LBC: a fundamentally right wing radio station

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I've just had an interesting exchnage with Julia Hartley-Brewer on LBC radio in London.

I listened whilst she sang the praises of tomorrow's right wing march in London in favour of cuts in government spending. She let the organiser say it was not party political as it was supported by the Taxpayers' Alliance. She agreed with that person that it was terrible that the government had supported people in the north of the country during the recession and what a waste of money that was. And she agreed that cutting the debt - which she said was £5 trillion (when according to the ONS it's £1.1 trillion) - was a moral issue. Finally she stated Labour spent £4 for very £3 it taxed as a fact.

So I began by challenging these numbers quoting this data from the ONS:

As that shows, debt was about 22% of what she said, whilst spending only rose when the banks crashed the economy: in 2007 the deficit was under 3% of GDP, the agreed cautious limit permitted  by the EU. And that was used very largely to pay for investment - a completely reasonable cause.

But she literally shouted at me that I was wrong.

And had my line cut off when I said if she had invited me on I should be allowed to speak.

When I pointed out that if cuts of the scale proposed by those supporting tomorrow's march took place then we'd be eliminating large tranches of the health, education, police, force. judicial and defence services she said I was being completely stupid. Except, it's a fact.

And then - I suspect because she was ordered to do so - she let me point out that the only solution to our crisis was a Keynesian one. We must spend now.

But for the second time in a week I have come across a fundamentalist DJ.

The right wing control of our media is very worrying.

But there again, I won't be going back on LBC again - at my own request, made immediately after the interview.


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