A sorry landscape as Britain emerges from recession
‘Tis the season of mellow fruitlessness – the season in the political orchard that sees last year’s rotten fruit still on the ground and slim evidence of any spring buds to come.
I cannot remember a general election less looked forward to, nor an array of contestants, across the board, that people feel less enthusiasm for. Even the prospect of unprecedented debate between the leaders feels like avoidable television.
Today’s publication of the British Social Attitudes survey reveals that only 56 per cent of the population think it is “everyone’s duty to vote” – down from 68 per cent in 1991. That is some fall.
It is a finding that my own anecdotal observations concur with. Indeed the finding that only 41 per cent of under 35s think they should is something of which I am even more strongly aware.
There is an apathy out there. There is a disconnect out there which represents a very serious challenge to what we understand as democracy. As politicians battle to blame each other for different aspects of the recession, our own Channel 4 News poll suggests that few are ready to credit their leaders for any of the green shoots you may detect in today’s GDP figures.
For years the population has put up with electoral change in which a party with a minority of the potential popular vote grabs absolute power and proceeds to wield it as if it enjoyed more or less absolute popular support.
Listening to the veteran Labour MP Austin Mitchell last night explaining how he mistakenly overcharged the tax payer by £10,000 for his mortgage made me wonder how it is that all these “mistakes” had left MPs of all parties better off.
The fact is that politics and politicians are enjoying the worst odour any of us have known in any of our lifetimes. Couple this with the dwindling of voting duty and a record low turn-out at the next election beckons.
Who would go into politics to stink of such scent? Who would willingly subject themselves to the bullying and bruising? Then there are Chilcott’s daily reminders of the bizarre decision-making process that led up to Iraq War, with little involvement of the Cabinet let alone parliament.
It’s a bleak landscape out there and the public sees few, if any, political heroes staggering about on it. The next election won’t just be a test of our leaders, it’s also going to be a test of faith in our system of governance.
Related posts:
- Recession messages from Italy remind me of home
- It's official – we're in recession
- Expenses, recession, war will dominate the election
- What moral obligations flow from our 'wars of choice'?
- Life and dearth in Britain: Newcastle
There are 56 comments on this post
Jon, those that have saught political positions over the years are of the same ‘type’. They reach positions due to their arrogance, literary manipulations, indiffernt attitudes and, an abilities to milk a system that readily awaits them. They are selected as a result of their argumentative attitudes as if this is indicative of a quality of ‘strength’ in British governance or, measured against the ‘Iron Lady’ or Churchill’ as if somehow that’s a good thing.
The demise of Britain is as a result of arrogant MPs colluding in their corrupt manner within an elite gentlemens club, Unrestrained Capitalism that has allowed preditory domination of resources, supply lines, media control and politics.
Britain is a divided squaller of inequalities, hatreds and predjudisms. It’s a north south divide in wealth and quality of lives.
Britain has gained a reputation of corruption and lies as a result of those scum in parliament, with illegal wars, MPs fraudulent expenses and favours, phoney bank ‘bailout’. 8 miilion+ out of work/economicaly inactive & not counted on statistics, public sector pay freeze& recession like no other.
This is so sadly the truth but a further point to enhance or consider, and one which I believe cuts right to the core of the problem, the very point you make Jon. The political system has failed and society is a reflection of this failure. Its like taking the concept of Meads looking glass self and applying it to society. There are no great leaders, the ill tempered debate between the two main parties is vulgar. They act more like they want to kill each other, or less dramatically explained destroy there credablity, it is this that is mirrored right through to the attitudes within the school playgrounds. People copy from the day of birth, the copying becomes more sophisticated and looks less like copying, inspiration is key. Harmony and a supportive kindness could never be achieved with these people as our leaders or indeed this system. The fighting must stop and the system must be brought down or the nasty brutal attitudes will continue to rule our moods.
It is unfortunate that the modern politics with ever more career politicians seems to be distancing itself ever further from the public it is there to represent. Further suggested reforms of the upper house with seats going to the same politicians once retired from the lower house does not send out the right signals that we will have democracy with a large D currently.
I would suggest we need more independent thinkers standing for elections in May to allow more choice and more expression of individualism. In these testing economic times country MUST come before party..
Here here….. what if it was You?
Jons’{ blogs are getting scarcer does that mean we have to do some of the research, If that is so I will take Peter Lloyds advice and just think about Thunderballs .. sounds Ok to me. Pop corn too. love corn.
