'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 29

Well, the BBC's electioneering blog kept at it right to the very end. As of 9pm yesterday evening, it had featured 18 posts quoting Gordon Brown, 10 quoting Nick Clegg and just 6 quoting David Cameron. It wasn't over! After 9pm we were taken to a final Brown rally and 'treated' to two more posts featuring substantial campaign quotes from the Great Helmsman, raising his tally to 20. The BBC blog surpassed itself in terms of bias in its final two days (I presume it's over now - the blog I mean, not the bias!)
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Here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians:
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Wed 4/5
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Labour - 32
Conservatives - 15
Lib Dems - 14
Greens - 3
Plaid Cymru - 3
UKIP - 2
SNP - 2
Alliance - 1
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As testimony to the BBC's partisanship, I think this is pretty damning.
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Now for the running (final) total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 29 days?
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Labour - 742
Conservatives - 558
Lib Dems - 471
SNP - 75
UKIP - 42
Plaid Cymru - 42
Greens - 33
BNP - 22
DUP - 8
Independents - 4
English Democrats - 3
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
Christian Peoples Alliance - 2
SDLP - 2
Sinn Fein - 2
UUP - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
Christian Party - 1
Respect - 1
Social Democrats - 1
Alliance - 1
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As candles begin to be lit in BBC studios across the nation and prayers said for the health of the Great Leader, the BBC should fall into purdah today. Norman Smith & co's lips should be sealed.
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All that remains to be done now is to vote.

PROTECTING THE EMPEROR

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The BBC's live election blog is giving its all for Labour today. So far Labour are again well ahead on the number of posts reporting their sayings and doings.
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Whenever something is reported about the Conservatives it is being countered by some criticism from Labour. Thus Cameron's all-night campaigning is described and shortly after we get Kevin Maguire's take on it:

0649: Kevin Maguire, of the Labour-supporting Mirror, tells GMTV Mr Cameron's round-the-clock campaigning is "desperate".

And later the ever-not-pictured Prezza:

0913: Former Deputy PM John Prescott has some tongue-in-cheek words of sympathy for the night-workers who have met David Cameron on his marathon pre-polling trip around Britain. He tweets: "It's hard enough working nights but to have someone repeatedly shouting 'change' at you must get on your nerves!" Read John Prescott's tweets.

Similarly news that Simon Cowell is backing the Tories is immediately followed by tweet from BBC election blog regular Charlie Whelan:

0813: Simon Cowell comes in for some criticism from Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Charlie Whelan for supporting the Tories. He re-tweets a message from LadyMyler, saying: "So multi-millionaire, LA-dwelling, tabloid-wrangling Simon Cowell Comes Out for the Tories? Who'd have thunk it?" Read Charlie Whelan's tweets.

In contrast Labour and Lib Dems spokesman come and go (taking of anything but Michelangelo), without being trailed by snide comments from their opponents.
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Posts that quote Gordon Brown himself are everywhere. And this is what comes in his wake, as Lloyd noted over at B-BBC:

1215: The BBC's Katie Townsend says: Somewhat of a missed opportunity here in Bradford with Gordon Brown. He delivered a powerful and heartfelt speech about the risks the country faces under a Conservative government. But his lecturn seemed to be facing the wrong way and not towards the hundreds of people who had excitedly gathered to see him. It seems Labour were only expecting around 60 people. As he finished the PM emerged to give them a wave but he really could have whipped up this crowd very easily.

Counting up the posts that quote just the party leaders alone (from 6am to 9pm) shows the extent of this extraordinary imbalance:
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Cameron - 6
Brown - 18
Clegg - 10
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RADIO MOSCOW

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We learned at the beginning of yesterday's BBC internet election coverage that David Cameron was beginning a 36-hour campaign-a-thon, but you would have been hard pressed to discover much of what he was actually saying, especially about anything important. We do learn though that he said that he wasn't going to miss his rally in Belfast "for the world".
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On the other hand, Gordon Brown's every move was chronicled throughout the day, with post after post reporting Brownite propaganda, with plenty of serious point-scoring quotes and adoring crowds. I wonder if this this is what it was like in Russia in 2004, when Vladimir Putin was facing re-election, and the state media went into overdrive for him!
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A smattering of mildly supportive tweets and 'have your says' for the Conservatives was set against a deluge of ones critical of the Conservatives (and often supportive of Labour). I will number-crunch tonight, when I get in from work, to give you the proportions.
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UKIP did, at last, get a few mentions yesterday, though one was about a 'UKIP scandal' - not much of a scandal, of course - following some passionate words from Norwich North trouper Glenn Tingle, and another was about Lord Pearson's comments about the taste of venison (doubtless after being asked about stag-hunting by some idiot on 5Live).
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'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 28

