Richard Murphy
The Greens were the biggest winners in the local elections, so why aren’t they getting fair air time? https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/05/07/the-greens-were-the-biggest-winners-in-the-local-elections-so-why-arent-they-getting-fair-air-time/
Proportionately, the Greens won most seats at the recent local elections, but they are denied airtime, and we get Reform instead. Why?
The stock market is failing according to the CBI. So why don’t we just let it go?

I posted this on Twitter this morning: https://twitter.com/RichardJMurphy/status/1942861045426516103 My point is serious. The CBI is saying that the situation with regard to the UK stock exchange is getting desperate, because it is losing out to overseas markets and not attracting sufficient business. The question that needs to be asked is, why is that?...

Funding the Future
May 7, 2024 at 5:27amWeb
Show threadTenPastTwoMay 7, 2024

@RichardJMurphy

Just like UKIP, the English media give disproportionate airtime to anyone right of the Tories as if that's an alternative view.

Show threadMegan StevensMay 7, 2024
@RichardJMurphy The media’s reason for living is controversy and clickbait - especially the Murdoch media. Makes them feel noticed and loved, gives them measurable data to track their reach. Here in Australia as it is in the UK.
Show threadMartin Vermeer FCDMay 7, 2024
@RichardJMurphy Playing devil's advocate, the Greens are an old party, Reform is recently constituted.
Of course the "ideas" behind Reform are as old as the world...
Show threadJonathan SchofieldMay 7, 2024

@RichardJMurphy the Greens represent the possibility of actual change. Reform represents a doubling down on the worst aspects of the status quo.

The status quo wants the same 3 bar chords

Show threadAndrewMay 7, 2024
@RichardJMurphy
The Rightwing bias of the British media, including the BBC, is on full display presently with the deplatforming of the Greens. This is especially stark when compared to the ubiquitous platforming of Reform.
Obviously, this is because the Greens represent a direct threat to elite interests and the broken status quo.
Imagine we had we a fairer media who gave proportionate exposure to the Greens?
Show threadTheriacMay 7, 2024
@Shivviness @RichardJMurphy
this is something that has been happening in in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The BBC stick to a narrow band of topics that they cover, hoping the other stuff will disappear. Reform fits into this because like pre-1979 Tories the current crop have absorbed right-wing extremist talking-points.

It's interesting, as in an understatement of shocking, to compare political panel broadcasts with Nick Griffin in the early '00s, and what is going out now.
Show threadSimon BrookeMay 7, 2024
@RichardJMurphy the #Greens aren't getting airtime because, as you know, the owners of the British media (and I explicitly include the BBC) see the Greens as a much more serious threat to their status and privilege than #ReformUK.
Show threadRosemarie and Owen KellyMay 7, 2024
@simon_brooke SNP get only negative coverage
Show threadJna💚May 7, 2024
@Kellys @simon_brooke for the exactly same reason of controlling the narrative. BBC is not the /a friend.
Show threadSimon BrookeMay 7, 2024

@jna @Kellys Aye. We, in theory, own the BBC; but in practice, the funders of the #Conservative party control it.

A co-op, completely independent of government with its director directly elected by its subscribers, would be a much better thing. The same applies to all other media, of course.

Show threadPeter BrownMay 8, 2024
@simon_brooke @jna @Kellys the Channel 4 model works quite well as well.
Show threadOliMay 8, 2024
@Kellys @simon_brooke when the greens represent the same level of challenge to the status-quo as the #SNP, then then the smears, slurs and negative coverage of #greens will step-up a gear - its already started
Show threadSimon BrookeMay 8, 2024

@OliverNoble @Kellys the #Greens *ought* to be a far bigger challenge to the status quo than the SNP. The SNP want a change in governance structure to less than half a percent of the planet, while leaving corporate interests largely unaffected. The Greens want – and need – and entire overthrow of the global economic system.

#ScottishIndependence
#ClimateEmergency
#IndependenceThatChangesNothingIsWorthNothing

Show threadOliMay 8, 2024

@simon_brooke @Kellys very true, i should maybe have said they perceive the #SNP as a more *immediate* threat to the status-quo

In part because, although it is hardly reported and the Scottish parliament has limited powers, Scotland has lead on no fault evictions, nationalising rail, settling NHS pay etc - nothing very radical but if the people of #England saw how achievable things are, they might look at the "opposition" and start demanding something better

Show threadSimon BrookeMay 8, 2024
@OliverNoble @Kellys This is why I think #ScottishIndependence would be an enormously good thing for the left in #England. If they could look to a country just across the border and speaking very nearly the same language pursuing much more left wing policies (as we would) and succeeding (as I believe we would), it would be easier to persuade folk in England that they deserved those good things too.
Show threadOliMay 8, 2024

@simon_brooke @Kellys 100℅ agree,

Given how poor and negative reporting about Scotland is, it might take a while for the English to notice but, in time, it would become incredibly obvious

it would be inspiring to the left to see Scotland achieve its potential once free to determine its own destiny

Show thread Mélani (Melanie) Bjornsdottir (she, ŝi)May 9, 2024
@simon_brooke @OliverNoble @Kellys it’d drive resentment because indy would cause a larger tory majority
Show threadHighlandLawyerMay 9, 2024
@melanie @Kellys @simon_brooke @OliverNoble
A common myth but not really; statistically Scottish votes have had sod all impact on the constitution of the Westminster govt since the 1950s. Between 1954 to 2010, only twice (1964 & Feb 1974) have the results from Scotland determined which was the largest party elected at Westminster.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/general-elections-without-scotland-part-1-1945-2010/
Show thread Mélani (Melanie) Bjornsdottir (she, ŝi)May 9, 2024
@HighlandLawyer @Kellys @simon_brooke @OliverNoble ic
Show threadAxel FoleyMay 7, 2024
@simon_brooke @RichardJMurphy Exactly why SNP gets little air time in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺
Show threadAdam Jacobs 🇺🇦May 7, 2024

@RichardJMurphy Oh, I know that one.

It's because they're the only mainstream left-wing party in the UK at the moment, and the ruling elite will not allow us to vote for a left-wing party.

See also: Corbyn.

Show threadMartin Vermeer FCDMay 7, 2024
@statsguy @RichardJMurphy See also: Palestine. But I am repeating you.
Show threadChris Lilley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿May 7, 2024
@RichardJMurphy *Because* the Greens got the most seats so are the biggest threat. A cosy toss-up between blue Tories and red Tories with identical policies suits the establishment much better.
Show threadJna💚May 7, 2024
@RichardJMurphy@mas. The chosen one is not as popular as he should be?
Show threadPeter BrownMay 7, 2024
@RichardJMurphy definitely sounds like a matter for #Ofcom
Show threadLazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈May 7, 2024
@RichardJMurphy This is not a Democracy, we do not have a Free Press.
The Greens do absurdly well considering how little coverage they get.
Show threadViolet MadderMay 8, 2024

@RichardJMurphy

This is how things are handled in the US, too.

Right wing weirdness is platformed endlessly, for free, while anything genuinely progressive gets stifled and buried.