Hague in Somalia

[cherenkov]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095266/William-Hague-British-foreign-secretary-visit-failed-state-Somalia-20-years.html

Imagine if you will the coverage the BBC News would have lavished on David Miliband, UK Foreign Secretary in the previous Labour government if he had had the balls to do what Hague has done, and been the first UK Foreign Secretary for twenty years to visit that blighted and highly dangerous country.

Twice on the Today programme this week I heard the NUJ's permitted coverage which in it's entirety was,

1) 'William Hague is in Somalia'.
2) 'William Hague has been in Somalia this week'.

That's all I have heard, including major bulletins on BBC News 24 and BBC1 and 2. Of course I don't listen to it all but I think the NUJ basically didn't want Hague to get any credit for his bravery and tireless hard work for this country, while at the same time they wanted to give blanket coverage to their hounding of the Energy Secretary into ignominious resignation before his trial for trying to get out of a driving ban for speeding.

I wonder if he had been a Labour Energy Secretary someone at the BBC would have done some research to find out how many of his fellow UK citizens try the same tactic every year, and indeed are advised by their legal advisers to do so- thousands I suspect!

[Teddy Bear]

I just listened to the report given on the Today programme, and as you say it just skims over the fact that Hague is there, preferring instead to concentrate on the UN envoy just posted there to tell us what a difficult job it is.

n fact there's only one article at the BBC about Hague's trip, that actually has this information in the headline, although it doesn't feature in their main Africa webpage, so unless, like me, one is searching for it, it won't be seen.

Whereas, as you note Cher, far more coverage is given to the resignation of Huhne, which appears on the main BBC home page, which informs us that Chris Huhne's exit 'a loss to cabinet and Lib Dems'

It's my impression that they are diminishing the impact of the moral reality surrounding this perverter of justice, as evidenced by the headline itself.

It even gets the opinion of another lib-dem to tell us
"He played a big role balancing the coalition. It'll be a real loss," said Jenny Willott MP.

Mr Huhne is regarded as one of the most outspoken Lib Dems who was not afraid to challenge the Conservatives but Ms Willott said that under the circumstances, he had made the right choice.

Ms Willott told BBC News: "He's been described as robust and was never shy of putting his views forward.

"He took the right decision, it would have been hard to carry on while fighting a court case."

Hard to carry on while fighting a court case? Presumably the police have evidence to warrant pursuing this. I'd say it would be hard to carry on when found to be a petty criminal, and I would have thought, if the BBC wanted to demonize him, they would have many personalities to choose from to voice this opinion.

Besides anything else, Huhne supported their green agenda, and I think this is why they are diminishing the real impact of his crime. This article itself devotes quite a bit of space, over a third, to his green credentials.

Mr Huhne was generally well regarded within the environmental movement for fighting the cause despite facing opposition from a number of places.

"Most greens think he has done well," environmental campaigner and Labour peer Lady Worthington told the Guardian.

"He has held his own in battles against the Treasury, secured funding for renewable heat and the green investment bank, and he has been very approachable, which is a good thing in a cabinet minister."

Friends of the Earth's executive director Andy Atkins paid tribute to Mr Huhne's contribution, but told the BBC his departure could in fact be an opportunity to promote the green agenda.

"Chris Huhne was a very tough fighter for the green economy - it was obvious he was the one standing up to George Osborne, who was increasingly sounding like the environment was to blame for the economic ills of the country," he said.

"We lose a bold fighter for the green economy, but I think with Ed Davey we have a chance for progress.

"He's much more of a bridge builder and whereas Chris has obviously raised a lot of hackles, I think Ed may go about it in a more diplomatic way with people in the coalition.

"It gives David Cameron a chance to tell George Osborne to make peace with the Lib Dems over the green economy, so I don't necessarily believe his exit will make things slower on the green economy."