Party Girl Puff Piece - BBC In Trouble

What is it with the BBC and the far-right? The over-generous platforming of Nigel “Thirsty” Farage and his current political vehicle, awarding interviews to Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, talking up Vox in Spain, inviting someone from neo-Nazi group Generation Identity on Newsnight in the wake of the Christchurch shooting, and now free publicity for someone from Turning Point UK.

Emily Hewertson

That free publicity was a place at the top of the front page of the BBC website early this morning for a puff piece titled “Party girls can do politics”, which featured one Emily Hewertson. As the blurb told, “The young politicians of tomorrow are growing up with social media today - so should they be filtering what they post to suit their political futures?”

Is there more? Dare one look? Er, there is more. “Emily Hewertson doesn't think so. She's 19, and like many girls her age she likes clubbing and Instagram - but she's also an aspiring politician. She went viral after appearing in the audience of a BBC Question Time election special where many viewers were quick to point out that she doesn't look like your ‘typical politician’”. They missed that she was part of Turning Point UK.

Fortunately, Chloe Westley of the so-called Taxpayers’ Alliance, which like TPUK would rather not tell where the money is coming from, made the connection. And though Ms Hewertson’s puff piece won’t tell you this, TPUK is the British offshoot of a US original which has been linked to white supremacists, accused of racism, accused of McCarthyite behaviour in compiling its “Professor Watchlist”, and often denied campus recognition.

So when Peter Geoghegan of Open Democracy upbraided the Beeb, observing “So BBC has run a three minute puff video about ‘party girl does politics’. At no stage does mention that said party girl is in Turning Point, directly connected into dark money, and uses Sputnik clippings to illustrate. This is *so* poor”, he has good reason to be concerned.

That led Ms Hewertson to snap back “It’s just not that deep Peter … p.s it’s the most watched video on the BBC app today”, and Ms Westley to go straight for the smear by sneering “haha welcome to my world Emily! Lots of stalkers with conspiracy theories”. That’s the same Chloe Westley who accuses “the left” of playing dirty, suggesting someone who criticises the BBC is a “stalker”. No comment.

Remember folks, it's the Rotten Lefties™ who play dirty

The problem for the BBC, though, is that once more they have given free publicity to the far-right, and that TPUK is associated by name with a US parent which has a grim reputation for bigotry and intolerance. TPUK has itself been the subject of ridicule after it was revealed that its founder was, how shall I put this, a fruitcake. More worryingly, it has links to the now moribund Young Britons’ Foundation of Tory Bullying infamy.

Yet the Beeb passes off one of the group’s adherents as a mere “Conservative”. After all, she’s been in the audience on Question Time, you know. So that’s all right, then.

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Farage And Friends In Trouble

Although most of our free and fearless press failed abysmally in their duty to scrutinise the candidates being offered for election by the Brexit Party in the run-up to the European Parliament elections last month, some light is at last being shone upon the new vehicle for self-appointed Oberscheissenführer Nigel “Thirsty” Farage. And the result is that Farage and his pals are not taking the scrutiny at all well.

Squeaky flaky under pressure finger up the bum time

First came news that bigoted ex-Tory Ann Widdecombe’s homophobia meant her show had been cancelled: “A Devon theatre has cancelled a booking for Brexit MEP Ann Widdecombe in response to comments she made about gay people earlier this week … The Brexit Party MEP was due to appear at the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe in March next year … [the CEO] said this had been cancelled in light of Widdecombe’s comments”.

Mr Thirsty had gone on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to defend her, too, asserting “Ann Widdecombe is a devout Christian, and there is nothing wrong with that, in my opinion, she will have views on abortion, on homosexuality, to the views held by many others, and d’you know, I think these things are matters of conscience”. What a cop-out.

Sadly, that was not Farage’s only little local difficulty. As the Guardian has reported, “The Brexit party’s candidate in the Peterborough byelection has been criticised for profiteering from buying and selling freeholds of hundreds of new homes. Mike Greene, expected to become the fledgling party’s first MP on Thursday, was for two years an alleged office holder in E&J Ground Rents No4 llp – a firm which bought and sold the rights to charge ground rent across the UK”. A practice that has been described as “feudal”.

