PROPAGANDA LIVE

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The propagandist BBC live blog is the biased goose that just keeps on giving yet more bias. As freddo and Ryan have pointed out (and thanks to both), the BBC's Carole Walker has used it to stoke up more trouble for the Tories, saying that "London Mayor Boris Johnson has once again strayed from Tory policy" by calling for the Conservatives' 'voluntary' service scheme to be 'compulsory' - a typical Boris quip, misconstrued as a 'gaffe'. Paul Waugh's take on it is this:

Can't believe BBC claiming Boris quip re 'compulsory volunteering' was serious.
I was there and it was clearly a joke. Clue is in the phrase.

http://twitter.com/paulwaugh/statuses/11877349396
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The BBC failed to break the Stuart MacLennan Twitter story (it was doubtless far too busy looking for dirt on the Tories and UKIP), but it's certain reporting it now - or should I say reporting the 'tough action' and 'tough statements' of 'outraged' Labour politicians! It's not, however, telling us anything about 'bloody coffin dodgers' nor 'chavs' (too dangerous for Labour), nor is it telling us what The Daily Mail is telling us (also too dangerous for Labour):

Cabinet ministers were dragged into the furore as it emerged Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and Ben Bradshaw had been 'following' the Twitter page and never protested.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1264803/General-election-2010-Twitter-rant-candidate-Stuart-MacLennan-dumped-Labour.html#ixzz0kc3MqO21

Indeed, for good measure, it gives us a distinctly pro-Labour favour of the debate on Twitter instead:

1440: Stuart MacLennan's Twitter antics are currently the most talked about topic on the social media site. TerryLucy is sympathetic, saying that the Labour candidate "was just tweeting normal things" and Patrickgribbons feels "sorry" for him, although he adds that MacLennan was "silly to make such comments". Aalia had a
"chuckle" at his "outrageous Twitter gaffes", while kate_brennan is "flabbergasted" and asks: "How did he think it was OK to tweet that stuff?" Finally julessevans77 writes: "MacLennan. The first Twitter martyr. You will be remembered Stuart."

No, the BBC's interest lies elsewhere:

1351: The Child Poverty Action Group has responded with concern to Conservative plans to remove state support for three years from persistent benefit cheats. It says benefit fraud is at an "all-time low" - tax fraud is a much bigger issue - and it fears that stopping benefits "could plunge children into poverty". It calls on all parties to do more to help those entitled to support to get it.

WATT'S THAT HE WAS SAYING?

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Last night Not a Sheep posted a prediction about the BBC concerning the Mail on Sunday's coverage of former Labour Party general secretary Peter Watt's eye-watering revelations about the dysfunctionality and sheer incompetence at the heart of Gordon Brown's government: "Do read the whole Mail piece and wonder at the way the BBC will ignore or find a way to dismiss this story and concentrate on how Gordon Brown is single-handedly saving the country from shortages of gas and road grit."
http://notasheepmaybeagoat.blogspot.com/2010/01/mr-brown-was-not-fit-to-be-prime.html
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Not a Sheep's prediction wasn't long in coming true. The story is buried away at the bottom of an article entitled 'Gordon Brown says leadership challenge was 'silliness''. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8450375.stm
The article gives only the briefest possible flavour of what Mr Watt has to say, prefering instead to concentrate on undermining him (and, thus, protecting Gordon):

BBC Political correspondent Carole Walker said it was important to remember Mr Watt was forced to resign as general secretary and was "clearly very angry".

SEPTEMBER'S I.C.s - BECKY MILLIGAN & CAROLE WALKER

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To Becky Milligan, a mere reporter, went the honour of interviewing the Labour MP Eric Joyce, who resigned over his government's handling of the war in Afghanistan and our troops. An I.C. of 0 was scored.

Carole Walker got the lesser honour of talking to Bill Rammell (Labour) over al Megrahi's release but also scored o.