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Well thanks to you, here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians - and a very dramatic sets of results it is too:

Tue 3/5
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Labour - 32
Conservatives - 15
Lib Dems - 8
UKIP - 4
SNP - 1
Plaid Cymru - 1
Greens - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
UUP - 1
SDLP - 1
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The screw is tightening yet further. The BBC blog is clearly going all for Labour.
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 28 days?
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Labour - 710
Conservatives - 543
Lib Dems - 457
SNP - 73
UKIP - 42
Plaid Cymru - 39
Greens - 30
BNP - 22
DUP - 8
Independents - 4
English Democrats - 3
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
Christian Peoples Alliance - 2
SDLP - 2
Sinn Fein - 2
UUP - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
Christian Party - 1
Respect - 1
Social Democrats - 1

'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 27

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Reading yesterday's BBC's internet election blog was like reading Tass from thirty years ago (and yes Gordon Brezhnev is still fighting fit and beloved of the people).
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Anyhow, here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians:
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Mon 3/5
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Labour - 22
Lib Dems - 16
Conservatives - 13
SNP - 1
Plaid Cymru - 1
DUP - 1
BNP - 1
English Democrats - 1
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The screw is tightening. Nothing from UKIP for three days running now.
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 27 days?
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Labour - 678
Conservatives - 528
Lib Dems - 449
SNP - 72
UKIP - 38
Plaid Cymru - 38
Greens - 29
BNP - 22
DUP - 8
Independents - 4
English Democrats - 3
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
Christian Peoples Alliance - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
Christian Party - 1
Respect - 1
Social Democrats - 1
SDLP - 1
UUP - 1

QUOTAS

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The BBC live election blog is at it again, messing up my daily figures by using lots of banal/trivial quotes from the Conservatives to boost their quota but using lots of serious/significant quotes for Labour and the Lib Dems. My criteria is simple - to count every post that uses direct/indirect quotes from the party politicians. Yes, my figures show a significant and growing Labour lead (so pro-Labour bias) but they don't register the triviality of so many of the Conservative quotes chosen to appear on the BBC blog - quotes that don't help them get their message across. This underestimates the extent of the blog's anti-Conservative bias. I didn't think about that at the start, and now it's far too late. I should have run a parallel survey that monitored the value of the quotes I have been recording.
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Here are some more examples of what I mean:
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0946: In Blackpool, David Cameron is talking to voters. As the sun shines, he compliments one man on his tie and says its great to be back in the Lancashire resort. Wife Samantha is by his side.

0951: The Tory leader is looking at a community garden. He and wife Samantha take turns to point at the denuded flower beds, or are they vegetable patches? The latter, it seems, as one gentleman explains how much people enjoy eating the produce. Mr Cameron says his daughter has a "novel" approach to gardening, simply throwing seeds everywhere in the hope that they will grow.

1009: David Cameron, who has just signed his contract for young people in Blackpool, says his party takes nothing for granted and that the election remains "wide open". Promising to continue trying to persuade people to the last moment, he adds: "There's real work to do. There's millions of people still to be persuaded."

1359: David Cameron is talking to young people at the City of London academy. He's been joined by wife Samantha and double Olympic gold medallist, rower James Cracknell. The first question is what football team does he support - cue groans from those assembled when Mr Cameron says Aston Villa. He then backs Chelsea to win the Premier League - cue more groans. "I've lost all the north London votes there," he says.

As Ryan discovered, the BBC are keeping count too. They will be including such dross too.

'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 26

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Here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians.
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Sun 2/5
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Labour - 16
Conservatives - 11
Lib Dems - 8
SNP - 3
Plaid Cymru - 1
DUP - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
UUP - 1
SDLP - 1
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 26 days?
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Labour - 656
Conservatives - 515
Lib Dems - 433
SNP - 71
UKIP - 38
Plaid Cymru - 37
Greens - 29
BNP - 21
DUP - 7
Independents - 4
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
English Democrats - 2
Christian Peoples Alliance - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
Christian Party - 1
Respect - 1
Social Democrats - 1
SDLP - 1
UUP - 1

'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 25

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Sometimes you have to smile. I saw that one of the BBC's live election bloggers yesterday was our Lib Dem-loving friend Sarah Bell, so I thought 'Will the Lib Dems get a lot of mentions today?' Well, let's see! Here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians.
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Sat 1/5
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Labour - 11
Lib Dems - 9
Conservatives - 4
SNP - 1
Greens - 1
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 25 days?
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Labour - 640
Conservatives - 504
Lib Dems - 425
SNP - 68
UKIP - 38
Plaid Cymru - 36
Greens - 29
BNP - 21
Independents - 4
DUP - 6
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
English Democrats - 2
Christian Peoples Alliance - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
Christian Party - 1
Respect - 1
Social Democrats - 1

WHAT?!

