Yesterday in a series of tweets I wrote:
My twitter presence is much bigger than it was a year ago (thank you everyone) and inevitable this means I face more online 'critique' than previously.Today the focus has been my 'politicising' of
#RemembranceSunday
I have just a few things to say:
As the granddaughter and daughter of army and navy veterans I know personally about the costs of war & would suggest that my views are as valid as anyone's.As a sociologist, and a critical thinker, I argue that ALL life is political and what more than war & peace, war related death (suicide included) and justice for veterans & their families.
As a @UKLabour member I applaud our party's plans for service personal & veterans, especially with SO many veterans experiencing homelessness and/or PTSD (issues cruelly ignored by the current government).
As a media observer I note once more the implied criticism by some of the MSM (BBC R4 included) at the depth of Corbyn's bow whilst a dishevelled looking Johnson lays his wreath upside down. [NB Johnson also spent the two minute silence looking around and made another gaffe by stepping forward too soon when it was his time to lay his wreath].
As an experienced twitter user I see again and again that those criticising myself and others for politicisation are the very people who constantly, unrelentingly criticise Corbyn for the size of his poppy, the depth of his bow etc. and so on. Corbyn the man who drinks tea with veterans (before attending a service in his own constituency) rather than attend a dignitaries lunch.With all this in mind I humbly suggest that in always working for peaceful solutions and looking for ways to support veterans whilst genuinely honouring all those who have served our Corbyn-led
@UKLabour social movement should be applauded and celebrated not vilified and mocked by anyone who truly cares for those we have lost and those that return from war.
There I’ve made another POLITICAL statement and I’m proud to stand by it. #Solidarity
LABOUR's PROMISE TO VETERANS:
Free education and retraining through the National Education Service
More apprenticeships
Better medical care and treatment for PTSD and other mental health issues
Homes reserved for veterans with a history of rough sleeping
Today like many others I was shocked, if sadly not surprised, when BBC Breakfast showed footage, not of yesterday’s ceremony but of the ceremony in 2016.
I have written not one but two complaints to the BBC. The second one following their 'apology'. Thus:
The ‘apology’:
@BBCBreakfast
This morning on the programme we incorrectly used footage from a Remembrance Day service that was not filmed yesterday. This was a production mistake and we apologise for the error.
My complaint:
Earlier today I send a complaint re BBC Breakfast use of footage from Remembrance Sunday 2016 instead of 2019. I have just read your apology on twitter. I cannot accept that this was a ‘production mistake’ not least because it is clear in the 2016 footage that Theresa May and not Boris Johnson was the Prime Minister. Additionally, it surely take some ‘skill’ to mix up footage from yesterday with footage from three years ago. I, and I know many others, can only conclude that your intention was to present the PM as more statesman like, more respectful, than yesterday’s performance showed him to be.
You might find the following from Louise Cooke interesting also:
@CookeLouise
I used to work for @BBC news. The previous day’s footage is right there in front of you. Footage from 3 years ago needs to be specially ordered from the Library. What sort of ‘error’ is that? #WreathGate If they’re lying like that, this needs investigation. #bbcbias
I’ll leave it there …..
