Lesson in Christmas Love

Level 42, unlikely to be performing on 'Andrew Marr' any time soon

Many a hug was exchanged at work today as some people (though not me) finished for Christmas. With warm hearts, we parted. 

Meanwhile on Twitter, Rob Burley, the BBC's head of live political programmes was exchanging festive greeting with Phil Gould, the drummer from 80's pop band Level 42.

I'm reaching for the mulled wine already!:

Rob Burley: Coming up on BBC2 at 1215 Jo Coburn with the last Politics Live of 2018 

Mark Ridgley: Just finished watching and the lie that Corbyn said Women was perpetuated so many times I lost count. BBC BIAS.

Rob Burley: No. One person insisted he did say it, another that we simply couldn’t know and that it didn’t matter.

Phil Gould: A homeless man died outside parliament yesterday, froze to death in the shadow of the institution that should be making sure such things never happen, and yet BBC Newsnight runs with a fluff piece about Corbyn’s supposed comment. You’re an asshole Rob! How do you sleep at night?

Rob Burley: Thanks for calling me an “asshole” I don’t work on Newsnight. I do edit Politics Live. We led on homelessness twice this week including on the death in Westminster as our main story today. Your ignorant and self-righteous tweet says more about you than the BBC or me. Sleep well.

Phil Gould: Apologies for getting your job description wrong but I’ve had just about all I can take from you and your arrogant dismissal of any criticism of you or your sanctimonious BBC colleagues. How dare you call me self-righteous! You wrote the book pal. You and ilk have ruined the BBC!

Rob Burley: You accuse me of ignoring homelessness when the show I have edited led on the subject twice this week including today. So apart from being in one of the worst bands in history, you are being ridiculous in not accepting you got it wrong.

Phil Gould: I stopped paying my license fee because of you & your 3rd rate faux BBC journalists. I formed a band that sold millions of albums. I did this with my mates, off my own back. I didn’t join a corporation. And I’m a fuck sight better musician than you will EVER be a journalist! Ok?

Rob Burley: No, not OK. Your tweets illustrate perfectly the tendency to attack first & worry about the truth later. You attack us for not covering homelessness when we palpably covered it. Well done with the band, how you sold so much of that warmed up jazz funk, slap-bass pap is beyond me.

Steve Oram: It was the 80s.

Rob Burley: I know, I lived through it. And had to endure trash like his band. Which I have kept quiet about until his tweet!

Sandy Watson: Slap bass baby.

Rob Burley: I know. How has my life got to the point that I am having to put right the crazed claims of the drummer of Level 42? It’s fitting though, because I really hated his terrible band.

Things continued though:

Phil Gould: I’m mad as hell. I’ve personally helped four people off the streets this week. Put four homeless guys into shelters for the next month, and I’ve fucking had enough of media twats like Burley banging on about non-existent Corbyn comments! I’m sick of the whole bloody lot of them!
Rob Burley: Phil, while much of the press covered JC story about alleged comments we led with homelessness. Just like we did two days before. You are just wrong on this. You say we didn’t cover it and we did. Very prominently. Stop digging.
Phil Gould: Why did tweet about Corbyn then? And not homelessness! I don’t get it Rob. Look, I accept I was wrong about that, but I was responding to your tweet. I gave money to a guy today, got him London Bridge hostel and he kissed my hand. What has happened to this country?
Rob Burley: I tweeted about Mr Corbyn only to point out that we had both sides on discussing his alleged comments. But we spent much more time on homelessness. Thanks for acknowledging you got it wrong. And, of course, it is a vital issue. And one we have led with twice this week. 

And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!