It gets worse. Although Mr Thirsty got an audience with Combover Crybaby Donald Trump at the US Ambassador’s residence yesterday evening, he now faces potential sanctions from the European Parliament over that bung from Arron Banks (who is himself in the mire after he violated Twitter’s rules on encouraging self-harm recently).

Farage has, of course, struck a defiant note. As the BBC has reported, “The committee had invited Mr Farage to appear in person to discuss his finances, but said it would have to be on Wednesday to fit it in before the end of the parliamentary session … He was not under any obligation to appear”. Nige dismissed the hearing as a “kangaroo court”.

He then ranted “This committee would better spend its time investigating the waste of public money by well-known MEPs”. None of the MEPs was named, but I can help him with one name, and that name is Nigel Farage, sponger extraordinaire.

No matter, he wasn’t finished, spluttering “If they try to bar me from the building, who else gives voice to the thousands of people who voted for me? Is this democracy EU style?” To which the answer is, there are three other Brexit Party MEPs for South East England, and as for whining about “democracy”, Farage has already suggested that none of his MEPs would even bother turning up to take their seats.

Still, he’s always there with the soundbite, knowing that so many in our free and fearless press can’t be bothered to do their research, and will print whatever the SOB says.

Do some proper journalism, folks. He’s a fraud. It’s your job to say so.

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Based Amy Deflates Herself

Yesterday in London, protesters gathered to pass severely adverse comment on the antics of Combover Crybaby Donald Trump. Unlike Monday, when very few people lined the Mall to see the alleged President pass by on his way to Buck House, thousands turned out to protest The Donald’s bigotry. And as there were anti-Trump protesters, so a few pro-Trump fans turned out as well. Which means there had to be Based Amy aka the Bacon Lady.

Amy Dallamura, who styles herself Based Amy, has featured on Zelo Street previously, not least for her ability to be abusive and unpleasant while all the time playing the victim. This time, her mission was to damage the “Baby Trump” blimp, although the one at which she eventually took aim was not the 20 foot tall one - that was already on its way to Dublin, to troll The Donald on the next stop on his trip - but a smaller version.

As she stood close to the blimp, which was being guarded by uniformed “Trump Babysitters”, the conversation shows she knew her actions would get her arrested. But after a little thought - there’s never any more than that with Based Amy - she announced that she was “going in”. She stabbed at the blimp. So she must have been carrying a bladed weapon of some kind, which the cops may later find interesting.

As she backed away, so came the commentary: “Did it … that’s a disgrace … it’s a national disgrace! The President of the United States is the best President ever! Shame on you … don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me … I’m bleeding now … did it”.

And with that, she tried to make her escape. “Right guys, I’m going … I got the balloon, baby … I just ripped it, baby … going down, going down, go get it … you better go check it out, I think Donald Trump’s balloon is not very well. I think it’s going down rapidly for a reason … it’s going down, baby … I gotta get out of here … I’m bleeding quite badly, though”. And then the Metropolitan Police nicked her.

“Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! [Officer gives her the spiel about being arrested] Be careful! I’m disabled! Be careful, I’m going to cooperate … I’m going to cooperate … I hurt myself … be careful, I’m not dangerous [!] Look at the Police, the Police are coming after me … stop it … if you break my bone … what’s your number? I’m gonna sue you [no she isn’t] I’m not resisting, I’m standing still”. Who’d be a cop, eh?

There was, inevitably, more. “I’ve just been assaulted by a Policeman … I’m relaxed … I’m trying not to drop my phone [she is told again to relax her arm] it’s relaxed … Ow! Hey, America, help me, these people are assaulting me … Ow! I’m relaxed … It is so relaxed [screams] [screams again] look at my phone!” And there, on the deck, was her phone.

OH WHAT A GIVEAWAY

And while Based Amy made great play of being nicked, she later dropped herself in it big time by Tweeting out a photo of her injured finger. It needed, by her own admission, three stitches. So the bladed implement she was carrying must have been potentially lethal.