Well actually I can snoot down at everyone if required, Where is my prestigious job
I agree completely with you, Jon.
Perhaps it’s time the news media began to give better coverage to the other smaller parties and organisations out there, instead of the “main players”.
If enough people were aware, for example, that an independent candidate was standing in their constituency, perhaps they’d be prepared to listen to their voice and perhaps vote for them to kick the smelly party faithful out of Westminster.
It won’t happen all the time we only hear about Lab/Con/LibDem/SNP/Plaid. Cosy relationships all round, I fear.
You can forget about UKIP and BNP, though. They get enough publicity, thanks.
where i agree with you Jon i disagree with your conclusions .This parliament and many of its MP’s stink and still do not realise their hipocrasy and downright greed.There is an arrogance that comes from the very top,starting with Blair and even more apparent with Brown .It is true they do not have a mandate from the people for any of their actions despite their majority.Maybe it is time to change the voting system ,but whatever system is in force it is time we all voted particularly to show our disinchantment with Parliament.Even a vote with a deliberately spoled ballot paper is better than none.I caused a rerun in our local ALMO ballot by complaining of the system and spoiling my ballot paper with thr reason for doing so and signing it.If there was a 90% percent turnout with half the papers spoilt deliberately , maybe somone would start to wake up.If you do not vote ,what right have you to complain of anythingMP’s do?
And my continued fear, having banged on about it for about 10 years is that this is all part of an enduring, systemic decay in the UK state of politics – with a worrying possibility that eventually we will see history repeated with ‘A Strong Man From The Right’ who emerges to populist acclaim offering ‘stong’ solutions in response to the widespread citizen alienation and perceptions (and increasingly experiences) of amoral or corrupt politicans and business interests and a hollowed-out, meaningless, electoral system.
After all, the Labour Party with Blair has been a significant driver in the erosion of pluralism and in particular the dismantling of working class and local political institions.
Jon, as you rightly point out there is apathy out there , and it will stay that way for a long time to come. The reasons are many and politics and politicians have to work hard to change the jo public mood. ITS OFFICIAL: UK out of recession, last quarter growth of 0.1, just. There is still long way to go for growth to be at reasonable levels.
I would be careful John of saying it apathy, I think Brit People are waking up to the fact that the only way to change a system that first started out under the Normans to subjugate & oppress the Brit Public, & I have seen little change, the only PM who ever got any thing right was Winston Churchill who gave honour & respest to brits for wining the Second World War, & that is by bringing about a Hung Parliament, which will show the real colours of the People in side the building,
We already know that the selection process favours them from the upper echelons of Brit life, the proof of that is Britain will at the moment never produce a Barack Obama, when Parliament says it has, it always turns out the person knew somebody who knew somebody.
Jon, I’m surprised that you say that “for years … a party with a minority of the potential popular vote [has been wielding power] as if it enjoyed more or less absolute popular support.” Surely, one of the failures of Tony Blair’s governments was that, despite their huge majorities, they were loth to do anything unpopular – and, in particular, anything that the right-wing press would object to. Where Labour has behaved in a high-handed way – Iraq aside – I suspect that it has often been more a matter of ministers taking on the trust-us,-we-know-best attitude of their respective Sir Humphreys than being especially arrogant themselves.
What evidence is there that this government or Tony Blairs took any notice of their civil servants?On the contrary it would appear that ministers took account of a press secretary , who has the gall to go before an inquiry and state a minister was untrustworthy and not up to the job,that he wrote a dodgy dossier.You have to just listen to Balls to hear their arrogance and we know best.Watch parliament and that attitude runs through the government
We are consistantly being decieved for financial gain, there are only “a few real MPs” out there and they will never get the majority of votes.
It’s natural for the under 35s to be disillusioned and the present lack of interest, in the general public.
Every citizen who can, should vote and I am all for that. The problem, is that the last nine years have been devastating for the U.K. and the only majority alternative to the present government, is a Tory one, which in my mind, would have a similair agenda.
War and unrealistic credit, has lead to recession. Everyone is kept on the edge of their seats by the threat of terrorism and are now having to count their every penny.
adzmundo CND
Yes, you hit the nail right on the head. The problem is that people in Britain don’t feel represented anymore by either Labour or the Conservatives! Where can real, hardworking British people turn to during an election campaign? Labour have moved away from ‘working class’ voters, which is perhaps not a nice term, but there are millions out there in that group, hard working who feel left in the dark. Perhaps an idea for an item?
What is working class? if one doesn’t work how do they get their money?
