Tuesday 27 August 2019

Boris tells almost literal Porkies, and passes TV licence buck.

We  may have a sense of how a post Brexit Government may spin any fallout for the expected economic disaster  that many  even themselves predict.

Simply blame someone else or tell lies.


The Guardian tells us 

The prime minister has signalled that his government will not reverse policy by stepping in to subsidise the benefit, despite the Conservatives’ promise in the 2017 manifesto that it would be protected.“The BBC received a settlement that was conditional upon their paying for TV licences for the over-75s. They should cough up,” said Johnson, who is attending .Responsibility for funding free TV licences for the over-75s, which costs an estimated £750m a year, is being handed over to the BBC in June next year, under a deal struck with David Cameron’s government in 2015.Sign up to the Media Briefing: news for the news-makers Theresa May repeatedly urged the BBC to continue funding the benefit but the broadcaster announced in June that most over-75s would have to pay for a licence, with only the poorest protected.Theresa May repeatedly urged the BBC to continue funding the benefit but the broadcaster announced in June that most over-75s would have to pay for a licence, with only the poorest protected.In the 2017 general election manifesto, the Conservatives promised to maintain pensioner benefits, “including free bus passes, eye tests, prescriptions and TV licences, for the duration of this parliament”.The BBC hit back at Johnson, saying: “We’ve reached the fairest decision we can in funding free TV licences for the poorest pensioners, while protecting BBC services.“If the BBC funded all TV licences for the over-75s it would mean the closure of BBC Two, BBC Four, the BBC News Channel, the BBC Scotland channel, Radio 5 Live, and several local radio stations. It is a matter for the government if it wishes to restore funding for free licences for all over-75s.
 It is likely you could add S4C to that list.

The idea TV licences for the over-75s.was a gimmick , to give the impression that they cared about the elderly and faced with paying for it pushed It back to the BBC  and of course the ordinary licence payer .

It is up to us to show where the blame lies,  and its not for the BBC to cough up but those who decided on this policy i:e the UK government to pay for it.

Meanwhile  the humble Melton Mowbray pork pie is at the centre of an unlikely political dispute about British exports.

Boris Johnson had said pork pies are exported to Thailand and Iceland, but cannot be to the US due to red tape.
However the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association said the pies were not even exported to Thailand and Iceland.
Downing Street insisted pies were exported, citing producer Walker & Son - but the company said this was not correct.
Walker & Son told the BBC it had previously exported a "tiny amount" of pork pies to Singapore, but had not done so for "at least two years" and is now "entirely focused on the UK market".
When asked if the company had ever exported to any other countries, the spokeswoman said she was unsure.
Whilst the over  75 TV license  is a  appalling example of the government  creating a financial burden on the BBC , it may be that the government telling  almost literal porkies may a actual gift to the opposition.

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