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Before I move on from yesterday's BBC internet election coverage, here's a post from the BBC's polling expert last night:
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2205: Two of the latest polls show that only 5% separates the parties in first and third place, while in the other the gap is just 4%, says David Cowling, editor of BBC political research. "All three polls keep this election firmly in hung parliament territory, with Labour the largest party," he says. "It is still a genuinely close three-horse race."

And that was it for last night on the polls.

This puzzles me because there were (as far as I can see) only two polls last night, and neither bares any resemblance to the figures Mr Cowling is describing:

Harris/Mail
Conservatives - 33
Lib Dems - 32
Labour - 24

YouGov/Sun
Conservative - 34
Labour - 28
Lib Dems - 28

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/index.php

What on earth is going on here?
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The BBC blog this morning isn't mentioning any of those polls but, surprise surprise, it has already found space for this:

0843: Former Labour spin doctor Charlie Whelan tweets some good news for the party in Wales: Western Mail poll in Wales. Lab 37.5 Tories 23.5 Libs 21 Read Charlie Whelan's tweets

HAVE THEIR SAY

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The BBC's live election blog continues to foreground tweeters and have-your-sayers from the Left. Complete with my guesses as to which party they will be voting for - and the odd heckle or two -, here are all of the examples from yesterday (excluding party politicians):

2211: LongJumpKonan writes: This debate was very interesting because they revealed some aspects of what they want to do if they become prime minister. Gordon Brown seemed very sensible to me because in such difficult times it is important that the leader of the country is skilled and experienced. Nick Clegg seemed also fairly acceptable to me and what he said made sense. Only David Cameron didn't convince me because he contradicted himself many times during the debate.Have Your Say LABOUR

2054: deemiller writes: I believed in Gordon Brown, he was informative on all issues, and I really believe this man is the one to steer us through the economic recovery. Nick Clegg said he would give everyone a £10,000 tax allowance per annum, but he wasn't very clear about what percent he would put on the rest of one's income, or how many tiers of tax there would be. As for David Cameron, I remember it was the Conservatives who put an end to apprenticeships and instead created the dreaded YTS which was a total disaster. On May 6th I will be voting LABOUR - common sense (sic) must prevail. Have Your Say LABOUR

(Following the Guardian coming out for the Lib Dems and the Times coming out for the Conservatives:)
2044: axelsegebrecht from Woking, UK tweets: Should the media be taking sides? (Aw, diddums) Read axelsegebrecht's tweets LABOUR

1845: jml1970 writes: Will be interesting to see how UKIP and BNP poll this time, since immigration has become more of an issue than the politicos expected. None of Tories/Labour/Lib Dems has any policies beyond fiddling around the edges, and UKIP/BNP are now the only parties which reflect the views of those with a fairly robust anti-immigration stance. Have Your Say ????

1653: Michael Tew, from Sheringham, Norfolk, writes: In all the debate so little has been said about Afghanistan. Why should we succeed where 113,000 Russians failed? It is not our war and our presence is likely to incite acts of terrorism here. How many millions and, more importantly, dozens of lives would be saved by our withdrawal?Have Your Say RESPECT

1631: Kevin Wu, from London, writes: The UK election seems fairly undemocratic because Labour could have the third of the votes and the most seats in the House and because if I am in a very safe seat my vote counts for nothing if I choose an alternative party. However, I like having an MP for my constituency as it gives a clear link from the House to the public. Have Your Say CONSERVATIVE

1516: NewViking writes: How far back do Mr Griffin and his followers have to go before they find an immigrant in their own families? Not far I would think. Have Your Say ????

1331: Synthjock tweets: On the evidence of last night, Tories are targeting the 'bigot vote'. Feeling strong compulsion to emigrate. (Don't let us stop you!) Read Synthjock's tweets LABOUR

1302: Protest Voter writes: All the election coverage is now of no interest to me - I have already submitted my postal vote. Rather than squander my democratic right on any of the candidates, I decided to undertake the only sensible option: I have voted for nobody, I spoiled my ballot paper.Have Your Say NOBODY

1246: Suumac tweets: Not sure having Blair on the Labour trail is a good thing...too many raw feelings still associated with his name. Read Suumac's tweets ????

