/02 geographic numbers

Post:BBC Complaints
PO Box 1922
Darlington
DL3 0UR

For more coverage (and photos) see: Austerity Protest in London (June 21st 2014)

ADDITIONAL – 11.17am, June 22: It seems the BBC has finally given in to pressure and published a report. Don’t get your hopes up too high! It arrived on the website at around 10.37am and may be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-27962963

My opinion is that this is an insult.

For more information on the impact of austerity that is being hidden from the public, take a look at Cumulative effect of welfare reform revealed – deprived areas hit much harder than the rich

Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike

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