Does Anyone Feel Uneasy When We Find Out That Political Parties And Newspapers Collude To Lie To The Voting Public?

[sp1814]

Are we happy that this is just part of the election process...

...or should we be concerned that what is dressed up as a news story is in fact (for want of a better phrase) - party political cobblers?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/27/how-the-conservatives-orchestrate-letters-from-business-leaders

[rockyracoon]

I live by the 'believe none of what you read, and half of what you see' phrase when it comes to politics. They're all liars as far as I'm concerned.

[PankySmooch]

Same as Rocky ^^^^^

[whiskeryron]

I am very uneasy about the sleaze that appears to be going on in this country.
We really do not know who to trust at the moment, it would appear from the Guardian story that Dave is determined to win by any means.

[mazie]

This just about sums them all up!

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=j8i8vn&;s=8#.VT_TgCFViko

[excelsior-1]

i think newspapers should stick to impartiality reporting news - which is their primary function

i do not see why they have to be political, and ally themselves with the major parties

[naomi24]

This is nothing but spin. All those executives must have agreed that the letter be written and to what it contained otherwise they wouldn’t have endorsed it. Who out of that lot would you suggest be charged with the task of composing it and collecting the signatures?

[-Talbot-]

i think newspapers should stick to impartiality reporting news - which is their primary function



I think a newspapers primary function is to make money, it's a business not a charity.

[Jackdaw33]

"What the proprietorship of these papers is aiming at is power, and power without responsibility — the prerogative of the harlot through the ages."

Stanley Baldwin.

[dieseldick]

yes, bbc ignoring and shunting UKIP .

what do you all think about that ?

[sp1814]

I don't think newspapers should be impartial...but at the very least they need to verify the content they print.

Okay...even if the letter was orchestrated by Conservative Central Office (which it was), for God's sake...check that the list doesn't include duplicates:

https://sturdyblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/20150427-164455.jpg

I mean seriously:

https://sturdyblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/small-business-letter-to-the-telegraph-an-attempt-to-defraud-the-electorate/

[jno]

here's today's BBC story on Ukip

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-england-32493934

Two hours ago, admittedly; maybe it's time they published another one?

[sp1814]

jno

Not sure how this connects to this thread, but to would appear that whilst Nigel Farage is tired of racists slurs being directed to UKIP, he's not too afraid to direct exactly the same slur to the SNP:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-claims-snp-racist-5598071

Sauce for the goose perhaps?

[naomi24]

SP, I’m too tired to check lists, but would reiterate that anyone who signed the letter signed willingly. I really don't know why you're making a fuss about it.

[icecreamicecream]

SP wont be happy till his hero Blair is back in power.

[DaisyNonna]

What's new?

[sp1814]

naomi24

Because the list is flawed.

It's claimed that the list was signed by business owners.

Not true.

Also, there are loads of duplicates in it.

The link to the signatories has been removed.

“The Marsha Phoenix Memorial Trust is listed as one of the 5,000 businesses who are “signatories” to a letter supporting the conservative government published in today’s Telegraph Newspaper. They have stated, "that the Trust is a very small charity and not a small business. It should not and should never appear on any list of political endorsements such as the one published in the Telegraph of apparent owners of small businesses. We do not and have not made any such political endorsement today or at any other time".

Also, dozens of businesses included as signatories which are dissolved or in liquidation.

And some of these 'business owners' describe themselves as the following:

“consultant” (of a funeral parlour??), “admin”, “payroll”, “office manager”, “office assistant”, “executive assistant”, “medical director”, “academy director”, “Chief Inspiration Officer” (a what, now?), “site manager” of a regional dept, “sub postmaster” of a branch.

It's just dishonest.

[sp1814]

icecreamicecream

I'm going to ignore your comment, because I have information about my voting intentions that you're not privvy to.

To everyone else, your comment might seem accurate, but because I myself have info that you couldn't possibly know, I am thinking that you're coming across as a bit...well, you know...

[baza]

Do we still sign the ballot paper with a X ?

[naomi24]

SP, Your man, who according to his website, started his blog in 2011 “because he was really quite annoyed at the government”, says //The letter is still on their [The Telegraph’s] website, but the link to the signatories leads nowhere//, but he’s wrong. The list of the 5000-plus signatories, noting that one, number 413, on the letter has subsequently asked for his name to be removed, is freely available on the Telegraph website.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/11565080/The-5000-small-business-owners-supporting-David-Cameron-and-the-Conservatives.html

[TWR]

Don't they all SP?