Ministry for Taste and Decency

Prescott to front ambitious documentary...

Fans of secretly sensitive John Prescott will be delighted to hear that he is to front a BBC documentary that explores the British class system. Titled Prescott On Class the autumn season highlight has been described (by producers) as "BBC2's most ambitious single documentary ever". Even more excitingly, the show… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 10 Jul 2008 2:26 PM. There are 2 comments so far. Permalink

Documentary

Loose Change, 2nd Edition Recut

The BBC today seems to be getting more than a little excited about some of the 9/11 conspiracy theories that are to be found floating about the Internet. The pure scale and sprawling depth to which people, including U.S. Government workers and officials, are reportedly going to in order… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 4 Jul 2008 3:11 PM. Permalink

Documentary

Teens hooked on porn...

The Government has announced new plans to prevent UK kids from becoming a simple bunch of miscreants, perverts, and terrorists with the assistance of a new £9m ad campaign promoting "e-safety". Plans will also involve the setting up of a council to deal with similar issues. Essentially, the campaign… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 24 Jun 2008 3:27 PM. Permalink

Ministry for Loving Thine Enemy

Church still scared of homosexuality...

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, are in the news today after it was revealed that they got a little too high on a bottle of Holy Wine that they stole from the cellars at York cathederal, realised how much they… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 18 Jun 2008 3:24 PM. Permalink

Ministry for Espionage

Bumbling agents secretly lose on purpose...

Another day dawns and shatters another illusion as it does so. This time, it's our overly romantic ideas regarding espionage that have taken a bit of a bruising - especially our secretly-held belief that those working for the MoD or other Government defense agencies really are as suave and as… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 12 Jun 2008 11:50 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Cameron seeks open discourse on Afghanistan...

David Cameron has called for a 'frank and candid assessment' of the UK's role in Afghanistan. ePolitix. A new report has insisted that British workers are just a bunch of morons when compared to east European migrants. The Guardian. The Times. Research has shown that one in ten Britons has… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 12 Jun 2008 7:47 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Jacqui Smith pushes 42-day detention plans...

Jacqui Smith seems more confident that she and Gordon can win over the masses on 42 day terrorist detention. BBC. The Conservatives are planning to hold the Henley by-election within the next few weeks. The Guardian. A man who tried to detonate explosive devices outside Parliament has said that it… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 3 Jun 2008 7:49 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Bleak Outlooks

Young people unhappy with police...

A new poll conducted by the BBC has suggested that up to 70% of UK residents consider themselves to be 'happy' with the police. Conducted by Radio 5 Live, the research discovered that the majority of people thought the police were doing a good job, and that 60% felt that… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 2 Jun 2008 6:16 PM. Permalink

Ministry for Re-Runs

New cocaine plans make media types queasy...

Snotty media-types throughout the country are said to be flying into a series of involuntary paroxysms today. As a result, our contacts at the BBC have reported the introduction of an 'elevator rule' which stipulates that there is to be no more than one person at a time in all… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 22 May 2008 1:43 PM. Permalink

Ministry for Incubation

Balls to make exclusion uncool again...

Dropping or getting kicked out of high-school and still succeeding in life is just about one of the coolest things that you can do. Period. It's an act that demonstrates a strength of character so much more refined than that of the average schmuck that, when you hear stories of… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 20 May 2008 11:55 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Mass Appeal

Gordon Brown goes digital...

Hip and happening Gordon Brown has managed to show the world that he's down with the times by utilising the Youtube network. In a move that slightly echoes that of the Queen last Christmas, Mr Brown will use the famous website to allow members of the public to ask him… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 19 May 2008 9:30 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Incongruity

BBC Parliament to choose games over politics

Politicians of mid-level status are to expect a Summertime clouded in even more obscurity and desolation as the BBC has revealed plans to broadcast 24/7 live coverage of the Olympic Games on BBC Parliament instead of politics. Westmonster must express a little disappointment at the news: We've been watching the… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 14 May 2008 12:48 PM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Embryo Bill gets the majority vote...

MPs have voted to allow controversial plans to update human embryology laws. BBC. MPs say that national school tests should be made fewer in order to provide children with a rounded education. ePolitix. The BBC has been criticised for wasting millions each year on props, catering and costumes. The Guardian.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 13 May 2008 7:44 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Bleak Outlooks

Critics imagine Brown ousted before next election..

Will Gordon Brown still be the leader of the Labour party when the next General Election comes round? That's the question on the wrinkled lips of most well-informed MPs today, especially some outspoken young whippersnapper named Frank Fields. We have to admit that our political musings have taken us down… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 12 May 2008 12:25 PM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Darling pays off..