1035: Bertie Hanson writes: I am most definitely not changing my voting preference. It's Labour. I come from near Rochdale, and I sincerely hope that no-one is diverted by the 'bigot' reports. I don't mean to offend, but bigotry is alive and well in this country. (I don't mean to offend either, but so is stupidity). Let's see the debate turn to the economy. Much respect on that to Gordon Brown. (Spent all of our money like there was no tomorrow, raided and ruined our pensions, sold our gold at bargain basement prices, left us without adequate resources when the economic crisis struck, borrowed like a wild gambler in good times and bad, saddled us - not him, us! - with a national debt of unprecedent scariness, leaving us at risk of losing credibility with the international markets at best and national bankruptcy at worst, and guaranteeing that we taxpayers will be paying off his debts for at least a decade. Yes Bertie, much respect to Gordon Brown on that.)Have Your Say (I just have!) LABOUR

1025: Phil from Abingdon writes: I am still a very undecided voter. (Jesus wept again!) All I know is that I intend to vote in this election. I am not alone among my peers - for the first time since I can remember (I am 31) everyone is talking about the election. Go into any pub or coffee bar and it is the primary topic of conversation.Have Your Say DUNNO

1009: Duncan from Bristol writes: As a 29 year old living in Bristol, which is a very liberal city, I feel the Liberal Democrats have been seriously underestimated. I think we're set to see a very large turn out on polling day, particularly from people under 30. I certainly will be voting LibDems both for my MP and local councillor.Have Your Say LIB DEM

0945: MichaelBoyd from Grantham writes: I was going to vote for Lib Dems but last night's debate has convinced me to back the Tories. Clegg has run out of steam and the thought of having Gordon Brown as prime minister unelected once may be regarded as a misfortune; to have him unelected twice just looks like carelessness.Have Your Say CONSERVATIVE

'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 24

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Here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians.
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Fri 30/4
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Conservatives - 20
Lib Dems - 19
Labour - 18
BNP - 4
Plaid Cymru - 4
Greens - 3
SNP - 3
Christian People's Alliance - 1
UKIP - 1
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 24 days?
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Labour - 629
Conservatives - 500
Lib Dems - 416
SNP - 67
UKIP - 38
Plaid Cymru - 36
Greens - 28
BNP - 21
Independents - 4
DUP - 6
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
English Democrats - 2
Christian Peoples Alliance - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
Christian Party - 1
Respect - 1
Social Democrats - 1

'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 23

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Here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians.
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Thur 29/4
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Labour - 55
Conservatives - 50
Lib Dems - 44
SNP - 6
UKIP - 3
Plaid Cymru - 3
Greens - 2
BNP - 1
English Democrats - 1
Social Democrats - 1
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 23 days? Well, Labour are now clearly unassailable:
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Labour - 611
Conservatives - 480
Lib Dems - 397
SNP - 64
UKIP - 37
Plaid Cymru - 32
Greens - 25
BNP - 17
Independents - 4
DUP - 6
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
English Democrats - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
Christian Party - 1
Christian Peoples Alliance - 1
Respect - 1
Social Democrats - 1

MORE INSTANT REACTIONS

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After the previous pair of debates the BBC's live election blog reported most of the instant polls.
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This week they only reported one:
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2224: Some instant reaction. A ComRes poll suggests David Cameron did best, with 35% of respondents saying so, with Nick Clegg on 33% and Gordon Brown on 26%.
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They ignored:
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YouGov: Cameron (41%), Clegg (32%), Brown (25%)
Populus: Cameron (38%), Clegg (38%), Brown (25%)
ICM: Cameron (35%), Brown (29%), Clegg (27%)
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YouGov was out as early as Comres. Isn't it revealing that Pravda chose not to include it?
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They do have this though:
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2202: The BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones tweets: Tories say David Cameron is well ahead in the betting market, Tweetminster say Clegg is ahead on sentiment. Read Rory Cellan-Jones's tweets
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And this:
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2225: Mixed reactions to the debate are coming in on the BBC's Have Your Say website. David O'Brien thinks "Cameron has a solid team, they have a strong heritage and they look energised to make things happen," while J McGhee believes "Brown is the only one who knows what he's talking about". Clyons agrees with the LibDem Leader: "Clegg is right - we need a German style coalition". Have Your Say
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And, perhaps as a present to his colleague Sarah, the BBC blogger chooses this:
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2254: I am 20 years old, I did all the things the government says you should do. Go to College, get qualifications, earn more money, and save. And yet, I'm working part-time in Burger King, desperately trying to move in with my partner. So, my vote is going with Clegg. The £10,000 tax limit will help me loads. Have Your Say
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If the BBC has any integrity, it will begin its internet coverage today with a listing of all the polls.
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INSTANT UPDATE: Well, it has! It's grudging though, isn't it?
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0619 Good morning. The post-debate analysis is already underway. Some "instant poll" news. They suggest David Cameron did best last night - YouGov for The Sun put him on 41%, against Nick Clegg on 32% and Gordon Brown on 25%. But a ComRes poll for ITV News suggested the result had been much closer with Mr Cameron on 35% to 33% for Mr Clegg and 26% for Mr Brown. (Not that much closer for Brown though!!) The BBC's poll expert David Cowling said we'll have to wait for the weekend polls to see if it's likely to have any affect on voting day.