Stop making snobbish distinctions.
well the much predicted end of recession and growth has returned!!! Is o.1% down to government spending? We are clearly not out of recession on the high street , in the workplace , except for the greedy bankers and state funded car sales.If the Labour party think they can take any credit for it , let Brown go to the country and see what we believe
The only thing for it then is to put the Party leaders (all of them) in the Big Brother House for the four weeks leading up to the election – or on some talent show programme with weekly votes. It seems the only thing that gets people motivated these days (sadly).
One of the biggest challenges facing educators and the media is how we encourage young people to vote and have a voice. As the mother of 2 teens and a son in his 30′s they are all completely disinterested in the whole set up. Of course there are young people engaged in politics, but they seem to be in the minority. Has anyone got ideas of how to engage young people to take part in the process. I guess we must start with giving them a stonger voice and allowing their views to be heard.
IMO – they may be disintersted because they see how rotten th e system is – if we had real democracy – where politicians put the people first – that would get most people intested in Politics again – as it is it is just a farce with the politicins in the pockets of the Super Rich
It looks like Uk is headed same way as US where about 50%+ of electorate vote – do u balme them – like waht is difference bewteen Democrats and Republicans – or Labour and Conservatives – they are ALL conservative Right wing parties . Same here in ROI – two main parties and even Greens are Consevtaive Right wing – the possibility of a cahnge is greater in UK – but only if voting syestem is changed – and UK has coalition governments – how many times does it have to be proved that ” Strong ” government ” ie with a good / large majority is not necessarily good Government – usually the opposite – as they become arrogant with power .
I walked along a country road and felt elated that despite all the snow and frost the buds were there again on the trees. Those mature and mellow trees were there ,still standing.
When my daughter was at Leeds Uni, I wrote a poem to Jon Glover my tutor, as a mature student using the tree as a symbolic representation of our lives in GB; the trees grow and are pruned and tweeked and unless someone deliberately axes them, they live for a long long time.
No green shoots yet it is too early. Have faith . Many more youths who are voters have over the last few years had the opportunity to go to uni and they are beginning to think and analyse.
I’m not sure apathy is the right word. I am instinctively political and also feel it is a duty to vote, but I am not sure what to do this time.
Labout is out of ideas, Cameron’s ideas don’t appeal to me, the Lib Dems don’t stand a chance in my constituency or nationally given the voting system and most independents are cranks.
I am already sick of each of the parties claiming to have all the answers and rubbishing everyone else. Life just ain’t like that.
My solution – we should have two elections this year. The first should include a None of the Above section on the ballot so we can drive home to MPs how disgusted we are by the way they have behaved.
The second should be by some form of proportional representation that ensures parliament better reflects the people it should serve.
I am in no mood for voting but I feel if we have that right we must use it – it is an important part of democracy and many people in other parts of the world do not have that right or risk being killed/
tortured when trying to exercise it.
I don’t agree that it is apathy out there – I think it is disillusionment and frustration. Gone are the days of the working class MPs and the expenses scandal brought home to us the extent of MPs lives in their ivory towers and their lack of respect for the people they swore to serve. They deliberately milked the taxpayer for their own personal gains while some people in this country are in poverty and it has proved to us that they have no connection with the people and have no idea of real life living especially in the poorest communities. And still, when caught out, no apologies or signs of remorse.
And then you get the political debates which increasingly are becoming tit for tat and you hear them in parliament making their funny little quips at each other.
Im for a hung parlaiment. I think it would be a start in putting the cat amongst the pigeons and sorting out the doers from the talkers. Not using our right to vote won’t help.
Jon why don’t you devote a blog to electoral reform,and representation especially as the time is fast approaching for the general election
Labour and Conservatives are the same beast with different heads… Over the past 30 years they have consistently and systematically destroyed the peoples belief in politics and the government. They do what they want for three and half years then dangle a carrot on a string for the election, get elected or re-elected and do what they want again. Our MPs are accountable to no one and are controlled by special interests… I will vote, I do so without a shred of belief in the system (as I know my vote is pointless and worthless)…
As u have no belief in the system [ neither have I ] – and you think your vote is pointless why in heavens name do you vote . IMO – unless there are major chnges in voting systems – the ballot box is a farce – the voting is manipulted by media – and the big money people . People here in ROI vote out of dislke bordering on hatred of the other party – eg FF and FG [ Fianna Fail and Fine Gael ] altho in essence they are the same party – . What has the Ballot Box achieved – 200 years agao we were ruled by Rich – when only landowners and wealthy had vote – now all over 18 can vote – what has changed – Very Little – we are still ruled by the Rich- and any progress has been hard won . The Rich will give us nothing – except take —as we will find out soon enough – yet the poor/ less well off fight among themselves eg Catholics and Protestant in NI – so Divide and Conquer – and the Big Biz boys have a good laugh at us — more and more repressive legislation is enacted in US – so if it happens there – it will happen here .
