The Guardian (Free subscription) | 9 hours ago
On the eve of the bill determining Britain's digital future, Ben Bradshaw attacks the Tory leader's 'pact' with the Murdochs and defends the BBC, if not its Trust, from its 'circling enemies'. He speaks to James Robinson After years of debate, two weighty reports and endless agonising over BBC funding, the future of Channel 4 and how best to prop up ITV, the sense of anticlimax is palpable. Published...
NHS-THE OTHER SIDE (Free subscription) | 20/11/2009
From the Telegraph: By Andrew Gilligan. The whole thing. Dr Hubley’s is just the most serious in a growing list of cases which raise serious concerns about the safety of 'independent sector treatment centres', writes Andrew Gilligan. Dr John Hubley's operation to remove a gall bladder was supposed to take an hour, and he was expecting to be home the same evening. Instead, in a "torrent"...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
An arts establishment filled by New Labour supporters is starting to court Team Cameron When the culture secretary, Ben Bradshaw, delivered a speech this month asking New Labour- supporting "luvvies" to rally to the defence of the arts, he omitted to mention the recent dwindling of their ranks. For the last year, the arts and media establishment has been thrilling to the sound of a minimalist,...
political views from a conservative perspective (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
When the bbc rejected the gaza disaster appeal -due to their belief in political neutrality there was a hornets nest of disgust - saying the bbc was pro israel etc - this is the same organisation though who as i have showed on my blog is steadfastly pro israel. I did not know then but do know now, that the culture secretary ben bradshaw says israel has a long reputation for bullying the BBC. this is...
A View from Rural Wales (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
A recurring theme on this blog is the way we treat the elderly infirm, particularly when they are suffering from dementia. This post concerns a most awful proposal in yesterday's Queen's Speech, which uses the most vulnerable of people as political pawns in a most shameful way. No-one disputes that social care policy needs reform - and there are several aspects to the debate. Its unfair that everyone...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 17/11/2009
• Culture Secretary under pressure to delay consultation • FA makes seven-figure profit from Brazil friendly Ben Bradshaw, the culture secretary, has a tough call to make over the timing of his consultation on proposed changes to the so-called "crown jewels", the list of sporting events for exclusive live broadcast on free-to-air television. Digger understands that executives from...
The Guardian Technology blog (Free subscription) | 16/11/2009
Despite his reputation for the savvy use of new media, Barack Obama has admitted that he doesn't actually tweet. It's hardly a surprise but it raises awkward questions of attribution on Twitter. The growth in bogus celebrity Twitter feeds led the network to introduce verified accounts so you can now tell which ones are genuine. But what the verified accounts don't tell you is who's actually doing...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 16/11/2009
DCMS says BBC licence fee is preferred source of funding, but no final decision will be taken until 2012 or 2013 Pilot schemes for replacement ITV regional news services in England, Scotland and Wales could begin as early April next year, the government confirmed today, with the BBC licence fee the preferred source of funding. However, the government also said today that it would not take a final...
Naws (Free subscription) | 16/11/2009
The British museum is full of relics, really interesting ones, Egyptian mummies, Chinese ceramics and Mayan gold jewellery etc. The museum is a fabulous resource that lets us appreciate the contribution to Humanity that all the civilisations of our planet and (all) their peoples have made over recent millennia. This Month the British Museum is helping to kick off preparations for next year's LGBT (lesbian,...
Tory Bear (Free subscription) | 16/11/2009
TB lost a drunken bet with Kerry McCarthy last night that the Against the Odds vid would never get an airing on TV. Ironically Sister Bear has a piece in today's Standard that made TB chuckle - it's all about hasty tweeting. Ben Bradshaw and darling Kerry come under particular scrutiny... Late-night or ill-thought-out tweets are the cyber equivalent of drunken dialling. Despite the inherent risk, the...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 16/11/2009
From the Sindie : Has the Evening Standard got it in for its old editor? A piece about the tussle between Veronica Wadley and Liz Forgan...put Ben Bradshaw's description of Wadley as "a Tory patsy" in the headline. Then, at the Standard's glittering "Influentials" party, Wadley wasn't there while Richard Desmond, bitter opponent of her husband, Tom Bower, was. Even the list of...
Thoughts of Nigel (Free subscription) | 14/11/2009
It seems that the government's review of the sporting crown jewels has not gone down very well in many quarters. Yesterday a report was submitted to the culture secretary Ben Bradshaw which added home Ashes Tests, competitive football internationals for all home countries, home and away, and Wales's home Six Nations rugby matches to the covereted A list which means that they have to be shown on free...
Giles McNeill (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
I am very surprised that proponents of electoral reform are supporting the idea of a referendum on election day. Campaigners pressing for a vote on electoral reform have welcomed news from Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw MP that: "it would be a missed opportunity not to have a referendum on Election Day." In an interview with the New Statesman the Mr. Bradshaw broke with the government’s...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
Liz Forgan appears to target London mayor Boris Johnson for trying to appoint 'crony' Veronica Wadley to London post The chair of Arts Council England has launched an impassioned attack on political interference in the organisation. It comes after a row over accusations that London mayor Boris Johnson attempted to appoint a "crony" as chair of the body's London office. Liz Forgan called...
Wiltshire Heritage Museum (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
The partnership between English Heritage, Salisbury Museum and Wiltshire Heritage Museum featured in a parliamentary question on Monday. Robert Key, MP for Salisbury, asked Ben Bradshaw, the Culture Minister, about funding for the museums in conjunction with the new Stonehenge Visitor Centre. The video of the questions is now online .
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