0623 Our expert says the ComRes and YouGov polls registered no change for Nick Clegg from the second debate, an increase of 5 points for David Cameron and a drop of 4 points for Gordon Brown. Meanwhile a Sky News poll of polls had the Tory and Lib Dem leaders tied with an average of 33% against the PM on 27%. That's probably enough polls for now...

I bet it is!

'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 22

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Here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians. As you can see, Labour won by several miles. They got off to a flying start, then (after Bigotgate had got into its stride) they were quoted again and again and again, defending the oh-so-contrite, oh-so-hard-done-by Brown.
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Tues 27/4
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Labour - 36
Conservatives - 9
Lib Dems - 7
UKIP - 2
SNP - 1
Plaid Cymru - 1
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 22 days?
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Labour - 556
Conservatives - 430
Lib Dems - 353
SNP - 58
UKIP - 34
Plaid Cymru - 29
Greens - 23
BNP - 16
Independents - 4
DUP - 6
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
English Democrats - 1
Christian Party - 1
Christian Peoples Alliance - 1
Respect - 1

BIGOTGATE IS RUBBISHED

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The BBC blog went into overdrive last night to 'protect the emperor'. Any lingering semblance of balance vanished:

2125: Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman says "gaffe" is the wrong word to describe Gordon Brown's comments about Gillian Duffy. She tells the BBC News Channel's Campaign Show he will be "very concerned" at the hurt he has caused.

2146: Former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy says "real people" have been "unanimous" in saying the Gordon Brown episode will not influence their votes.
(About which, please see Paul's comments about The Campaign Show on the Biased BBC Open Thread)

2148: Former Labour deputy leader Margaret Beckett says the media are using Gordon Brown's comments and apology as an excuse not to talk about policy.

2153: Michael Howard, the former Conservative leader, says Gordon Brown has made character an issue during the election campaign, meaning it is not easy for Labour to say now to reverse that decision.

2330: Asked about the furore over Mr Brown's comments to pensioner Gillian Duffy, immigration minister Phil Woolas tells the BBC that "obviously it was not the best point in the campaign". But he says Labour will be able to move on from it and he does not believe it will affect the outcome of the election

And then, yet another have-you-sayer sticking up for Brown:

2249: Neil Scott from Walsall, UK, writes: What I've "learned" today is that Gordon Brown has a different private face to his public face, just like everyone else. I'm tempted to change my mind and vote Labour now, just to show how sick I am with the holier-than-thou media who think the general public are idiots who need drip-fed opinions and treat people like Mrs Duffy as pawns. Have Your Say

Again I ask, was this sort of thing the ONLY thing tweeters and have-you-sayers were saying?

Checking out Have Your Say (with all its 'removed by the moderator' comments), there are a lot of Brown defenders and Labour supporters there for sure (as one commentator Phil Thomas noted "Either I'm out of touch with the public or this board has been hijacked by the Labour press office."), saying what a shame it is for him, that Sky's to blame, it's all hype, that Mrs Duffy is probably a bigot, vote Gordon, etc.. but there is also quite a lot of criticism of Brown too, plenty for the folk at the BBC blog to pick from to provide a spread of public opinion. They chose not too. How the hell can they justify that?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/haveyoursay/2010/04/gordon_browns_remarks_your_rea.html?page=2#comments

BIGOTGATE BREAKS

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The running commentary at B-BBC shows the BBC in confusion over 'Bigotgate' http://biased-bbc.blogspot.com/2010/04/open-thread_27.html. The comments on the 'mother ship' blog are fascinating, reflecting closely the shifts and turns in the BBC's coverage of the story.

All I can add is a complementary review of the BBC's own running commentary.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/liveevent

How did the BBC's live election blog cover the unfolding story of 'Bigotgate'? Well, for the first few minutes they veered uneasily between reporting the breaking news and ploughing on with what they had been doing all morning - plugging Labour's agenda (here reporting Gordon Brown's policy statements on The Jeremy Vine Show).

Then something remarkable happened. The BBC behaved for the following few hours like an impartial broadcaster! It didn't last long, but it was good while it lasted.
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Reaction began to come in and first blood went to the Conservatives:

1308: Conservative Party chairman Eric Pickles tweets on what is now known as #BigotGate on Twitter: "Every voter should know that Brown's view of the electorate is you either agree with him or you are the enemy." Read Eric Pickles's tweets

This was the first we heard of the word "bigot" - and it came not from a BBC reporter but from Eric Pickles. (Mr Pickles breaks news faster than the Beeb it seems!) Did they know about Brown's use of the word "bigot" before then? If so, why hadn't they mentioned it earlier?