I vote because I know I’m a cynic and maybe (no matter how doubtful) I could be wrong. I agree totally that the current voting and political system is a farce and my educated vote will hopefully counteract the completely idiot who voted because that’s what he’s told to do (I.E The Sun)
I’m thinking I might do some non-party political broadcasts for the upcoming election, would channel 4 show them?
Jon, you’re quite right there is huge amount of cynicism out here in the real world (i.e. those of us not in the political or media classes). No one is looking forward to this election because it’s going to be more of the same. The same dreary arguments churned out by utterly discredited people to the same clapped-out knackered old hacks (Dimbleby, Paxman, Humphrys, Snow, Naughtie, You, etc). So, what are you going to do about it ? Give us more of the same I guess.
How about this for an idea. Do nothing. Don’t cover it. We won’t miss it.
Great idea – if no-one voted – these dreadful people [ same in most countries now ] coulld not say they represnt us – they will still do as their bosses tell them – but they could not come out with this – ” we were democratically elected ” rubbish
Your performance on Channel 4 News this evening was ABYSMAL and grossly biased and demonstrates quite clearly that you have had your day and should retire gracefully. You allowed Mandelson to hi-jack the discussion with Ken Clarke, refuse to answer ANY direct question and to persistently interrupt both Clarke and you yourself so that the discussion was pointless. Or are you merely showing your own political allegiances? Or even worse, are you as corrupt as Mandelson himself? Whatever the truth, you need to be put out to grass – your crediblity as an interviewer and political commentator is now zero.
Have to say I couldn’t disagree more. Anyone who has watched Jon in action over the years knows 1) he is not past it and 2) he is not biased
Mandelson tries and usually succeeds in talking over everyone. He is slick and insidious and he is one reason I won’t be voting labour this time
Ken Clarke is intelligent and reasonable but as his real view is not that of Cameron and Osborne, I will not be conservative either.
If Vince Cable were leader of the Lib Dems, I might be tempted because he seems to be the only consistent voice in all this mess. But he’s not, so I won’t.
Which doesn’t leave me much. Jon, would you mind standing as an independent in Shipley? We desperately need an intelligent, humane, and reasoned voice.
VOTE SNOW!
Joe you have stated my thoughts exactly .I was beginning to warm to Jon with his Haiti interviews ,but tonight was an absolute disgrace .The interview with Mandelson and Clarke was political interviewing at its most biased.You asked Clarke a question , allowed Mandelson to interupt and constantly jumped in yourself so we were not able to get a full answer of what started to sound like constant truthful answers , then allowed Mandelson to say anything he wished , a lot of total drivel.ItS WHAT DREW ME TO YOUR BLOG, TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR BIAS AND HERE YOU ARE BACK TO YOUR BIASED BEST.
Saltaire Sam is being a little unfair to Shipley’s current MP, who certainly is independent, intelligent, humane, reasoned and, above all, completely honest.
He wears a Conservative label but is not afraid to differ from the party when he believes it wrong. And, from all reports, he is an excellent constituency MP, regardless of party affiliation.
I would wholeheartedly support a move to more genuinely independent candidates but, sadly, the party system is now so entrenched that any chance of success is infinitessimally small (except the Martin Bell type case, but only because the major parties withdrew).
Perhaps we need to start again from local government – get more independents elected there, giving a platform from which national success could then be more feasible.
Until that happens, Saltaire Sam may be advised to vote for a genuine, honest bloke (or blokesse, of course) and disregard any national party label.
Note: I’m a Shipley voter too and await the candidate list with eager anticipation.
…Jon’s biased, that’s pretty clear to see. It’s amazing that he hasn’t been offered a job by that other branch of NuLab the BBC. Expect more of the same for the rest of the pre-election coverage.
Just endured your “interview” with Clarke & Mandelson. More of a dust-up between two inebriated old gits down the pub than a serious debate on the way out of this mess. Despair? No, it’s worse than that.