What was that about knife crime in London and the increased penalties for carrying such weapons? Here’s what Gov dot UK says about that: “The maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife is 4 years in prison and an unlimited fine”.

The authorities’ patience may soon wear out if she’s going to use a knife. Mild hint.

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Brexit = No More NHS - Trump Spells It Out

After Woody Johnson, the US Ambassador to the UK, told Andrew Marr last Sunday that “healthcare” would be “on the table” for discussion as part of a post-Brexit trade deal, Government spinners went into action. As Adam Bienkov at Business Insider observed, “UK ministers were forced to repeat that the National Health Service would not be any part of a trade deal, after the US ambassador Woody Johnson said on Sunday that ‘the entire economy’ including healthcare should be ‘on the table’ in future talks”.

Moreover, he reported that “Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who is among the 13 candidates running to succeed May as prime minister, insisted the NHS was ‘not for sale.’” Someone was not listening to Hancock, and that someone was Combover Crybaby Donald Trump. He has just endorsed every word Johnson uttered.

Donald, where's yer hairspray?

Sky News has announced “When asked if the NHS should be on the table for a post-Brexit trade deal, Donald Trump says ‘everything will be on table’”. More specifically, he asserted “I think we’re going to have a great trade deal … We’re going to have a great and very comprehensive trade deal”. Cue mention of the NHS. “I think everything with a trade deal is on the table. When you’re dealing with trade, everything’s on the table”.

Squeaky 21st Century Guilty Men finger up the bum time

Do go on. “So NHS or anything else … a lot more than that, but everything will be on the table”. It was no mere mis-step from Woody Johnson. The NHS, our NHS, is expected to be up for grabs as part of a post-Brexit trade deal with the USA, the country whose President is urging the UK to tear itself from the EU … so that its economy and institutions can then be torn apart by rapacious Stateside business interests.

Thus the final Brexit end game is now in sight. It is what Nigel “Thirsty” Farage and his fellow spivs have been advocating all along. It is what has been supported by all those Astroturf lobby groups - the TPA, ASI, CPS, IEA and all the rest, along with their retinue of talking heads who turn up with monotonous regularity on the BBC and Sky News.

As Louis Barfe put it, “I wonder how many people would have voted Leave if that bus had said ‘Let's give the NHS to America’?” Maybe not enough to sway the vote. So a little lying was called for. The kind that was being practiced by Woody Johnson on the Marr Show.

Johnson claimed “the EU has taken a position on things like chlorinated chicken and said the American food supply is as safe as anything in Europe”. It was? “Completely safe”. Well, let’s take Salmonella as an example. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates “Salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the United States every year. Food is the source for about 1 million of these illnesses”. And for the EU?

In 2016, the number of hospitalisations was 1,766, and there were 10 deaths. None of those deaths was in the UK. The population of the USA is 327 million; that of the EU (including the UK) is more than 512 million. Do the math, as they say.

Not only is the food going to be more dangerous, it’ll cost you to get treated once you get bitten by the bug. For some reason, Farage and Bozza forgot to mention this bit.

Still want to go through with it, Brexit backing proud patriotic Brits? No pressure, now.

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Change UK - The Curse Of Dan Hodges

Whenever the Nostradamus of Northcliffe House, the Mail on Sunday’s not at all celebrated blues artiste Whinging Dan Hodges, makes a prediction, it goes badly wrong, almost with the certainty of night following day. He said Jeremy Corbyn would not be elected Labour leader, that Remain would win the EU referendum, and that Hillary Clinton would become US President. On all three, he was plain flat wrong.

He's still desperate, Dan

But Desperate Dan is never downhearted by such minor setbacks, and so when the force then known as The Independent Group was established in February this year, he ignored all those who recalled the fate of the 1980s SDP, and declared that this was a movement from which we would hear a great deal in the future.

