Sunday, 20 November 2016

The Sun shines on Nick Pisani


From Nick Pisani's Linkedin page

The Sun is reporting that "a top BBC producer who campaigned on Bob Geldof’s pro-EU flotilla is to mastermind a flagship Brexit show. Diehard Remainer Nick Pisani [former Question Time editor and Conservative Party PR chief] will edit a debate to be broadcast to a global audience."

Mr Pisani was very vocal on Twitter in his opposition to both Brexit and Brexiters. 

Iain Duncan Smith is quoted as saying:
Like Bob Geldof, the BBC is sticking two fingers up to the British people. A man with such clearly entrenched views should never have been put in charge of a programme like this.
The debate is being broadcast on the BBC World News Channel next Saturday and Sunday and will be shown on the BBC Parliament Channel at 20:45 next Sunday.

Googling the details, it turns out that the proposition up for discussion is:
NO BACKSLIDING ON BREXIT: BRITAIN SHOULD PRIORITISE CONTROLLING ITS BORDERS OVER STAYING IN THE EUROPEAN SINGLE MARKET
Speaking in favour are Douglas Carswell and Patrick Minford. Speaking against are Anna Soubry and Alexander Stubb. Hosting it will be Zeinab Badawi.

Nick and Bob

A BBC spokesman is quoted in The Sun as saying:
As a debate show, the views expressed are those of a panel of people representing both sides of the argument, not the production team.  
Anyone working on behalf of the BBC is expected to leave their opinions at the door, plus the programme is overseen by a senior executive to ensure balance. ell, time will tell. 
Well, time will tell.

"Anyone working on behalf of the BBC is expected to leave their opinions at the door" though?

Wonder if the BBC spokesman said that with a straight face? If not, he must have been locked away in a cupboard recently [like a spare robot] given that people working on behalf of the BBC have been blatantly bringing their opinions in through the door and spraying the BBC airwaves (and us) with them on an increasingly regular basis for months now.

******

P.S. An amusing satirical reposte, via Going Postal:
A BBC spokesman said, "Anyone working on behalf of the BBC is expected to leave their opinions at the door and pick up ours on the way in".