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July 23rd, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda - BBC presenter Garry Richardson infuriates unions with ‘goading’ of Culture Secretary
- He asked Jeremy Hunt if union workers were a ‘disgrace’
- Unions say Richardson was ‘totally unacceptable’, but BBC say it was merely ‘robust questioning’
By
Jack Doyle
17:48 EST, 22 July 2012
|
18:14 EST, 22 July 2012
A BBC sports presenter has infuriated union leaders by asking whether striking border staff threatening the Olympics should be sacked.
Garry Richardson also asked if the union members were ‘a disgrace’ during an interview with Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday.
Mr Hunt then dramatically escalated the row by admitting that Cabinet ministers have discussed the possibility of firing the 5,000 staff who are expected to go on strike.
Heathrow: The airport celebrates the Olympics with the iconic rings but could be the source of chaos amid calls for strikes
Robust: BBC man Garry Richardson was seen to be ‘goading’ Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt into calling union workers a ‘disgrace’
His words stoked a growing Coalition row between Tories, who want legislation to curb strikes, and Liberal Democrats, who see no case for a change in the law.
The Public and Commercial Services Union immediately called on Mr Richardson to apologise.
It compared the BBC to Right-wing US news station Fox News and said it had made an official complaint.
British broadcasters are required by law to comply with impartiality rules.
But critics of the union said that Richardson had been following a ‘perfectly legitimate line of questioning’ and simply representing the views of the public.
The interview was conducted on the Sportsweek programme on Radio 5 Live.
Richardson said: ‘It’s great that you have got these contingency plans and you have got these people able to come in and you have trained them up to step in.
‘Why not just let those people go on strike and when they want to come back after they have done all their disruption say, “Sorry, your job’s not there any more”? Sack them.’
Earlier, he said of the workers: ‘They are a disgrace, aren’t they?’
Mr Hunt said he did not want to ‘escalate’ the row but admitted ministers had discussed the idea of sacking immigration staff, whose walkout on Thursday could paralyse Heathrow on the eve of the Games opening ceremony.
He added: ‘Sack them? That is the Ronald Reagan approach and I can tell you that among ministers there have been people asking whether we should be doing that.
‘But I don’t want to escalate things by talking about that right now, because I know among those 600 people there are lots of people who want to do the right thing and turn up for work.’
In 1981 then US president Mr Reagan famously sacked hundreds of air traffic control workers who went on strike.
Mr Hunt said the PCS was ‘totally out of tune with the mood of the country’.
Chancellor George Osborne is said to be ‘furious’ at the behaviour of the strikers and is demanding tough laws to outlaw strikes called on a low turnout such as the 20 per cent who voted in the PCS ballot.
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Only 1,800 of the PCS’s 16,000 members voted for the action.
But the policy is controlled by the Department for Business run by Lib Dem Vince Cable.
Employment relations minister Norman Lamb, another Lib Dem, said at the weekend he was ‘so far unpersuaded’ that unions’ powers needed to be curbed.
On top of the strike, immigration staff and other Home Office workers will work to rule and refuse overtime from July 27 to August 20.
In a letter to the BBC, the PCS wrote: ‘This is totally unacceptable for a BBC journalist, this isn’t Fox News, and [we] would like to know how Five Live proposes to remedy it as a matter of urgency.’
But Jonathan Isaby, political director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Not only was Garry Richardson pursuing a perfectly legitimate line of questioning, but he was asking the question on the lips of many people up and down the country.
‘The PCS is intent on causing chaos on the eve of the Olympics as union members attempt to keep hold of their gold-plated public sector pensions and oppose necessary restraint in public spending.
‘It’s unsurprising that increasing numbers of taxpayers are wondering why there shouldn’t be consequences for a selfish minority causing such disruption, especially when the eyes of the world are focused on us.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘Garry Richardson was seeking to clarify Jeremy Hunt’s views with robust questioning about the Government’s response to the planned industrial action.
‘The questions did not represent a personal point of view but were designed to explore and test the Government’s position.
‘The BBC is committed to reporting impartially on the week’s events.’
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Don’t sack them, prosecute them for treason. – PizzaEata, Surrey, 23/7/2012 7:36 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = It would be far far more effective to sack the inept “government” for treason – and oh joy it is the only hanging offence left.
– Richard, London, 23/7/2012 07:43
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wrong, guess which Govt got rid of it in 2003. And when you look at their record you can see why.
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Well said Jeremy. Striking is a right, right! Well let them. But in so doing do these strikers break the contracts of their employment., will they breaking the contract if they strike.? Accepting money for turning up for work is the contract. Plain and simple.
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Sack Garry Richardson instead. He’s always asking these ‘probing’ (i.e. leading) questions, of the ‘do you feel that the governing body have behaved disgracefully and immorally over this?’ variety, when he should be sticking to actual sport. If he wants to be Jeremy Paxman then he should apply for a job on Newsnight, although I think he’d find that being Paxo requires a bit more subtlety than he can manage.
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Let them strike, then the rest of the world will see how utterly useless our government actually is and Cameron will be “officially” the worst PM this country has ever had.
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The union voting system is all wrong as a non vote should be considered a NO vote for each member. It is usually the militants who bother to vote anyway unless there is a real grievance.
Most of these potential strikers are not in exactly highly skilled jobs and that includes the underground workers also. They can be easily replaced. In fact most of the services people who will be losing their jobs would be ideal candidates.
Unions have their place (I was in the AUEW for 25 years) especially when it comes to conditions and low wages in highly profitable firms but the union involved here are grandstanding due to the high profile of the games.
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YES if i had anything to say id sack them all every last one of them then i would sack the london undergroMy origional comment stands sack them all bring in some new younger blood__________________ The majority of Irish People coming on here make a good sensible contribution to the forum.It amazes me how you ever got on.Still your comments are in line with all typical Tory Union Haters .Enjoy the sunshine now and have a nice day.
– Dave, Ireland, 23/7/2012 7:44
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Best Idea yet. Ronald Reagan did just that with the air traffic controllers who went on strike and there were no problems. There are plenty of people who can fill the slots of the inept ‘Border Force’. The training is not rocket science by the wildest stretch of the imagination.
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The OLYMPICS has been exposed for what it is THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE EASY MONEY From Mr Coe down to the TUBE,BUS,RAIL workers everyone is FILLING THEIR BOOTS.In this immoral and escalating culture of GREED AVARICE created by MPs,Lords Bankers do`nt be surprised that the LOWER CLASS feel entitled to joiin the GRAVY TRAIN
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Why should they sack the strikers??? In a country where politicians do not sack MPs who line their pockets (see what happened last year) moral and ethic rules do not exist. You can not expect correct behaviour from citizens who get an outstanding example of wrong behaviour by the so called “leading” political class.
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It’s ironic in this helter skelter world of ours they were all trying to sack Jeremy Hunt a few weeks ago !
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