“No one knows where this is all going to end. But with the defection of Tory MPs those attempting to dismiss TIG need to consider two facts. There is a gaping chasm in the political centre. And people on all sides of the political divide are finally attempting to fill it” he told, adding that when it came to establishing a proper policy process, “I think every single member of the TIG will stick with it through that process”.

Hodges reckoned “I don’t actually agree with analysis saying inevitable TIG starts to slip back significantly in the polls. Think they could potentially be challenging in by-elections in the right seats … Now only a matter of time before we get more defections. Key reason is there’s a growing sense in Westminster TIG is actually a viable political project rather than a kamikaze mission”. As for the effect on Jeremy Corbyn, well, it looked bad.

“Whatever happens to TIG from here, they have at least definitively ended Labour's ‘what should we do?’ debate. If you want to destroy Corbynism, you leave. His position is crumbling by the hour. Look at the hysteria of his supporters. Smell the fear”. Would Sir care to mention anti-Semitism? He certainly would. “None of what we’re seeing from the Labour leadership is about protecting the Jewish community from anti-Semitism. Or the nation from Brexit. All about protecting themselves from TIG”.

And TIG were going to be BIG. “This is a big card TIG are going to play. Every time someone like Marr points out differences in individual positions they're going to say ‘Yep. We have different positions on some issues. This is what the new politics looks like’”. Polls looked bad, but he remained faithful. “Change UK launch got its share of criticism. But reports of the party’s death appear to have been a touch premature”.

Even with electoral humiliation at the European Parliament elections imminent, Dan was still there. “Cable refuses to endorse Chuka Umunna's revocation call. Change UK have their first decent wedge issue of the campaign". But after those elections, he downgraded his optimism. “I keep saying the LDs and Change Uk need to get together and form something new”. The Lib Dems did not need to do anything, though.

That’s because the “New Politics” had put so much strain on Change UK that the entire project was breaking apart. As the Guardian has reported today, “Up to half of Change UK’s MPs are poised to leave the fledgling political party after its dismal performance in the European elections.” As in six MPs out of a total of eleven.

There was more. “Change UK’s interim leader, Heidi Allen, and the former Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who is the group’s spokesman, have been advocating closer cooperation with the Liberal Democrats, and are among those thought to be considering defecting to the party”. The paper’s chief political correspondent Jessica Elhot spelled out why.

“Bitter arguments on tactics, personality clashes and a comprehensive battering by the Lib Dems seems to have done for them”. Also, they received an early kiss of death from Desperate Dan Hodges. For such insights, and on column a week, he is reputed to be trousering a salary comfortably into six figures.

Getting it wrong so comprehensively, and so often, can be so lucrative. Who knew?

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Darren Grimes - Grifters Gonna Grift

While our free and fearless press has been focused on the faux President, Combover Crybaby Donald Trump, and his state visit to the UK, his supporters out there on the right have been attempting, and failing, to garner support for their own place in history. One of those trying his best to score some personal attention - and sympathy - has been former Vote Leave and BeLeave participant Darren Grimes.

Darren Grimes - smiling all the way to the bank

Grimes, who is already referred to more often as Darren Crimes, wants the world to know that he could be rendered bankrupt as a result of an upcoming court case. The world, sadly for Grimes, is not fussed about the prospect.

After he told “In six weeks time, I'm in court appealing the Electoral Commission's decision to whack me with their maximum fine … If I lose, I'm bankrupt … If I win, I clear my name, I clear the smears against the Leave campaign and expose this biased quango … Thank you for your support”, the disinterest and derision followed.

One Tweeter put together a montage of recent Grimes adventures and concluded “I hardly think Darren Crimes is bankrupt when [he] can afford swank degustations, or go on luxury peak season holidays to Cannes, US, South Africa, Switzerland or horsey country retreats”. And he’s crowdfunded more than £91,000. Bankrupt indeed.

From there came straightforward derision. “Wow @darrengrimes_ I wish I was as bankrupt as you!” … “Is there a link to donate to the Electoral Commission instead?” … “You have received enough money try working”. Working, eh, Dazza? There’s a challenge.