I’m afraid the interview (Clarke/Mandy)was more entertainment than illumination. Ours is the largest deficit is it? How much is France in the red? What about Germany, USA? Our unemployment is low – how does it compare with other developed countries. Feed us some facts. Wasn’t our deficit brought about largely by the bank bail-out? How can we allow the bankers to pay themselves obscene amounts of bonus and not retrieve the cash to pay off our deficit?
Bankers get paid there bonus because they are very very talented, apparently!!! We wouldn’t want to loose the talent now would we????? Sounds like a vulgar bunch of greedy so and so’s to me.
JS – you’re missing the point. We should be praying for the day when youngsters think “it’s not my duty to vote; it’s their duty to persuade me to give a stuff” (Oh, Happy Day).
Contrary to Shirley Williams’ remark that people “died for our vote”, they died for our choice to/not to bother. If people can’t be bothered, that’s the fault of the Westminster Village, which patently lacks the humility to understand its contribution to democracy.
Question: are the People unbothered or are our Betters unbothering?
I think Channel 4 news is the best of them all on TV. And i usually admire Jon Snow’s interviewing technique – normally a byeword for fairness and objectivity. But I was greatly disappointed and annoyed by Jon Snows handling of the so-called “Debate” between Kenneth Clarke and Peter Mandelson. Between Snow interupting and talking over both speakers, and the bullying Mandelson constantly heckling Clarke like a fishwife, I couldnt hear what any of them were saying. It was a disgrace!! Thank God, Snow wont be handling any of the General Election Debates between the three party leaders!…or will he?!!
Mudplugger, you are right Shipley MP Philip Davies is everything you say he is and I have enjoyed a spirited correspondence with him on many subjects. But as I have told him, I couldn’t vote for him because his independence from the conservatives takes him even further to the right, a place I wouldn’t care to go
Sam, I fully respect that and trust that you will use your precious vote in our joint constituency with the same depth of thought you bring to this forum.
I too have debated with our MP and find the paradox of his open personality but traditionalist politics an interesting, if sometimes challenging, mix.
When the time comes to mark the cross, I suspect we shall both have much to consider before giving our favours to a candidate who best supports both our local and national needs. Whatever the outcome, if all voters were to apply the same thought processes, I am sure we would enjoy a better result at all levels.
[...] This, and a comparison with a 68% figure in 1991, has been widely reported, including by the BBC, Channel 4 and The [...]
I was particularly struck by how obviously ‘sleekit’ ( Scots word) Peter Mandelson was during the interview. We hear a lot of the media telling us how clever he is but it seems to many of the people I know that it’s a media fascination not any demonstrable ability on his part. He slithers and slimes his way through interviews to the disgust of lots of folk who used to believe the Labour Party stood for something- actually much the same scenario as the PM telling us about his Presbyterian conscience and moral compass while abolishing the 10p tax band and surrounding himself with the dirty tricks brigade.You couldn’t make it up.
If this recission is over then if labours critics who have been passing remarks and blaiming labour for the recesssion to gain cheap votes IE conservitive etc, should be now be saying well done for fixing it, the tories and the media have made it look like labours fualt when the Gordon Brown took over when it was in recession and it was inevatble it was going to happen who ever was in control they have all made it look like labours fualt, I dont agree with the tories labour look after the people and tories are a party for the rich. I know that alot of people who should vote dont. I hope that labour can use this news that the recession is over to thier advantage and stop letting the tories get cheap votes.
Jon
I have to say I felt so gutted, so disappointed watching your news last night.
You led with a story about the British hostage released from Iraq (poorly laid out) and then a complete non-story with a ridiculous ‘debate’ between Mandelson and his ‘shadow’ Ken Clarke in relation to 0.1% economic growth, we know its nonsense, meaningless drivel.
In the meantime, people are starving in Haiti and a story of epic proportions is unfolding.
You have to get back to Haiti, at least put it back on top of the news agenda, the situation is deteriorating (see: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/photo_galleries/article7003056.ece?slideshowPopup=true&articleId=7003056§ionName=WorldUSAmericas)
You were doing meaningful and good reporting, you are back to the banal, it is a dreadful waste, you can make a difference in the twilight of your career (if you can stick it out there), please, please, please put it at the top of the news report, it is terrible to focusing on such other nonsense and does the media a terrible disservice.
Gerard Horgan
It’s New Labour, Wilma, not True Labour. Few of them have recognisably Labour principles – in fact I suspect that most would be embarrassed by the memory of Clause 4 …
Only channel 4 seemed to address the news in a professional manner. At least forty! ‘news’ broadcasts from the BBC led with the “end of recession”!. The recession is really only just begining! Some sectors are still experiencing growth as people take a last swipe of the cake during low interest rates.