Then it was over to a Labour defender, Joan Ruddock, then another (a "Labour spokesman".) From then on a judicious balance of pro- and anti- Brown voices were heard. (Mandy got two bites of the cherry, of course). I would describe the mix of views offered by the BBC blog as exemplary, and it stayed that way until about 4.30pm.

There was no spin from Nick Robinson either, except that he didn't mention the fact that Brown called Mrs Duffy a "bigot":

1329: It's a disaster for the prime minister because Mrs Duffy is typical of the white working class traditional Labour voter Gordon Brown needs to hold on to. Now she is saying she won't be voting Labour, says BBC political editor Nick Robinson. What we have seen is no huge surprise, as he often flairs up in private. If we hadn't had heard the off-camera words, this would've been a lively election moment, which would've been to the prime minister's credit.

Rory Cellan-Jones later became the first BBC reporter to use the b-word:

1355: A firm which tracks "sentiment" on Twitter says Gordon Brown's ratings plunged deep into negative territory after the "bigot" incident. Lexalytics' chart shows his score falling to the lowest levels we've seen in this campaign. The volume of tweets also hit very high levels, increasing tenfold in 20 minutes, says the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones.

The comments on the Biased BBC blog show that this was happening on the BBC News Channel too, though not for quite as long. The tone of the comments from my eagle-eyed allies began to change as the afternoon wore on - and so did the BBC's blog.
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Pro-Labour Bias returned - with a vengeance.

It sounds as if it was gradual on the BBC News Channel. On the BBC blog it was sudden and dramatic. At 16.38 a pro-Brown deluge began (featuring, among others, actor Simon Pegg, Labour-supporting pollster Peter Kellner and Alistair Campbell) and it continued for over two hours.

Suddenly, the tweeters and have-your-sayers all began to speak up for Brown - all of them!!:

1638: Regarding the coverage of #BigotGate, Enhughesiasm tweets: And to think the media were getting so close to having to actually talk about policies. They must be delighted. Read Enhughesiasm's tweets

1739: Regarding Gordon Brown's "bigot" gaffe, Michael Driscoll from Walton-on-Thames writes: What a storm in a tea cup. I'm a floating voter and this event would have no bearing whatsoever on my vote. Surely policies are the right benchmark to cast your vote on. The press seem thrilled to have got this soundbite.Have Your Say

1758: Bruno writes: I can't say I'm Mr Brown's biggest fan, but I do think that anyone's private conversation should remain so - private. If you go earwigging you should expect to hear things you don't like. Have Your Say

1910: Paul From Oakley Vale writes: As an ex-BBC producer and former sound recordist myself I want to know when the reprimand will be applied to a) the sound recordist who carried on recording when a prime minister was clearly "off-camera" and in the private confines of his own car. And b) the reprimand to the opportunist news producer who exploited the sound recordists mistake for their own aggrandizement. Standards of decency and professional conduct have clearly been breached here. Have Your Say

2022Ruralwoman writes: While I look forward to crash Gordon taking a long holiday in a few days' time, I actually feel quite sorry for him. That grumpy off-the-record comment will haunt him forever. Have Your Say (well, that one is support of a back-handed kind!!)
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Is that really typical? Does the whole nation (except us) feel sorry for Gordon Brown, as this suggests? Are all the millions and millions and millions of "bigots" out there really happy at being regarded as such by the Labour leader?
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The early afternoon showed what the BBC could be if it tried. The late afternoon and early evening showed what the BBC is, sadly.

THE MORNING BEFORE...

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Reviewing the BBC's live election blog (so far) today reveals fascinating insights into BBC bias.
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The first substantial post of the day began at 6.45 with "Have unveiled their secret weapon?" Their "secret weapon" turned about to be Sir Alex Ferguson, who is well-known as a Labour supporter, so hardly "secret."
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What followed througout the morning was a long sequence of posts that quoted Labour figures advancing their party's cause, or (more often) attacking their opponents. On and on they went. From 8.00 until 12.15 (when a short post gave the first hint of the catastrophe for Labour to come) there were 9 posts that meet my criteria of using direct or indirect quotes from Labour politicians, and many others about Labour that don't. I think they are all worth quoting for the sake of posterity:

1147: Gordon Brown defends his policies on education, immigration, the deficit, health and "helping people" in a sparky exchange with a woman in Rochdale. Starting off with heckling from a distance, the woman ended up telling him about her grandchildren and travel delays from ash. Mr Brown even complimented her choice of coat today - red. DESCRIPTIVE

