Post by Teddy Bear on Oct 7, 2011 23:16:22 GMT
Let's go over this carefully.
In our modern world, MP's need the media to easier and efficiently convey their message or opinion to the public - the votes they need to for their advancement.
It turns out that by way of the licence fee, we have been paying for those MP's whom the BBC deems 'worthy' for inclusion in some of their programmes.
As we see on a daily basis, there are those MP's who most vocalize the view that the BBC wants to propagate, and they get invited most often, now we know they are also getting paid extra for this - and we pay for it.
Any wonder that politicians don't want to get rid of the BBC?
I have long been sickened by the ignorant output of the BBC, so entrenched in their agenda, diminishing any other viewpoint, that they don't see the real damage they are doing. I have long been sickened by the politicians, that instead of following good values and sense and speaking out, pander to the left-wing media - nothing more than puppets.
I am now getting more and more sickened by the stupid individuals within our society that will do nothing but continue to pay for these agents who further erode our society with more and more of this insidious immoral and unethical corruption. I see very little difference between these and the brainwashed Islamists who see death and hate as the meaning of life, and each convinced of the righteousness of their ignorance.
In our modern world, MP's need the media to easier and efficiently convey their message or opinion to the public - the votes they need to for their advancement.
It turns out that by way of the licence fee, we have been paying for those MP's whom the BBC deems 'worthy' for inclusion in some of their programmes.
As we see on a daily basis, there are those MP's who most vocalize the view that the BBC wants to propagate, and they get invited most often, now we know they are also getting paid extra for this - and we pay for it.
Any wonder that politicians don't want to get rid of the BBC?
I have long been sickened by the ignorant output of the BBC, so entrenched in their agenda, diminishing any other viewpoint, that they don't see the real damage they are doing. I have long been sickened by the politicians, that instead of following good values and sense and speaking out, pander to the left-wing media - nothing more than puppets.
I am now getting more and more sickened by the stupid individuals within our society that will do nothing but continue to pay for these agents who further erode our society with more and more of this insidious immoral and unethical corruption. I see very little difference between these and the brainwashed Islamists who see death and hate as the meaning of life, and each convinced of the righteousness of their ignorance.
MPs paid thousands to appear on the BBC: As Corporation cuts back, politicians are given licence fee cash to go on TV and radio
By Paul Revoir and Daniel Martin
MPs are being handed thousands of pounds of licence fee money simply to appear on the BBC.
The cash is being doled out to politicians for guest slots on shows where they do little more than promote themselves or their party.
Exposed for the first time in a week when the Corporation announced swingeing cuts that will leave BBC2 a channel of repeats, the practice allows MPs to receive ‘disturbance payments’ on top of expenses when they take part in programmes such as Any Questions? or Have I Got News For You.
Senior politicians including Diane Abbott, Hilary Benn, Sir Menzies Campbell and Caroline Flint have enjoyed being paid to turn up on panel shows, according to research conducted on the parliamentary register of members’ financial interests.
It proves the BBC has become a money-spinner for the political classes.
One of the most lucrative shows is Have I Got News For You, which can attract a fee of £1,500, but BBC2’s Cash in the Attic – currently under threat of being axed – once paid Miss Abbott £1,000 for an appearance.
Some MPs give the money to charity, one at least donates it to her local party and others simply pocket the cash.
Although the BBC’s stated policy is not to pay frontbench ministers or their Opposition counterparts, the Daily Mail’s research has revealed this has happened.
Last night campaigners said the licence fee should not be used to pay for ‘party political messages’ and that MPs were already on a ‘generous’ salary from taxpayers.
Many of the payments come from Radio 4’s political panel programme Any Questions, which usually pays about £150 for an MP to appear. But this can rise to £200 a show, plus expenses.
The BBC believes it is justified in paying politicians to appear on the panel programme as it takes place on Friday night and takes them away from their constituencies. Non political guests are also paid.
Question Time does not pay guests and neither does the Daily Politics or The Politics Show.
But the register reveals that fees have also been paid for This Week, a Thursday night programme, also on BBC1.
Among the other names paid to appear on Any Questions are Labour MPs David Lammy and Gisella Stuart, Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy and Jo Swinson and Conservative MPs Rory Stewart, John Redwood and Tristram Hunt.
Labour’s Hilary Benn appeared on the show in June last year when he was Shadow Environment Secretary.
He also appeared on the show in October last year but did not hold down a frontbench position at the time.
As well as being paid to go on Any Questions, former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, was also paid to appear on BBC1 religion and ethics show The Big Questions.
Shadow Secretary for Energy and Climate Change Caroline Flint has been paid for appearing on Any Questions and This Week.
This she ploughed back into her local Labour Party coffers, meaning the public are indirectly funding her political activities.
Appearances as pundits on This Week, fronted by Andrew Neil, can net fees ranging from £500 to £800.
Among those who have sat on the show’s sofa, alongside regular commentator Michael Portillo, are Alan Johnson, Hazel Blears and Alistair Darling.
Diane Abbott, who used to appear on This Week, is also shown to have been paid £800 in July by BBC North East Television to simply appear in a feature about the former Labour Party MP for Jarrow Ellen Wilkinson.
She also got paid £1,000 to appear on the celebrity version of daytime TV show Cash in the Attic.