Banks have agreed to help lenders after yesterday's talks with Alistair Darling. The Guardian. Jacob Zuma, the leader of South Africa's governing ANC, is in town for talks with Gordon Brown. BBC. Labour's 10p tax rebels have demanded that ministers must provide up to £1bn in compensation. The Guardian. The… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 23 Apr 2008 7:42 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Blithering Idiots

Boris Johnson: "down with the ethnics"

If mayoral candidate Boris Johnson had a theme tune, what would it be? We haven't actually got an answer, by the way. Well, we were going to list a series of popular songs that dealt with the themes of embarrassment and stupidity, but that meant all kinds of pesky… read more…

Written by C J Davies on 18 Apr 2008 12:30 AM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Wednesday morning headlines

Gordon Brown denies accusations that he is avoiding a human rights row with China for economic reasons. BBC. Row breaks out between the BBC and the Internet ISP Tiscali over the bandwidth cost of the iPlayer online TV service. BBC. Tech.co.uk. House prices look set to become even more disparate… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 9 Apr 2008 7:34 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Shots In The Foot

School Cadets will produce nation of neat sheets..

Gordon Brown and MP chums' plan to expand the Combined Cadets Force to comprehensive schools has been subject to debate since the news was made public over the weekend. Naturally, the main concern of those opposing the notion is that teaching kids who are already perceived as being out of… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 8 Apr 2008 4:00 PM. Permalink

Department for Tax and Spend

MP's allowances? Come take a look

No-one likes having their dirty laundry aired in public. Infact, no-one likes having their laundry aired in public full stop, be it clean or otherwise. Try telling the national press that those Dangermouse underpants were simply an 'ironic' gift from a girlfriend. Go on. We dare you. Some people,… read more…

Written by C J Davies on 4 Apr 2008 12:29 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

House Of Lords may dismantle BBC further

Pity the poor BBC. As if last year's scandal over the Blue Peter cat wasn't bad enough, they're now facing the very real chance that they may have to share their resources with rivals. The proposal has been submitted to the House Of Lords communication committee by Culture Secretary… read more…

Written by C J Davies on 3 Apr 2008 12:52 AM. Permalink

Department of Doublespeak

Government 'In Touch', Says Government Itself

There are few things worse than being considered 'out of touch' - other than rampant infighting and disagreement within your own party, that is. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is all too aware of this. She was hauled in early Sunday morning to appear on Andrew Marr's weekly BBC politics show,… read more…

Written by C J Davies on 30 Mar 2008 9:38 PM. Permalink

Ministry for Colourblindness

BBC's white problem

We're not the only people who think the Beeb has a problem with the white working class: their own reporters do, too: Sarah Mukherjee, the environment correspondent, who grew up on a predominantly white council estate in Essex, said that BBC2's White season risked reinforcing the stereotype of the white… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 12 Mar 2008 8:30 AM. Permalink

Department for Diffrunt People

The ghost of Enoch

Newsnight is doing a major series on the "white working class", which is presumably going to say some interesting stuff about the decline of manufacturing and the generational skills gap. Presumably. Not that you'd know it from the BBC's website, which just seems determined to point out that white working… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 7 Mar 2008 9:10 AM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Hey El Gordo, where ya been?

Guess who's crawled out from under the (Northern?) rock. Why, it's the Prime Minister! Yesterday he stopped in with Andrew. Today he's got an extended interview in The Guardian. Tomorrow, Westmonster expects to see him in New Hampshire moderating a debate. And what's Gordon on about in his new… read more…

Written by Andrew Levy on 7 Jan 2008 7:03 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

A sad day

Westmonster is sad to report, officially, the Death of Political Journalism on the BBC. This follows last night's edition of the BBC's flagship political news programme, Newsnight, which chose to cover the LibDem leadership election with a useless analogy to the X Factor and which was then followed by a… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 19 Dec 2007 9:46 AM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

Department for Tax and Spend

The secrets of quangos

Well, mainly there's just one secret, and it's their spending. Just 10% of the 900 UK quangos reveal the details of their senior execs' spending. The list of the naughty ones includes the BBC and the Health and Safety Exec. What could they possibly have to hide?… read more…

Written by Westmonster on 17 Dec 2007 10:00 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

World saved!

