Tony Benn puts the wind up auntys bloomers

[AllforNun]

The man's a genius !!!

" I am sorry people will die as a result of the BBC's decision (not to broadcast an appeal for aid to palestine), i have to say it like it is, the BBC has capitulated as a result of pressure from Israel"

see the interview ...brilliant...good on the BBC News for giving him airtime.

[RosieH]

I thought it was great, particularly as they let him read out where to send donations to (effectively what the BBC had not allowed) before cutting him off.

Big up the Benn. They don't seem to make them like that any more.

[Nero]

And don't you think it is also to be admired that the BBC should let people come on and effectively rubbish the BBC. Whether or not you agree with its decision not to air an appeal, it would be churlish not to acknowledge its commitment to impartiality.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Well said Nero.

[SteveT]

Here Here Nero.

My estimation of Mr Benn took a dive when he announced his eighteen year old grand-daughter should run for his seat.

I've been unable to take him seriously ever since.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Mr Wedgewood-Benn has rather drifted from "Hero of the Left" status to "Daft as a Brush"

He is an actual Hero mind as he fought in the war - but he was a proper toff then.

[taper]

hear, hear nero. Why Benn is treated as anything other than a joke is an enduring mystery. A laughably bad minister; and a grandstander supreme, who dissembles

and squirms his way out of answering questions.

[LegalEagle-ish]

I think he's great - he's still my hero and I love the BBC too so stuff all you naysayers!

[AllforNun]

mmmmm.....now the wonderfully enlightened DG of the BBC has now become a the leading authority on the delivery of aid in Gaza ....citing ...."concern about whether aid raised by the appeal could actually be delivered on the ground". The man is a complete tool, can't the news run a lead story about a revolution at BBC towers and turf this muppet and his circle of suits out.

How on earth can they talk about maintaining editorial impartiality and the fact that....... political comment was "coming close to constituting undue interference in the editorial independence of the BBC". When this government and those in the background railroaded the last decent DG out of his job over the sexed up 45minute claim....what a load of balls these people talk.

[MrBen]

Lets hear it for Mr Benn

[AllforNun]

Oh the sad irony of it all ...now the BBC are leading with the headline

" BBC resists pressure over Gaza" now they are a resistance movement themselves....priceless. So it's absolutely fine to be completely unimpartial when it comes to reporting on the BBC's own image in order to save Mark Thompson's job, but fuck the people in Gaza dying of malnutrition or lack of medicines and shelter. Thank the lord Thompson does not run the News itself the man could not make an editorial decision if he tried. Silence for a week over the Ross affair then he leaps in with both feet over a humanitarian crisis unfolding in the middle east and gets it completely wrong, div.

Barricade the doors of the newsroom and run the headline tommorow...

" Unemployment figures in Britain jump by....ONE ! "

[AllforNun]

Christ almighty it gets worse : just heard that they are trying to manage their way out of the hole they have dug themselves by pushing the news story of Thompson's stupid decision down the news agenda. They have just lucked out with the breaking news about the cash for questions story.

U-turn tommorow without a doubt, but a managed one, so that will be all right, he'll live to fight er i mean flap another day!!

[*Bob*]

I do like hearing Tone speak, even if he's wrong - which he is half the time.

He's also gone slightly batty (in the old-fashioned sense) of late, which doesn't help.

Strangely, the Benn 'interview' that I remember the most is the one he did with Ali G. Testament to the man's ability to take-on whatever anyone else says (no matter how ridiculous) at face value - and argue the point with passion and dignity.

Respec'.

[????]

Mmmmm....can't remember him being so critical of far less democratic regimes of a leftish persuasion.....for those of you Thatcher haters....this man, more than any, was responsible for Thatcherism....he's a buffoon fondly and patronsingly loved now but he'd have ruined this country

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Remember him sitting next to Beecham while he read his Govt. report out that decimated The Railways(although NOT Beecham's own line from East Grinstead!)...

Tony is another one who would still be trying to arrange an appointment with Adolf, if Adolf would have been so kind to fit him in to his working schedule, to start a "dialogue":))

[AllforNun]

WOW now SKY and Murdoch are backing up the BBC what glorious company.

[SimonM]

How memory plays tricks on us! It wasn't Sir Thomas Beecham who ruined the railways but Dr Beeching.

And if one man more than any other was "responsible for Thatcherism" it was Dennis, who bankrolled and permitted his wife to stand for parliament. Throw in Heath and Callaghan before Benn takes any blame...

[snorky]

I quite like TB - he is consistent and argues his views logically, whether you agree with them or not

Im still in a bit of quandry about this BBC/Gaza issue- the Beeb has been targeted in the past as being Pro Palestinian so I can maybe see their issue

[Tony.London Suburbs]

SimonM Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> How memory plays tricks on us! It wasn't Sir

> Thomas Beecham who ruined the railways but Dr

> Beeching.

Ma Bad.

Tru SAy. Mi Bredrin!

I will compose myself and try to conduct myself in a more orderly and correct manner when discussing Tommy Beecham and not get his name confused with the (Not-So) Good Doctor:-S....and I have no excuse as this week,once again, I will be driving down Beeching Way in East Grinstead, built where the old Railway Line was that his Report removed:))

[AllforNun]

EEEk......

go to the bbc news website now 12.10pm and you will notice that even though 120mp's have just voted for the motion regarding humanitarian aid to Gaza that the story regarding the BBC's decision has vanished from any of it's minor or major headlines. Not only that but there is a full frame link, including photo's of Holocaust memorial day and numerous links to stories about Auschwitz falling into decay, and holocaust archive and should Auschwitz be preserved.....grassy knoll anyone ?

it's just to weird, no wonder they don't want to run the appeal.

[Jeremy]

I don't recall seeing any appeals on the BBC to help the injured, starving, and homeless as a result of our assaults on Iraq and Afghanistan. Nobody was boycotting the BBC then, were they?

And anyway, the BBC has done a pretty good job of covering the destruction caused by these conflicts, so I don't understand how they can be accused of bias - particularly not in comparison with various overseas media.They are happy to defend their position, even allowing those who oppose their position to give their point of view. Good on the BBC, I say.

[Keef]

What Jeremy said.

[AllforNun]

er what jeremy said....

There were no appeals as the US and Britain and Nato and the European Union had already committed to huge restructuring programmes and aid supplies, so it would have looked like the BBC were telling this government that they were not fulfilling their promises and Mark Thompson would have really lost his job...... Actually jeremy your short sighted reading of the situation is genius, what a trick we missed we could have got this editorial pygmy fired years ago !!

and he is not so much defending his decision, which is frankly contradictory and balls, as defending his own image...shamefull.

Boycotting !! you must be mad i will have my ice skates and lycra on, standing ready in front of my TV come Saturday night.

[Keef]

Allfornun, I am interested, what with this and the other thread, you obviously feel really strongly about this whole situation.

Why?

(Just curious)

And anyway, the BBC has done a pretty good job of covering the destruction caused by these conflicts, so I don't understand how they can be accused of bias - particularly not in comparison with various overseas media.They are happy to defend their position, even allowing those who oppose their position to give their point of view. Good on the BBC, I say.

Once again, "what Jeremy said".

[AllforNun]

Once again ...balls !

A butterfly flaps it's wings in the Amazon and it effects the winds in Nunhead...........chaos theory my friend....BOOM !

I think that was Eric the King, the king the king......that said that.