I understand that a positive news article may lift the country mood but this by the BBC was pure propoganda! of the worse third world kind.
When will we get back to the real issue of when Tony Blair, Jack Shaw, Lord Goldsmith and Gordon Brown will be actuallt indited for war crimes?
When will we see actual fraud presecutions, convictions and sentencing fro expense fraud?
Koomquat, what you say about standards being set by the argumentative , manipulative and the ill tempered role models having an effect on the whole of society is correct.How many years have we heard the phrase ‘will have to bring them down’ or ‘shoot that little bird of her perch’
Surely this is not the way any more. We will simply perpetuate the agitation we all feel in our work lives as our workmates try and find a flaw, or make one up, to bring us down.
You are a reporter , you have a great responsibility to focus on the things that matter , not just the sensation of the day.
We can win this with more gentility. Mandy’s not all bad.
My choice in words are perhaps unhelpful and I see that to bring a system down could only leads us further in the direction of war. There must be other ways…
A very interesting article, Jon- and, at a time when lots of people (including many of the political cadre) seem to enjoy making sweeping generalisations about the world based on minimal knowledge, very well grounded in fact. I would respectfully suggest, that even if the British people maybe don’t understand the political system we have, they are quite accustomed to it’s rhythms. Until the next General Election, I for one am prepared to wait and heap fatalistic criticism on Westminster. But when it comes, I will be thinking hard about how I shall vote (if at all)- and have already spent a great deal of time in thought already.
On a separate issue, I absolutely adored the Clarke-Mandelson debate (in a slightly panic-stricken way)! They bickered like a old married couple, and Clarke definitely came from behind to beat Mandelson in the “Most Camp Debator on Economic Issues” stakes. (I’ve no idea whether either of them talked any sense, but full marks to you and Samira for allowing the madness to become known without manipulation!)
Amusing!
Have ben looking at who know who on C4 site – with particular reference to Blair and Iraq inquiry – its all a bit frigtening – but more or less waht I expected – while the situation in Haiti is actully deteriorating – with people fighting each other for food – 2 weeks after the main Earthquake . Blair should be put on Trial – but the system is so rotten worldwide that I doubt I will see the likes of Blair , Bush etc where they belong – in the Dock .
Some thoughts:
1. Every politician who has repaid money should be investigated and any evidence of misfeasance in public office or fraud must result in their prosecution in a court of law.
2. It would appear some members of the Cabinet failed to ask collateral questions of the evidence provided during the decision making process in respect of the Iraq invasion. I assume this to be maladministration or an illustration of incompetence. It would appear Tony Blair should not be alone in the dock for breaches of International Law.
All that snow makes a bleak landscape particularly for those who want our money to fight catastrophic warming
I note that on last night’s news we were told that C4 had found it difficult to get scientists to speak about climategate. Since sceptical scientists are feeling rather justified I cannot believe that they refused to appear. The truth is you couldn’t find people willing to speak on the alarmist side – all the usual rent-a-quotes doing an impersonation of rats on a sinking ship. Perhaps after nearly 2 decades of promoting this scam C4 could consider attempting a little impartiality. Just a thought.
The guy you did get on said that “there is no dispute that CO2 is causing warming” the only question being how much. That is disingenous since whether it is 0.3C or a thousandth of that, or 100 times higher is exactly the point. One could equally say that there is no dispute that there should be massive firings because almost everybody on C4 is adicted to stimulants without mentioning that that means a cup of coffee once a day.
Here are some other figures you maybe should investigate, Jon:
http://crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com/2010/01/whats-wrong-with-ctc.html
It is not going to help the electoral process if Channel 4 news broadcasts propaganda for labour. Tonight’s item on Ashcroft was blatant bias. Why not a balancing item on anti-democratic funding of labour by the unions whose members are given no say in the abuse of their donations, and by a supposed consumers co-operative which is supposed to use surplus income as a dividend to its customers.
Last night when debating with Nigel Lawson, Profesor of \Environmental science Tom Watson claimed that the rise in sea levels proved catastrophic warming. Since the rise, if anything, is from 2 up to 3 mm a year it is clearly not proof of catastrophic anything & C4 should say so in the sme time slot today or tomorrow. I remeber the BBC once claiming that the estuary of the Ebro in Spain had disappeared under risong seas but that was the BBC & I think we are entitled to factual news from C4.