1133: From hairdressers to tree-trimmers, Gordon Brown continues his push to meet the voters with a visit to a community scheme in Rochdale. DESCRIPTIVE

1109: Mr Brown takes up the offer of a visit to the hairdressers in Oldham, but declines a trim, opting instead to talk business. The customer in the chair looked quite bemused, as a media scrum surrounded the small shop, reports Jane Hill. DESCRIPTIVE

1017: An entrepreneurial Oldham hairdresser comes right out and offers Mr Brown a haircut if he has five minutes to walk across the road to her salon. He'll even get a discount. He does have a TV debate coming up on Thursday...DESCRIPTIVE

1011: Phil Woolas is relishing his job as compere, saying he'll be like Robert Kilroy-Silk - talkshow host, reality show contestant and former MEP. Presumably Mr Woolas isn't planning an appearance on Big Brother. TRIVIAL

1003: PM Gordon Brown praises the success of neighbourhood policing, saying it's important to him that everyone feels safe in their homes and streets. In an echo of his predecessor, he says: "We are the party that is tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime." SIGNIFICANT

0954: Phil Woolas gets a rousing round of applause as he introduces "the boss" (that's Gordon Brown, in case you were unsure) to the audience at the Oldham community centre. DESCRIPTIVE

0944: The community centre in Oldham has been festooned with red balloons and rosettes for the visit of the prime minister, reports Jane Hill. His question-and-answer session could take about 45 minutes. DESCRIPTIVE

0930: While his ministers have been explaining crime and spending pledges to reporters in London, Gordon Brown is on the verge of a visit to a CCTV monitoring centre in Oldham, where he'll also take questions from the public. DESCRIPTIVE

0903: Lord Mandelson comments on continuing speculation about a hung parliament. With a straight face, he says Lib Dem Nick Clegg is sometimes talking to "the man in the moon, happy to go into a coalition with him". SIGNIFICANT

0853: Greek troubles are mentioned again, and Lord Mandelson is asked: Could we go the way of Greece? He says that it shows the "fragility" of the situation, so it would be wrong to take risks with the recovery. "Britain is not Greece," he says. SIGNIFICANT

0846: Katie Piper appears after Alan Johnson and outlines the role CCTV played in her case. She was badly injured when an attacker threw acid on her face on a busy high street in daylight. CCTV was key to securing a conviction. She says when she feels uncomfortable in public, she'll move to be near a CCTV camera. SIGNIFICANT

0843: Home Secretary Alan Johnson outlines the problems, including binge drinking and teenage pregnancy, but says Labour has the solution. He then moves on to CCTV and its role in policing. People could have the right to request CCTV in some areas, he says. SIGNIFICANT

0837: Labour's Lord Mandelson says Britain needs answers to problems it faces. He begins his speech with criticism of the Tories about its "misuse" of crime statistics. SIGNIFICANT

0831: The Labour press conference is about to get under way with Home Secretary Alan Johnson and Communities Secretary John Denham in a "rare appearance," reports Laura Kuenssberg. They'll be focussing on CCTV and cutting down on crime. Appearing with them will be Katie Piper, who was badly hurt in an acid attack by a boyfriend. DESCRIPTIVE

0822: "Fantasy politics" is how David Miliband describes the Tories and Liberal Democrats when the issue of a hung parliament is put to him on the BBC Today programme. How about sharing Downing St with Nick Clegg? "Our leader is Gordon Brown, we have chosen our leader. We're not having the leader of other parties telling us who our leader should be." DESCRIPTIVE

0819: With the stock exchange nervous about events in Greece, Foreign Secretary David Miliband praises the IMF for action on helping the Eurozone country during its financial crisis, but he criticised David Cameron for comparing the British and Greek situations as similar. "Let's put the Greek bit out of this equation," he said. SIGNIFICANT

0808: Following Tuesday's appearance of an ex-EastEnders actress at a Tory event, another one has stepped into the campaign. Michelle Collins, aka Cindy Beale, is fronting a video criticising Tory plans to give tax breaks to married couples. DESCRIPTIVE
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As you can see, that's a lot of coverage (18 posts) - and it's almost entirely free from criticism (the one exception being the slight dig at John Denham), or indeed of any clouds of negativity. All is sunshine and friendly banter with the public (oh, how deliciously ironic!) Labour could hardly have wished for better coverage. Moreover, as you can see, Labour's campaign messages are quoted across a wide range of subjects. That could only be seen as a great success for them.
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How does this compare to the BBC blog's treatment of the Conservatives between those hours? I think you'll agree it could hardly be more different:
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1210: Shadow chancellor George Osborne tells the Institute of Directors that under a future Tory government, there will be a new sign erected over the country, saying "Britain is open for business". He also wants to see a more balanced economy, with a banking sector that supports the British economy rather than one which "enslaves" it. SIGNIFICANT

