The Beeb and Immigration. I think it was DumbJon who said something about BBC journalists who viewed Conservative leaders like Michael Howard as the type who went round eating babies. Cracking post, that- because just short of being true. In this context it’s important to remember (or read up on) Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech in 1968, which is indelibly branded on any true liberal’s mind as permanent proof that the Tories are eeeeeevil.


Now, in the context of immigration controversy, we find language used by the Beeb in most interesting ways. I could concentrate on the subtle way the Beeb presents the actual issues at stake, but to me the stand out feature is the mudslinging language.


In this article, we read ‘The Tory party scents blood over the immigration row’. David Davis, Tory spokesman, is ‘seeking a scalp’. He has been ‘after’ Beverly Hughes (after in the sense, well, you know, not like that), and believes he has her ‘firmly in his sights’. This atavistic presentation essentially tells you one thing: the Tories are viciously and selfishly pursuing their agenda- the same old Tory party of Enoch and The Sun. Incidentally, the very name ‘Tory’ is often applied when the Beeb wants to imply something highly party-political. In doing this the Beeb are shielding the Labour Government from the scrutiny that it desperately needs, in the context of an issue that is vitally important at the moment.

Update: Peter Cuthbertson makes a thoughtful foray into the general area in this posting on England's Sword.