BBC Ukip

[Duncan Gardner]

BBC Ukip

Luke R wrote: Immigration is usually one or two in polls relating to issues which the public considers most pressing. I'm not sure to what extent the BBC can be considered responsible for that

Quite a lot. They are the country's biggest news medium even if they follow agendas set by others (right wing newspapers led by the Sun and Mail).

[Come along, Min]

BBC Ukip

So if the public are led by what the BBC, Mail and Sun say, who is responsible for their concern about the NHS?. Which usually sits at one or two those same polls.

[Duncan Gardner]

BBC Ukip

The same news media, but to a lesser extent.

[Tubby Isaacs]

BBC Ukip

Luke R wrote: So if the public are led by what the BBC, Mail and Sun say, who is responsible for their concern about the NHS?. Which usually sits at one or two those same polls.

The Mail have stories about the NHS getting worse nearly every day.

They then perform intellectual headstands when an election comes along, and look over there at Wales, 1200 slain at Mid Staffs, and other bollocks.

They even managed to turn the Keogh Report into struggling trusts in 2013 as being a judgement on Labour.

[Patrick Thistle]

BBC Ukip

Luke R wrote:

To be fair Ukip won a national election,

Um, no. It was a by-election. Winning a national election lets you form a government.

The Green Party and Respect have both had an MP in the House for 5 years, yet neither party get barely any coverage on the BBC. Which I think is evidence of bias.

[DCI Harry Batt]

BBC Ukip

They won a national election - that is, they got more votes than anyone else did in an election covering the nation. The last set of Euros.

Thanks partly to the BBC.

[Toro Toro]

BBC Ukip

Yeah; not actually how the electoral system works in this country.

[DCI Harry Batt]

BBC Ukip

It's an entirely reasonable description of what happened. There was an election, across the nation, and they got more votes and more seats than anyone else did. It was described as a victory for UKIP in sensible serious newspapers. It might not be how you choose to describe it, and other reasonable descriptions are available. But it is legitimate.

[Patrick Thistle]

BBC Ukip

Well, that was a European election, so I wouldn't call that a national election. Europe not being part of the UK, and all that (as opposed to the UK not being part of Europe which is the UKIP thing)

[Come along, Min]

BBC Ukip

You would call what UKIP won a by-election?

[Toro Toro]

BBC Ukip

Here is the amount of patience I have for another bout of TonTon's "it's ridiculous how they call it understanding something, since you've mastered it everybody should say you overstand it" schtick:

0

Public language is public language. Things mean what people mean by them. At some point you're just going to have to deal.

[N est à?]

BBC Ukip

Ukip came first in the European parliament elections in the UK, a nationwide election, featuring the usual UK parties. No, that's not the same as winning a general election, well spotted. But to deny it's a national election, which they came first in, is some weak bullshit.

[San Bernardhinault]

BBC Ukip

It's a national election. But it's not an election which anyone "won".

[GCostanza]

BBC Ukip

Toro Toro wrote: Here is the amount of patience I have for another bout of TonTon's "it's ridiculous how they call it understanding something, since you've mastered it everybody should say you overstand it" schtick:

Public language is public language. Things mean what people mean by them. At some point you're just going to have to deal.

What a cock.

[DCI Harry Batt]

BBC Ukip

I see Toro didn't get any better while I was away. Not to worry.

It wasn't my description, it's not how I'd describe it - for all sorts of reasons. But it's a reasonable description, which is and has been used by members of the public using their language.

Anyway, this new UKIP channel...

[Benjm]

BBC Ukip

Being featured in those listings does a disservice to Man V Food. While the subject matter might be of interest to the lads having the best conversation in the bar you'd look through the window of and quickly walk past, the tone is very different to the sneery, gleeful ignorance of Top Gear.

[Come along, Min]

BBC Ukip

La Lanterne Rouge wrote: It's a national election. But it's not an election which anyone "won".

They topped the polls, they collected more seats than others parties. Is saying "won" that much different? Is saying they didn't win splitting hairs?

[San Bernardhinault]

BBC Ukip

Topping the polls in an election isn't necessarily the same as winning an election. Because winning implies actually winning the power.

[Come along, Min]

BBC Ukip

How much power MEP's have is debatable, but as far as the UK is concerned, did UKIP not win the most power?

[Sam]

BBC Ukip

Benjm wrote: Being featured in those listings does a disservice to Man V Food. While the subject matter might be of interest to the lads having the best conversation in the bar you'd look through the window of and quickly walk past, the tone is very different to the sneery, gleeful ignorance of Top Gear.

I think I'd agree with that. Man vs Food is not a show I like, largely for the celebration of gluttony and consumption inherent in it, but it is very much a show which espouses small-c catholic tastes and implicity - and often explicitly - seems to be as much about celebrating diversity (in this case in culinary tastes, sure, but that's still diversity) as anything else.

[Patrick Thistle]

BBC Ukip

Nesta Arantes do Nascimento wrote: Ukip came first in the European parliament elections in the UK, a nationwide election, featuring the usual UK parties. No, that's not the same as winning a general election, well spotted. But to deny it's a national election, which they came first in, is some weak bullshit.

I just made the point that I'd be confused by the term 'national election' to describe anything other than a General Election. The European elections are trans-national or international if you prefer.

I took the first reference to a national election to be wrongly referring to a General election, hence my response.

I'm not disputing UKIP 'won' the European elections.

[Fussbudget]

BBC Ukip

Yes, calling the European election a "national election" is really stretching the meaning of "national".

[Come along, Min]

BBC Ukip

I'm not sure it is, I mean it's debatable yes, but not really stretching the meaning. What would you call it?.

It's kind of representative of something significant is it not?.

[Fussbudget]

BBC Ukip

It is absolutely stretching the meaning. It brings to mind Hugh Abbott in the Thick of It saying that the JFK assassination was a regional event because it happened somewhere.

What would you call it?.

An international election.

It's kind of representative of something significant is it not?.

Well yes, but that's not the point Jon or myself were questioning.

[Come along, Min]

BBC Ukip

Fussbudget wrote:

What would you call it?.

An international election.

If you think that it's really stretching the meaning of "National Election" that about 15 million people from the UK voted in the Euros for parties from the UK representing them in their own country, I think we're probably quibbling.

I don't think saying UKIP winning a national election is particularly wrong in that respect. I didn't say General Election or Council Election, which are and can be forms of national elections too.