Nor was there much support for his court case, with one Tweeter pointing out “Even though you claim it was all mistakes in paperwork, there is no paperwork possible that would have made your actions legal”. Plus the Met is now investigating him.

And as to the idea of him becoming bankrupt, well, Grimes is prone to turning on the hyperbole, as another commenter pointed out: “Except you won’t be bankrupt because despite spending half your time criticising social provision and ‘handouts’ you’re one of the biggest scroungers on Twitter, preying on gullible idiots and getting them to fund you - it really is nauseating hypocrisy”. Not making a sale there, then.

Moreover, what confidence can one have that he will succeed in his much-publicised appeal? A Tweeter identifying merely as “One of the 48%” was unconvinced. “Wait. You're appealing this decision, in the hope that the electoral commission will … change… their... mind….?????” Wasn’t there anyone in Darren’s corner?

Well, yes there was. “Please support @darrengrimes_ if you can. He’s a fighter for what is right and an example to us all. As for the Electoral Commission…” thundered former Army officer Richard Kemp. Except Kemp is a nailed-on racist bigot and serial supporter of anything out there on the right. He’s a one-man credibility-free zone.

Meanwhile, though, despite very little support and all the derision, Darren Grimes continues to grift. £91,000 and counting. Bankruptcy never looked so good.

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So Farewell Then George Galloway

After the Murdoch mafiosi took over TalkRADIO, the changes began, specifically with the dismissal of host Stan Collymore, who had previously passed severely adverse comment on Creepy Uncle Rupe. What was more surprising, given his support for the Palestinian cause, something where the Murdochs do not agree with him, was their continuing with the presence of former Labour and Respect Party MP George Galloway.

But as Galloway continued to pass adverse comment on the actions of the Israeli Government, the thought entered that if he gave Rupe half an excuse, he’d be out. In the event, The Great Man gave his employers a proper full-blown reason for dismissal, with the result that his contract with TalkRADIO was terminated this morning.

What provoked the decision to fire him was Galloway’s reaction to Saturday evening’s all-Premiership Champions League final in Madrid, where Liverpool beat Spurs. “Congratulations to the great people of #Liverpool to the memory of the socialist miner #BillShankley to the fallen #96 to those who fought for justice for them and to the Liverpool dockers. No #Israël flags on the Cup!” he announced triumphantly.

Whether or not there was an intention to pass an anti-Semitic remark (and yes, there is no E in Shankly), the inference many would take from his comment is that he has seen Spurs, a club with a large following from North London’s Jewish communities, lose, conflated Israel and Jews and therefore veered over the anti-Semitism line. You’re nicked.

Moreover, what matters to Galloway is that this interpretation will be what he faces if he carries out his threat to take legal action against his now former employers. And that, after he opened with “I’ve been given a Red Card from @talkRADIO for ‘over-celebrating’ #Liverpool famous victory over Spurs. Not sure it’s the wisest move Mr Murdoch’s team ever made given the history and all”, is what he is proposing.

This came as he warned “I’ve just been sacked by @talkRADIO See you in Court guys. #Palestine #Moats Long live Palestine”, and then countered TalkRADIO’s claim “talkRADIO has terminated George Galloway's weekly show with immediate effect. As a fair and balanced news provider, talkRADIO does not tolerate anti-semitic views” with the threat “That’s a defamatory statement. You’d be wise to take it down”.

Galloway is trying to contrast his situation with that of TalkRADIO breakfast host Julia Hartley Dooda, who has, during her time with the station, been censured for a Twitter mis-step (on the Omagh bombing). But alleged anti-Semitism was not involved in her case.

Worse for Galloway, he’s suggesting going up against the Murdochs, who out-spent the Crown in defending Rebekah Brooks and getting her off that phone hacking charge. If they are so minded, they’ll out-spend him. One wonders if he has thought this one through.

George Galloway gave the Murdoch mafiosi a reason to sack him. They took him up on his offer. Now they can install a host in his place whose political leanings are more to their liking. And for that, ultimately, he only has himself to blame.

The age of George Galloway at TalkRADIO was for a time, but not for all time.

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