The Political Thread

[Trout]

That was just random abuse directed at Paisley boy. 

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Here is one link reference the left wing bias from the bbc and it was from Mark Thompson BBC IS NOT BIAS. It was a while ago but hey ho I haven't got time to help you get your facts correct!

And one to highlight an investigation that should end soon about their impartiality GUARDIAN WEBSITE, see I even look at that website

Dismiss these if you wish and probably will but we all know where the BBC likes to lean.

As for the bit about the underwear thread, we treat this forum like a pub (without the drink, although some on here are drunk) and if you are gonna just laugh at what someone says with no explanation, then expect a response that may hurt!

[Frank]

Anyone who followed BBC Scotland's handling of the Rangers Tax case will smirk at the 'even handed' suggestion. They had a (laughably BAFTA winning) documentary that stated for fact that Rangers were cheats and tax dodgers. But lo, Rangers won their tax tribunal and a lot of egg was on face and backtracking was done.

Anyone arguing that BBC Scotland isn't the most Northerly outpost of Millbank doesn't know what they're talking about, but - just to continue the Paisley Boy-bashing - what the tax tribunal of The Rangers Football Club (i) proved was that they were fiddling the tax system, but only in the way any number of other clubs and private businesses were fiddling the tax system, and in a way that is not illegal.

Everything the BBC's investigation of Rangers' tax affairs claimed was true, and if they'd stuck to pointing out how incredibly shady the practice of issuing tax-free 'loans' to millionaire players which have never and were never intended to be repaid undoubtedly is (rather than insinuating criminal wrong-doing) they wouldn't have left themselves open to accusations of bias.


(i) I'm loving that definite article

[Buttonman]

just to continue the Paisley Boy-bashing - what the tax tribunal of The Rangers Football Club (i) proved was that they were fiddling the tax system, but only in the way any number of other clubs and private businesses were fiddling the tax system, and in a way that is not illegal.

Run that past me again?

Shady you may think but tax avoidence and tax evasion are different things and what he BBC did was have Rangers guilty before the official tribunal reported. This supposed guilty verdict which would have cost £10s of millions left the club unsaleable to all but an asset stripper who saw them liquidated. Lazy, preachy yellow journalism of the worst kind.

[Trout]

I felt the real story - which the BBC broke, despite significant attempts to stop them - was Craig Whyte's dodgy past.

But I am NOT getting involved in this fucking disease of a thread. 

[Modern Panther]

"dodgy"?  It was entirely semi-legal!

[Frank]

Shady you may think but tax avoidence and tax evasion are different things and what he BBC did was have Rangers guilty before the official tribunal reported.

It's Not Right, But It's Okay. I've no more beef with Oldco Rangers than I have with any other multi-million pound company which uses cute tricks to treat any of the Queen's sterling which passes through its books as its own private property. Most of the money that enters the closed loop of private capital seems to circulate amongst billionaire directors, their millionaire employees, and their millionaire friends, instead of making it out into the wider economy to do the job it's supposed to. I don't know about you, but when the taxman comes knocking at my door there's not much negotiation involved in how much is handed over - I don't see why having shitloads of cash should change the terms of The Social Contract.

Trout's right, the only thing in the BBC's reporting which counted as a scoop was the investigation into Craig Whyte's hilarious past, but nothing it claimed regarding the club's tax affairs was untrue. The fact more folk weren't aware of or angry about the industrial level of tax avoidance which goes on amongst many organisations more than capable of paying their fair whack makes it a legitimate story, and Rangers a good journalistic hook to pin the story on. I don't seem to remember that quite being the angle taken by Mark Daly's programme, though, and it's the BBC's own fault they left themselves open to accusations of bias or, in the phrase beloved of both sides of the West of Scotland, having an agenda.

[Buttonman]

Didn't matter that the EBTs were detailed on their accounts and advised to the SFA then? I won't bore the wider community with the ins and outs of things but I feel any reasonable person would say Rangers were shabbily treated by the BBC and SFA.Whether the SFA have an agenda is open for debate but an organisation so skint it can't pay its clubs on time spunking cash on a jaundiced investigation tells its own story. As does the composition of the 'independent' tribunal and the solicitors employed to gather 'evidence'.

As for the BBC they broadcast fact when it was at best speculation and that's as unprofessional as journalism gets.

[Dandontdare]

I'm confused - what does any of that have to do with left or right wing bias?

[Professor Bear]

Speaking of tax avoidance, can anyone make a fist of telling me why I should give a flying fuck that Jimmy Carr avoided paying tax via creative but legal accounting practices?

[Ancient Otter]

Speaking of tax avoidance, can anyone make a fist of telling me why I should give a flying fuck that Jimmy Carr avoided paying tax via creative but legal accounting practices?

Because of his hypocrisy? He had done a sketch on 10 O'Clock Live attacking banks tax dodging before getting busted, as pointed out on his colleague Charlie Brooker's show Screen Wipe 2012.

[Jim_Campbell]

Because of his hypocrisy? He had done a sketch on 10 O'Clock Live attacking banks tax dodging before getting busted, as pointed out on his colleague Charlie Brooker's show Screen Wipe 2012.

A bit rich that he gets attacked by Cameron, though, given that:

1) Cameron is in charge of the fucking government. If he doesn't like people exploiting tax loopholes then he, of all people is uniquely able to do something about it.

2) Cameron is filthy, stinking rich due to his millionaire Dad salting money away in Cayman Island tax havens for decades.

Cheers

Jim

[Jim_Campbell]

I'm confused - what does any of that have to do with left or right wing bias?

Fuck all, as I believe I observed on the previous page.

Cheers

Jim

[Professor Bear]

Because of his hypocrisy? He had done a sketch on 10 O'Clock Live attacking banks tax dodging before getting busted, as pointed out on his colleague Charlie Brooker's show Screen Wipe 2012.

I still fail to see why I should give a toss at the same level the press did at the time.  He's not a bank, he's not an MP, he didn't break the law.

[Richmond Clements]

Because of his hypocrisy? He had done a sketch on 10 O'Clock Live attacking banks tax dodging before getting busted, as pointed out on his colleague Charlie Brooker's show Screen Wipe 2012.

I still fail to see why I should give a toss at the same level the press did at the time.  He's not a bank, he's not an MP, he didn't break the law.

Ah, but he's one of them there smug leftie types and needed taken down a peg or two.