Standard of Reporting Goes South
Kerron Thu Oct 11, 2007 at 10:10:33 AM GMT 
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It's a badly kept secret that most of the right of centre press in this country would like to see a Conservative Government. You get the feeling that the only reason the Murdoch press has backed New Labour for 10 years in because the Tories were so unbackable in the shape they were in.
But let's look at a couple of the tabloid stories today in The Sun.
But let's look at a couple of the tabloid stories today in The Sun.
Firstly we have a piece entitled: "Is Cabinet biased to the North?".
This piece by The Sun's political editor reports how all those "hardworking Southerners fund Northerners and Scots". Describing the South East as the "engine room" of Britain and presumably the rest of the UK being portrayed as spongers.
Apparently only two Cabinet Ministers live South of Watford. Now I agree we should encourage a situation where a high percentage of Cabinet Ministers originate from the great town of Watford - but at a more serious level, this report pays scant attention to the fact that the vast majority of Cabinet Ministers (and other MPs) actually spend the majority of their week living in London. It's not like they are somehow marooned in their constituencies unaware of what is going on in the South East and the capital in particular.
The Scots come in for particular ire from The Sun:
"Amazingly, the Scots don't actually spend all their £30 billion handout each year. They are so awash with taxpayers cash they don't know what to spend it on. Frustrated southerners have to put up with lousy commuter trains, gridlocked roads, sky-high living costs and it is becoming virtually impossible for university graduates to get a foot on the bottom rung of the housing ladder."
This is then followed by the singularly most made up quote seen in The Sun for at least a week:
"Supporters of the status quo hit back by saying everyone in the South has a choice. They could up sticks and move to the north if they don’t like their lot."
I've never been a particular fan of Francis Rossi's band, but it's also interesting to note that even in that sentence that has gushed from both the mind and keyboard of a wisened old Tory hack that "the South" is capitalised and "the north" is not. How very revealing.
The South East England-centric right of centre tabloid press has it's perfect heroes in the South East England-centric right of centre Tory Party. The Tories couldn't care less about public services, deprivation or unemployment for the ordinary working man (as they proved throughout the 80s and early 90s) - all they are worried about is having enough money for their private education, private healthcare and private businesses; securing power for their own ends; and keeping money within the South East for themselves.
No wonder they get beggar all votes in Scotland, Wales and an area referred to generically as "the north".
But this mini Tory revival is what some in the media have been desperate for. The fact this selfish me, me, me, culture of politics in the Tory Party is beginning to thrive again sets their greedy little hearts racing.
Let's look further on in The Sun today to Page 11 where Kelvin Mackenzie is the voice of reason (sadly not available online) with a piece entitled: "Why I Hate The McBottle Brothers".
"I hate them with a passion. The McBottle Brothers, Brown and Darling. I even found myself shouting at the radio when the panda man was telling his lies on Radio 4's Today Programme. I detest their cynicism. I detest them for their deceit. I detest them for their lack of understanding of English people and what motivates them.
"Perhaps they can only think like the Scots - in that case, why don't they go home and bugger up their own country and leave ours alone."
Yes, Kelvin. Send them all back.
That is the problem with the Tory mindset. They forget that the UK is made up of 4 countries: Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and, yes, England.
If you come from anywhere outside of the South East/London, they don't care. More than that, they resent you for it and for you having the temerity to speak to them about the needs of your community. You must be stealing all the money they want to keep for themselves.
You see, in the Tory vision of the UK, everyone is equal - but some are more equal than others.
However they have clearly calculated that if you do not live in the South East they do not need your votes. So don't disappoint them. Ensure you never vote Tory ever again, and see how they deal with 10 more years of opposition.
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This piece by The Sun's political editor reports how all those "hardworking Southerners fund Northerners and Scots". Describing the South East as the "engine room" of Britain and presumably the rest of the UK being portrayed as spongers.
Apparently only two Cabinet Ministers live South of Watford. Now I agree we should encourage a situation where a high percentage of Cabinet Ministers originate from the great town of Watford - but at a more serious level, this report pays scant attention to the fact that the vast majority of Cabinet Ministers (and other MPs) actually spend the majority of their week living in London. It's not like they are somehow marooned in their constituencies unaware of what is going on in the South East and the capital in particular.
The Scots come in for particular ire from The Sun:
"Amazingly, the Scots don't actually spend all their £30 billion handout each year. They are so awash with taxpayers cash they don't know what to spend it on. Frustrated southerners have to put up with lousy commuter trains, gridlocked roads, sky-high living costs and it is becoming virtually impossible for university graduates to get a foot on the bottom rung of the housing ladder."
This is then followed by the singularly most made up quote seen in The Sun for at least a week:
"Supporters of the status quo hit back by saying everyone in the South has a choice. They could up sticks and move to the north if they don’t like their lot."
I've never been a particular fan of Francis Rossi's band, but it's also interesting to note that even in that sentence that has gushed from both the mind and keyboard of a wisened old Tory hack that "the South" is capitalised and "the north" is not. How very revealing.
The South East England-centric right of centre tabloid press has it's perfect heroes in the South East England-centric right of centre Tory Party. The Tories couldn't care less about public services, deprivation or unemployment for the ordinary working man (as they proved throughout the 80s and early 90s) - all they are worried about is having enough money for their private education, private healthcare and private businesses; securing power for their own ends; and keeping money within the South East for themselves.
No wonder they get beggar all votes in Scotland, Wales and an area referred to generically as "the north".
But this mini Tory revival is what some in the media have been desperate for. The fact this selfish me, me, me, culture of politics in the Tory Party is beginning to thrive again sets their greedy little hearts racing.
Let's look further on in The Sun today to Page 11 where Kelvin Mackenzie is the voice of reason (sadly not available online) with a piece entitled: "Why I Hate The McBottle Brothers".
"I hate them with a passion. The McBottle Brothers, Brown and Darling. I even found myself shouting at the radio when the panda man was telling his lies on Radio 4's Today Programme. I detest their cynicism. I detest them for their deceit. I detest them for their lack of understanding of English people and what motivates them.
"Perhaps they can only think like the Scots - in that case, why don't they go home and bugger up their own country and leave ours alone."
Yes, Kelvin. Send them all back.
That is the problem with the Tory mindset. They forget that the UK is made up of 4 countries: Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and, yes, England.
If you come from anywhere outside of the South East/London, they don't care. More than that, they resent you for it and for you having the temerity to speak to them about the needs of your community. You must be stealing all the money they want to keep for themselves.
You see, in the Tory vision of the UK, everyone is equal - but some are more equal than others.
However they have clearly calculated that if you do not live in the South East they do not need your votes. So don't disappoint them. Ensure you never vote Tory ever again, and see how they deal with 10 more years of opposition.
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Standard of Reporting Goes South | 17 comments (17 topical)
Standard of Reporting Goes South | 17 comments (17 topical)
