The SKWAWKBOX flagged earlier explosive revelations about two very senior Cabinet members we had been told would be named in BBC News’ The Papers review of tomorrow’s newspapers. We did not specify the names because there had not been time to corroborate the information.
One of those names was Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.
The S*n’s front page claims that Fallon has admitted groping right-wing radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer:
Fallon is one of two close allies of Theresa May named to this blog. The confirmation lends credence to the second name, but the S*n does not appear to have confirmed it yet – perhaps hoping to bolster its flagging circulation with serialised revelations. When all the names come out, the government should – should – fall, although no doubt every effort will be made by the ‘MSM’ to justify a succession rather than an election.
What tonight’s episode puts beyond question, however, is the hopeless bias of BBC News. The Papers was almost entirely concerned with generalised discussion of sex-pest behaviour ‘by ministers’ and the S*n would normally feature prominently in the programme.
Yet tomorrow’s edition, with its huge headline about one of the most senior ministers in a collapsing government, was conspicuous only by its absence.
Not a mention, nor even a mention that it was being omitted.
Newsnight, following the newspaper review, made no mention of the news in its trailer just now – and Reeta Chakrabarti did not allude to it in her 11pm headlines. Only at 11.05pm did it finally get a mention, when someone presumably decided sticking the BBC’s collective head in the sand was hopeless.
The UK’s Defence Secretary has admitted ‘repeatedly’ groping a woman – but the BBC’s Tory-run flagship news channel decides to leave out the one front page screaming this news, even though it goes against its usual eagerness to portray the Murdoch rag.
Hartley-Brewer apparently says that the incident took place fifteen years ago and she considers the matter closed. When Newsnight eventually got round to mentioning the news, a curiously well-informed guest claimed – unchallenged – that it was an ‘inappropriate flirtation’ and that Ms Hartley-Brewer had made it clear that it was unwelcome. How this fits with the S*n’s claim of Fallon ‘repeatedly’ feeling her knee was not explained.
Whatever the details, could there be a clearer demonstration of BBC’s Tory-suborned status?
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Sky News are covering the Fallon confession.
It *was* mentioned on newsnight. As intro to broader discussion.
Also, you do not mention and you SHOULD, that the S*n chose to highlight an incidence of impropriety that is considered closed by both parties. Basically they want to avoid accusation of pro Tory bias by taking an example that will not cause a stir or re-evoke trauma for the supposed victim, Julia HB, who is in any case a very confident lady who is unlikely to take shit from anyone, let alone Fallon. The question remains, what else will they publish and with the same degree of exposure and emphasis?
Just a thought, and maybe you are onto this already.
Robert ————————————————– The older I get, the better it was.
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It’s already in the article, though the explanation and the allegations don’t quite tally
A reporter is always unequal to a minister, no matter how assertive she is. Her employers and bosses are also likely to be part of the political / media clique. All in it together, indeed. Plus, you will probably find, no smoke without fire, that once this behaviour has been outed, other cases will follow. These men are serial Misbehavers. They do not see what they do is wrong, and therefore will have never considered desisting. This is often overlooked.
The Fallon ‘confection’ is not really what you’d call resignation material is it. I wonder how long they are going to drag this out for, it looks like we will have to suffer a few more days of non-stories before we get to hear of anything of significance.
So JHB deems it is not an issue for Fallon to repeatedly grope her under the table whist at a dinner engagement, because she is ‘confident’ and ‘powerful’ (unlike junior staffers who are on the receiving end of the same kind of bullying abuse) and so does not feel she was molested, because she ‘dealt with it’.
This does NOT make it alright for Fallon as a government minister to grope women repeatedly against their wishes whilst at a work function.
Yet bizarrely this is how the Sun is dressing it up, at JHB’s behest.
Not much empathy there from JHB to the numerous junior women (and men) abused by MPs and ministers whilst at work.
Well, what a surprise.
Wow, yes, #BBC boycotting the S*n. About time everyone did on all topics all the time, like they do in Liverpool
After watching BBC Newsnight on this ‘story’ it has all the smell of a fix, a damage limitation dead cat stunt from Tory Central Office using a pet reporter and pet newspaper to plant a soft example to distract the public from the real shit they get up to.
No doubt they’ll hope Joe Public will get the message: oh look, is that all it is about, no offence intended/none taken, just the press making a mountain of a molehill etc. Move on….
I dearly hope it is not so, but it is awful to see the BBC being so supine and genuflecting towards the establishment and a right wing Tory establishment at that.
They followed up in similar vein from Barcelona legitimising the sacking of the elected Catalan government by crypto-fascist Madrid, skating over charges of rebellion and sedition as if they were routine and accusing the Catalan ministers so accused of ‘cowardice’ for getting the hell out of there instead of waiting to be hauled off to an unjust jail cell.
The whole time the BBC slant is – naughty Catalunya, solid sensible Madrid.
It really pisses me off how they kowtow to authoritarianism these days. Wouldn’t have happened in Greg Dyke’s day.
Reblogged this on sdbast.
Trade minister Mark Garneir is another one who has admitted two claims against him. He asked his secretary to buy sex toys for him and called her “sugar tits” but insists they were “good-humoured hi-jinks” and “it absolutely does not constitute harassment”.
Oh yes, it most certainly, absolutely does.
I have been listening to the to-day programme expecting some ‘balanced’ comment regarding lying sleazebag Fallon. I didn’t have to wait long though to hear fair and forthright Humphries grilling Tom Watson about the ‘problem’ in parliament. He, of course, brought up the ‘left-wing men are the worst’ comment by that moral crusader, Jess Phillips.
No evidence provided but that doesn’t matter because we are the BBC.
Since I left school at fifteen I don’t have the intellect or education to understand newspeak. So Micheal Fallon must be a ‘left- wing man’.
Perhaps the fragrant Jess could give me a few lessons…er sorry that sounds a bit sexist. I am sure she smells quite gender neutral.
Half the probleme is the likes of hartley-brouhaha and the ones in the nigel evans trial what dismissed his groping in bars & alehouses as ‘drunken over-familiarity’ or ‘not worthy of complaining to the police about’ or ‘not considering themselves a victim’
Except you ‘only’ got groped or got your knee touched…Who next and how far do they go then?? It’s the tip of a very large iceberg.
If you don’t consider yourself a victim keep your effin mouths shut so that those who DO don’t have the jury in two minds by you adding your self-important 2p’s worth.
I’m fast coming to the conclusion that the whole ‘spreadsheet’ thing being managed by Guido Falkes is a fairly sophisticated damage limitation exercise.
Fascinating stuff. I’m just waiting to see how the grassy knoll, Ted Heath and “D notices” might get woven into this tomorrow!
Bore off, hindson.
http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/f7/f7abfce36a40bcd7d4991ce277a12ce41b7074a18ea21bd6343b95f53968ecdc.jpg
Go on – sod off back behind your broadsheet, in your hall porter’s chair and just shut the hell up, you colossal bore.
I see the BBC’s daily review each morning and it never includes the Sun. Copyright reasons perhaps?
Night-time one usually would