1159: Shadow chancellor George Osborne sets out his stall on the economy at the Institute of Directors conference. The parties have been defending their spending plans amid claims they are not being upfront about the scale of future cuts. DESCRIPTIVE

1049: A thirsty Mr Cameron thanks his hosts, makers of a world-famous beverage, and then drops a heavy hint - "they haven't given me any yet". Campaign donations have increased since the televised debates began, so maybe he's hoping for a bit more in the final few days. TRIVIAL

1037: David Cameron is facing some tough questions from the Coca-Cola workers. Immigration, child tax credits, homeownership, the benefit system, foreign takeovers of British companies, and planned cuts have all been raised. DESCRIPTIVE

1025: David Cameron asked workers at Coca Cola in Wakefield what the secret recipe was for Coke. They answered that's the $60m question. TRIVIAL
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And that's it! Only one post (out of a not-so-grand total of 5!!!) reports a Conservative politician putting across a campaign message.
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The posts at 10.25 and 10.49 fall within my criteria of using direct/indirect quotations, despite being utterly trivial and not very helpful to the Conservative cause (compared to all those serious points being made by Labour), and so they will have to appear in my figures tomorrow. They don't deserve to!!
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Moreover, unlike with Labour, Mr Cameron is reported as "facing some tough questions". It's not all sunshine and friendly banter here. The post at 11.59 frames George Osborne's coming speech with general comments about criticisms of the parties over their not being "upfront" about spending cuts. Why mention that in this particular post, rather than in a separate post? To tie the idea of "not being upfront" about spending cuts to Mr Osborne in particular perhaps? Most importantly of all though, why was nothing other than the quip of Mr Cameron's about not being offered a drink quoted from Mr Cameron. It seems he answered a lot of questions on a lot of subjects. The BBC saw fit not to report any of them!!

'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 21

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Left for work very early this morning (startling blackirds and security guards in the process), so there was no time for this. So, better late than never, here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians
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Tues 27/4
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Conservatives - 23
Labour - 22
Lib Dems - 17
SNP - 7
Greens - 2
Plaid Cymru - 1
UKIP - 1
Mebyon Kernow - 1
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 21 very long days?
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Labour - 520
Conservatives - 421
Lib Dems - 346
SNP - 57
UKIP - 32
Plaid Cymru - 28
Greens - 23
BNP - 16
Independents - 4
DUP - 6
Independent Network - 2
Mebyon Kernow - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
English Democrats - 1
Christian Party - 1
Christian Peoples Alliance - 1
Respect - 1

WELL HUNG

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Before I leave for a second longer-than-usual day at work, here's the latest post on the BBC's live election blog:

0621: Three new polls out today show how close the race is now between the three biggest parties - with only 4- 5% between them. A ComRes poll for ITV News puts the Tories on 32%, Lib Dems on 31% and Labour on 28%. An ICM poll for the Guardian puts the Tories on 33%, Lib Dems on 30% and Labour on 28% and a YouGov survey for the Sun puts the Tories on 33%, Lib Dems on 29% and Labour on 28%. A three-horse race it is then - expect the hung parliament chatter to continue.

They mentioned these polls yesterday evening (as did Michael Crick, who was almost salivating over them). Now they mention them again. They haven't done that before. I (rhetorically) wonder why!

That last sentence in the BBC post (and can't you just smell the enthusiasm in it!!) - "A three-horse race it is then - expect the hung parliament chatter to continue" - is a prediction anyone could have made, given the sheer amount of chatter on the subject across the BBC yesterday.

'LIVE EVENT BLOG' TALLY: DAY 20

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Here is yesterday's tally of the number of posts on the BBC's live election blog that report comments (direct/indirect quotations) from party politicians. Labour are now 100 posts ahead of the Conservatives.
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Mon 26/4
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Labour - 26
Conservatives - 20
Lib Dems - 17
Greens - 3
SNP - 1
UUP - 1
Plaid Cymru - 1
Respect - 1
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Now for the running total for the whole campaign. How do things stand after 20 days?
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Labour - 498
Conservatives - 398
Lib Dems - 329
SNP - 50
UKIP - 31
Plaid Cymru - 27
Greens - 21
BNP - 16
Independents - 4
DUP - 6
Independent Network - 2
Monster Raving Loony - 1
Communist Party - 1
Sinn Fein - 1
Mebyon Kernow - 1
Socialist Labour - 1
Liberal - 1
English Democrats - 1
Christian Party - 1
Christian Peoples Alliance - 1
Respect - 1
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