It is nought but a small step, and a hesitant one at that, but at least some Conservatives are starting to make the right noises about the BBC:
The Tories have pledged to rule nothing in and nothing out when it comes to pondering how the BBC should be financed in the future.
Culture spokesman John Whittingdale told BBC News Online that it was difficult to justify the current arrangement of the licence fee which he said faced growing public opposition.
Th irony of this being reported on the BBC news website is not lost on me but neither is the inference that the ‘growing public opposition’ is merely a Tory allegation instead of an objective fact. But even if it was a mere ‘allegation’ I am mildly encouraged that some Conservatives are prepared to level it. If this isn’t an opening shot across the bows of the hitherto inviolable shibboleth status of the BBC, then it is pretty convincing impression of one.
The Tory spokesman’s comments leaves the door open to everything from part-privatisation, subscriptions to the BBC’s digital programmes and the direct grant method.
Not exactly the kind of radicalism I have in mind but then I am not a politician and not, therefore, worried about ‘frightening the horses’ in the way that all politicans (be they Conservative or otherwise) are.
Time will tell whether the Conservatives are serious about depriving the BBC of its tax-cushion or whether the Tories infuriating paternalism is leading them to look for a less visible way to maintain the distorting state-subsidy.
But I will refrain from damning in advance and settle for some measure of satisfaction that the BBC’s reservoir of goodwill is rapidly dwindling away even among the political classes and if it is dawning on the Conservatives that we do not need ‘public service broadcasting’ then perhaps they may also realise that we don’t need ‘Culture Spokesmen’ either.
Still, given the circumstances, that is a quibble that I will reserve for another day.
Well, perhaps it’s the thin end of the wedge!
Maybe the Conservatives are gradually waking up from their long doze and recalling some of those free-market capitalist ideas they used to have!
A few more of these, and they may even capture the public imagination and win a general election, eventually!
No, I’m not holding my breath either. But good is good.
I wish they’d devote more energy to bleeding the real giant, the EU, and unzipping all the viral eurolaws that have infected our country over three decades, from europolice to decimalisation.
“…decimalisation.”
Is this a vote FOR 2stone7? FOR 2shillings eleven-pence-ha’pney? FOR 3drams 4scruples?
The EQUIVALENCIES are a real b..ch to learn (1dram = 0.276 milligrams?), but when one DROPS EQUIVALENCIES and simply learns, “I use 65grams. Take the line out 37 meters.” its VERY EASY.
That, however, was really NOT the focus of your post, n’est-ce pas? I sense that you chafe under the yoke of continental imperialism, cultural imperialism of a new order… applied in Old Euro fashion, from top to (ahem!) bottom, from elite to (sniff) the masses…
Howdy, Brit! Are you enjoying being ‘the masses’? Does that inspire you? Touch you? MOVE you?
It moves a certain terminal intestinal portion of me, but otherwise…
I prefer to be WE, the PEOPLE! I prefer government OF the people, BY the people FOR the people. US. Kinda snappy ring to it, what?
But then, I’m just some kinda energetic, roach-killin’ Eye Opener, laughing and tweaking ruddy cheeks here and there…
I am sure that Eye Opener has a point and sooner or later he will make it clearly and succinctly.
As a quasi-member of the Tory party (occasionally a member, when I can raise the motivation to send in the £15 quid, after about the fourth reminder letter), you can get pretty close to your Tory MP, if you have one. If you don’t have an MP or candidate yet, you may even be asked to BE the next Tory candidate at the next General Election, if you’re not careful! 🙂
I urge all Samizdatas, at least all the ones who can stomach it, to join the Tory party, and get right up close and personal to your MP/candidate (or even become a candidate!), and push our ideas of true liberalism.
There are so few people under 50 interested in the Tory party, that if we really pushed, we could even take them over in a coup of the motivated.
Though of course, like Herr Hayek, you may wish to remain above the fray, and keep to a pure course; able to think completely freely, without the compromise of political “realities”. But my business life and family life is taking a hammering from these fascists currently in charge of the Inland Revenue, and the Home Office, and I want rid of them, even if the cost is a few wet paternalists in the next Tory government. I cannot afford the luxury of remaining in a pure Randian wonderland of voluntary taxes, and sweetness and light. The first step to that, will be the removal of the marxoids currently threatening us all with their freedom to make us do what they say.
And their evil Mouths of Sauron, at the BBC.
If I understand you Eye Opener, I think my answer is yes.
Get a grip of this shite from the Guardian – as pointed out by Tim Blair.
http://media.guardian.co.uk/rupertmurdoch/story/0,11136,951395,00.html
What bullshit!! I haven’t watched BBC news since well before the war. Reading blogs gives you such a wide range of info that the BBC news omissions and errors then stand out a mile.
If I’m about I watch ITV news at 6:30 and Sky or Fox later. I for one enjoy it when Neil Cavuto or Bill O’Rielly go off on one. At least you know where they are coming from instead of it all being underhand and pretending that they are imparital. Jackie Dee pointed out that one of the BBC breakfast presenters used to work for Neil Kinnock and John Smith and it shows.
I saw the last half an hour of a documentary about the USS Abraham Lincoln and caught two errors in the narration and you’ve got to wonder if it’s sloppy or malevolent. Firstly one of the messes had MSNBC on and the narrator said CNN and Fox were the two channels the ship received. At the end it said the ship’s home port was in California when I’m certain it’s in Washington state.