It’s been a busy week for the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards, as inquiries have been opened into two big names. The Shadow Leader of the Lords, Baroness Smith, and Lord Ed Vaizey both face probes for their registers of interests. Baroness Smith is being investigated for two breaches – related to an incorrect register entry – whilst Ed Vaizey is being looked into for the non-registration of interests. This now brings the total number of cases on the Standards Commissioner’s in-tray to seven. To be fair to our noble friends, keeping an up to date register of interests can’t be easy for the old and infirm.
Ed Vaizey on Politics Live just now on whether Boris can recover from Partygate encapsulated the dilemma facing Tory MPs:
“Yeah I think he can. I think he’s a unique political character… I think just observing him objectively he has a certain blend of political charisma which very few other politicians have. And I think one of the things about Tory MPs staring out into the abyss and then pulling back is…when there is a campaign in a general election, there is no one at the moment in the Cabinet or the front bench…who is capable of reaching the parts that Boris Johnson can reach. I don’t think he’s a sort of ‘marmite’ politician, I think he sort of combines exasperation and love in a lot of voters, or exasperation and admiration in a lot of voters. I think a lot of that is factored in, and I think Boris back at his best will be a very powerful electoral force for the Conservatives…”
Just like Guido said…
Former Conservative MP Ed Vaizey tells Jeremy Vine…
“If Labour’s gonna continue with 70s policies, they’re gonna continue to get 80s results.”
The BBC has this afternoon come under fire by influential MPs, condemning the organisation for giving a one sided advertising boost to a U.S. owned left-wing news website for an entire day.
Former Digital Minister Ed Vaizy has thrown the BBC’s judgement into question:
“It seems very odd for the BBC to be partnering with any news organisation at all, given their role in providing impartial news. But if they are, in the interests of getting younger voices, then there need to be a range of views, not just the exclusive view of one editorial standpoint.
When the Today Programme has guest editors, they at least ensure they come from both left and right. 5 Live should do the same if they are going down this road.”
Julian Knight, a member of the powerful Digital Culture Media and Sport Committee, which oversees the BBC, has told Guido that the BBC has questions to answer…
“This is yet another instance in a long line of left-wing and left leaning people brought in to run key editorial content at the BBC. Huffington Post has a very particular leaning, and the BBC has questions to answer over its supposed impartiality.
It feels at the moment that the BBC is alienating a large chunk of the audience, something that will damage it in the long run.”
With the left-wing Huffington Post’s “twenties takeover” the BBC is ceding editorial control to a rival media organisation. Don’t they have enough of their own young left-wing journalists?
UPDATE: Former Conservative Vice Chair for Youth Ben Bradley weighs in…
“I’m all for a focus on young people, and engaging young people with creating their news content. I’m sure that could be a very positive thing, but as an organisation that has its own vast team of journalists, including some in their 20s that I’ve met and worked with myself, I don’t really see why they need to outsource.
If they really need help why would they reach out to an organisation that anyone operating in the political sphere would recognise as having a left-leaning bias. They may as well have drafted in the Guardian or the Mirror. It’s only going to drive the theory that they’re not as balanced as they’re meant to be!”
“@DrRosena please rescue Ed” @Jo_Coburn
“No she can’t do it and she is not stealing my limelight” @edvaizey #bbcdp pic.twitter.com/mcWAZoyySF
— BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) July 3, 2018
Attempts being the operative word…
“In what way is she handling it very well?” @afneil
“In what way is she handling it very well?” @afneil
“In what way is she handling it very well?” @afneil
“In what way is she handling it very well?” @afneil
“In what way is she handling it very well?” @afneil #bbctw pic.twitter.com/KjJIiZUEjD
— BBC This Week (@bbcthisweek) 26 April 2018
Amber Rudd’s Remain ally Ed Vaizey last night somewhat stretched credibility by claiming the Home Secretary is handling the Windrush scandal “very well”. Andrew Neil challenged Vaizey five times to give an example of how Rudd was indeed managing the scandal “very well”. Alas he unsurprisingly couldn’t give one…