They've agreed a climate deal in Bali, but apparently only because America wants us to like them. Not really a solid basis for world salvation, is it? Chris Paul's been sent some rather nasty stuff about Chris Huhne, and he's printed it in full. This on the day when some… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 15 Dec 2007 11:16 AM. Permalink

Points, In Order

It's the real thing

BONG! Soldiers are turning to coke because of stress. Insert marching powder gag here. BONG! 160 MPs call for a rethink on police pay, and ask for three speeding tickets and a fine for indecent exposure to be taken into consideration. BONG! Victims of violent crime are waiting longer for… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 14 Dec 2007 5:40 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

The "vision" thing

The BBC: The government (well, Ed Balls) is unveiling its 10-year "vision" for children. Those quotation marks look ominous. Schools are going to have refurbished playgrounds and the like, to "increase play opportunities for children" (Westmonster's non-ominous quotation marks). Sounds very business-like, "play opportunities." Meanwhile, over in The Guardian,… read more…

Written by Westmonster on 11 Dec 2007 8:33 AM. Permalink

Our Friends North of the Border

Torches and pitchforks at the ready

In case you've been living under a rock (or reading London Lite) for the past couple of days, you won't have failed to notice that there's a baying mob outside the front door of ol' Wendy Alexander. Will she go? Maybe. The Tories want her out certainly as it's quite… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Dec 2007 3:27 PM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Tinfoil hattery at the CoffeeHouse

[Disclaimer: we are actually big fans of the CoffeeHouse. But this was just hilarious] Amazing scenes on last night's News At Ten, which had all of us here at the Spectator spluttering into our sherries in indignation.… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Dec 2007 3:20 PM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Going backwards

So far the issue that seems to be exciting everybody the most in relation to the Queen's Speech is that Jack Straw walked backwards at some point. Meanwhile, the Beeb has a summary of the 29 Bills announced here.… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 6 Nov 2007 12:31 PM. Permalink

Department for David Beckham Studies

We Don't Need No Education

According to reports, one of the Bills to be announced the Queen's Speech will raise the school leaving age to 18, and introduce other methods to drag reluctant teenagers into the world of work. Curiously, the Beeb was reporting on Breakfast that this would involve fining the jobless youngsters. Er ...? Anyhow,… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 5 Nov 2007 1:00 PM. Permalink

Points, In Order

An Audience with Arnie

BONG! Partly because (a) it's a novel approach to the age-old problem of how a politician deals with (alleged) former drug misuse but; (b) mainly because no website can have too many pictures of Arnie, this is well worth a look. BONG! Still not enough Arnie in your life? Try this: Arnie… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 29 Oct 2007 6:25 PM. There are 2 comments so far. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

A dubious ally?

Vince Cable sets his stall out on why he's going to be boycotting the visit of the Saudi king. This article's headline ("Vince Cable: a dubious ally who devalues our government") promised much, but it turns out the piece is by Vince rather than about him so was ultimately… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 29 Oct 2007 8:49 AM. Permalink

News From The Big Tent

Overcrowding in the Big Tent?

Not yet fully recovered from the Gord inviting Comrade Digby to his birthday party and then scenes of flirtation with the Mistress of Darkness, the comrades will presumably be gloomy to discover another unholy camel has been invited into the Brown tent: Daily Mail chief Paul Dacre. Dacre is charged with reviewing… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 25 Oct 2007 1:48 PM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Cutting crime the BBC way

BBC to cut coverage of crime as part of it's economy drive; as soon as the right-wing blogosphere wakes up, expect to hear that this is due to the malign influence of the agents of the Gord in our Midst... biased BBC... et cetera. For her own part, Westmonster wonders… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 23 Oct 2007 8:23 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

LibDems spar, a nation yawns

"What I'm going to do is a little bit risky," says Nick Clegg of his strategy, in advance of the first major speech of his campaign. As this is Nicky, the mind fails to boggle. Michael Gove on Ming Campbell: great socks, crap policies. John Yates (of cash-for-honours fame) to… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 23 Oct 2007 7:55 AM. Permalink

Westmonster Media Club

Party On!

Caught up in all the, er, excitement of the LibDem leadership contest, Westmonster has been sadly remiss in failing to plug until now the DVD release of season 1 of the BBC2 drama Party Animals. For those who don't know, Party Animals was a drama that was to "lift the lid on… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 19 Oct 2007 12:59 PM. Permalink

Points, In Order

And they're off!

BONG! Chris Huhne has made an early break for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats. Don't worry kids, only another two months of this excitement to go! BONG! Health Secretary Alan Johnson with good news for fatties everywhere: apparently it's not our fault! Yeah! Let's all spend our days eating… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 17 Oct 2007 5:26 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Old sins have long shadows

The Times on the rivalry of the two leading candidates for the LibDem crown. Apparently Chris Huhne and Nicky Clegg were best buds until Chucky K. stepped down in 2005 and the United Federation of Young Turks agreed that nobody would stand against Ming, giving him a clear run.… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 17 Oct 2007 7:23 AM. Permalink

Westmonster: “BBC”