Ben Bradshaw: Politics, Respect and Surfing

June 30, 2009

“The BBC will have to change its news timings to fit in with the new respect that we’re going to give Parliament.”

“Why this obsession with the Today programme? Why should we be dancing to the tune of the BBC, of Radio 4’s news agenda?”

ken-bradshaw

Thus spoke Ben Bradshaw, the new culture secretary and a former BBC journalist, in an interview with the Independent on Sunday. Mr Bradshaw – who is not thought to be related to Ken Bradshaw, the famous Hawaiian big wave surfer – believes that ministers should stop announcing policy decisions on the BBC and show more “respect” by doing so in Parliament.

This, of course, is ridiculous. To countenance it is, for a second, to believe that the House of Commons runs the country, when everyone knows that the media is in charge.

Pictured courtesy of jez – armchairhero.com: Ken Bradshaw tells fellow surfers that British MPs have a task ‘the size of a giant wave’ on their hands in their quest to regain voter respect.

 

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Supreme Court on Twitter

February 6, 2012

Something remarkable happened today. Yes, the Supreme Court launched its Twitter feed. It even has a Twitter policy, one of caveats, disclaimers and little by way of illumination but regardless: who would have thought that the successor body to the House of Lords would stoop to engage with the world of tweets, hashtags and retweets?

We look forward to the day when court business will be conducted via Twitter. Meantime, check out this link for an excellent blog on the Supreme Court.

Not so right said Fred

February 2, 2012
fred hat

So Farewell, then, Sir Fred Goodwin.

Now you are just Fred.

Not Right Said Fred, but plain Fred.

The Forfeiture Committee did for you.

No one had heard of it before,

But Dave said it had to act, and it did.

Trouble is that no one knows what to think.

Is it ‘Alas, poor Fred‘,

Or ‘Hurray! Sir Fred is dead!’?

We don’t know.

Do you?

By A. Mob, aged 1,378 and a half.

London Goes AWOL

January 31, 2012
CNN

STOP PRESS:

Fed up with being stuck on the Thames in south-east England, London yesterday decided to move. In a dramatic gesture which augurs ill for the Olympics, the city upped sticks and relocated to East Anglia.

Lawyers were not consulted about the move, and the city’s precise motivation remains unclear. However, financiers fear that London’s decision is a sign that it wishes to downsize. Moreover, a source from London said: “We no longer want to be Britain’s seat of power. If the Scots can deregulate, why can’t we? East Anglia is a nice place where nothing happens. It’s time for a quiet life. Please respect our right to privacy.”

Elsewhere, Birmingham did not do anything, but Manchester was seen to be packing its bags. “There’s an opportunity for us,” said Manchester. “We can become London.”

East Anglia said: “We don’t mind. It’ll be refreshing to be associated with something other than fens and flatness.”

A cartologist at CNN, which broke the extraordinary news, was later fired.