There are also a series of claims from Welsh MPs who get paid to appear on the BBC Welsh language programmes and also the publically funded S4C service.
Guto Bebb, the Conservative MP for Aberconwy, who sits on the commons select committee on members expenses, was paid £165 for an appearance on Welsh programme similar to Question Time called Pawb a’Farn. He also got £20 for being a guest BBC Wales talk-show.
Elfyn Llwyd MP, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, was also paid for two appearances on Pawb a’Farn in 2010 and 2011 receiving £177 and £150.
He also got paid £20 for a 10 minute interview by BBC Wales and another £50 for taking part in S4C current affairs show Y Byd Ar Bedwar for an hours work.
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Most politicians are desperate for the ability to engage with the big audiences that BBC political programmes enjoy, there is no need to pay in order to get someone on and MPs already get a generous salary from taxpayers.
‘The licence fee shouldn’ t be used to pay for party political messages.’
A BBC News spokesman said: ‘In common with other broadcasters the BBC occasionally offers costs and an appropriate disturbance fee to politicians to appear on BBC programmes.’
He added: ‘However in general we do not pay a fee to politicians to appear on BBC programmes to talk about party political matters.’
By Paul Revoir and Daniel Martin
MPs are being handed thousands of pounds of licence fee money simply to appear on the BBC.
The cash is being doled out to politicians for guest slots on shows where they do little more than promote themselves or their party.
Exposed for the first time in a week when the Corporation announced swingeing cuts that will leave BBC2 a channel of repeats, the practice allows MPs to receive ‘disturbance payments’ on top of expenses when they take part in programmes such as Any Questions? or Have I Got News For You.
Senior politicians including Diane Abbott, Hilary Benn, Sir Menzies Campbell and Caroline Flint have enjoyed being paid to turn up on panel shows, according to research conducted on the parliamentary register of members’ financial interests.
It proves the BBC has become a money-spinner for the political classes.
One of the most lucrative shows is Have I Got News For You, which can attract a fee of £1,500, but BBC2’s Cash in the Attic – currently under threat of being axed – once paid Miss Abbott £1,000 for an appearance.
Some MPs give the money to charity, one at least donates it to her local party and others simply pocket the cash.
Although the BBC’s stated policy is not to pay frontbench ministers or their Opposition counterparts, the Daily Mail’s research has revealed this has happened.
Last night campaigners said the licence fee should not be used to pay for ‘party political messages’ and that MPs were already on a ‘generous’ salary from taxpayers.
Many of the payments come from Radio 4’s political panel programme Any Questions, which usually pays about £150 for an MP to appear. But this can rise to £200 a show, plus expenses.
The BBC believes it is justified in paying politicians to appear on the panel programme as it takes place on Friday night and takes them away from their constituencies. Non political guests are also paid.
Question Time does not pay guests and neither does the Daily Politics or The Politics Show.
But the register reveals that fees have also been paid for This Week, a Thursday night programme, also on BBC1.
Among the other names paid to appear on Any Questions are Labour MPs David Lammy and Gisella Stuart, Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy and Jo Swinson and Conservative MPs Rory Stewart, John Redwood and Tristram Hunt.
Labour’s Hilary Benn appeared on the show in June last year when he was Shadow Environment Secretary.
He also appeared on the show in October last year but did not hold down a frontbench position at the time.
As well as being paid to go on Any Questions, former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, was also paid to appear on BBC1 religion and ethics show The Big Questions.
Shadow Secretary for Energy and Climate Change Caroline Flint has been paid for appearing on Any Questions and This Week.
This she ploughed back into her local Labour Party coffers, meaning the public are indirectly funding her political activities.
Appearances as pundits on This Week, fronted by Andrew Neil, can net fees ranging from £500 to £800.
Among those who have sat on the show’s sofa, alongside regular commentator Michael Portillo, are Alan Johnson, Hazel Blears and Alistair Darling.
Diane Abbott, who used to appear on This Week, is also shown to have been paid £800 in July by BBC North East Television to simply appear in a feature about the former Labour Party MP for Jarrow Ellen Wilkinson.
She also got paid £1,000 to appear on the celebrity version of daytime TV show Cash in the Attic.
There are also a series of claims from Welsh MPs who get paid to appear on the BBC Welsh language programmes and also the publically funded S4C service.
Guto Bebb, the Conservative MP for Aberconwy, who sits on the commons select committee on members expenses, was paid £165 for an appearance on Welsh programme similar to Question Time called Pawb a’Farn. He also got £20 for being a guest BBC Wales talk-show.
Elfyn Llwyd MP, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, was also paid for two appearances on Pawb a’Farn in 2010 and 2011 receiving £177 and £150.
He also got paid £20 for a 10 minute interview by BBC Wales and another £50 for taking part in S4C current affairs show Y Byd Ar Bedwar for an hours work.
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Most politicians are desperate for the ability to engage with the big audiences that BBC political programmes enjoy, there is no need to pay in order to get someone on and MPs already get a generous salary from taxpayers.
‘The licence fee shouldn’ t be used to pay for party political messages.’
A BBC News spokesman said: ‘In common with other broadcasters the BBC occasionally offers costs and an appropriate disturbance fee to politicians to appear on BBC programmes.’
He added: ‘However in general we do not pay a fee to politicians to appear on BBC programmes to talk about party political matters.’