Friday 9th October 2015
BCfm’s weekly Politics Show presented by Tony Gosling
At five – discussing the big stories in Bristol, Britain and around the world
After six – straight talking and investigative reports with Martin Summers
Listen live http://www.bcfmradio.com/player
Apologies – sporadic problems with the BCfm website ‘listen again’ facility – shows failing to appear since before Christmas 2014. BCfm audio files usually available 12 hours after TX. Any probs mp3s should be on alternative links below by about 9 pm on tx date.
First hour: [sorry the first hour seems to have ‘disappeared’ – see apology above] News review: with Conservative councillor Chris Windows and freelance journalist Sam Downie: Chris’s comments around accusations he was homophobic at the time when he was nominated to be Lord Mayor; NHS in surprise £2bn deficit, announcement delayed until after this week’s Tory party conference – jobs, services cut, waiting times, junior doctors pay and strikes; Health Secretary retreats on junior doctor pay cuts; new Great Western train times ‘slower than the 1970s’ claims RMT union – delays, new Hitachi trains, unions, disabled passengers and less staff, technology taking over from people; Tory Party Conference – clip of ‘rock star’ intro to Cameron’s speech – steel wall surrounding conference, sabotage at MP Charlotte Leslie’s house, postal vote fraud and democracy; Cameron’s speech – drone strikes – Corbyn supporting terrorism and a threat to national security – Syrians coming to Britain, Corbyn – more joining Labour Party; clip Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech – Labour and the economy – members of the public being tortured by Iain Duncan Smith’s DWP through withdrawal of benefits leaving them destitute; clip of Germaine Greer on Question Time discussing cancelling of debt – banks in state control, RBS shares sold off; clip of John Pienaar on BBC Radio 5 Live discussing Cameron’s speech with Boris Johnson immediately after Cameron speech, stage management signifying Cameron’s Bullingdon Club chum Boris Johnson will be the next Prime Minister – media bias and spin.
Radio4All download pages
BCfm audio file
Radio4All audio file [first hour has ‘reappeared’ – see apology above]
[backup audio file here]
Second hour: investigative reports: refugee crisis special: Interview with Tim Tate, author and documentary film maker – he discusses this week’s child sex abuse episode of Panorama ‘The Truth’. Evidence Tory Home Secretary Leon Brittan possessed child pornography but was ‘let off’ and he was never going to stand trial for it. How Mark Watts’ Exaro News agency in London began with a £5m loan which they are now about half way through. Why was so much evidence of a VIPaedophile ring missing from this ‘What’s The Truth’ Panorama? The media are having to investigate crimes that should be properly investigated by the police. London’s LBC radio reports paedophile investigation was shut down the night before mass arrests were due to be made. From Africa to Bristol: migrants, refugees and organised crime: Discussion with Alex Perry, journalist and author of ‘The Rift, A New Africa Breaks Free‘, and Katie Hope from Bristol Refugee Rights about the refugee crisis and immigration in general: Africa’s economic migrants, why they come, and why more are coming now; people coming from refugee camps; criteria for being a refugee; general economic migrants; Russians bombing ISIS; migration good for economy; clip from speech by Theresa May – getting migration down; people smuggling and organised crime making loads of money – Italian mafia; Kevin Boylan (report below) discusses what he heard from refugees when he was on holiday in Lesbos and since in news reports about English and German speaking commandos boarding refugee boats with M16 assault rifles and trying to stop the progression of refugees to Greece – shadowy EU military-like border agency called Frontex; Mafia kingpin Ermias Ghermay Mastermind: The evil genius behind the migrant crisis, making a fortune; The millionaire people smugglers who laughed when they heard hundreds had died: Police hunt cruel traffickers making a fortune from deadly Mediterranean crossings in Libya. Banning things in demand such as travel to Europe is an opportunity for organised criminals like Ermias Ghermay; EU law; is there a solution?
Radio4All download pages
BCfm audio file
Radio4All audio file
Kevin Boylan’s report on the ‘German Commandos’
Article by Sputnik News from August 2015, reports increasing interceptions of migrants by clandestine ‘pirates’ in the northern Aegean:
Article on Yahoo News from July 2015 addressing the commandos more directly, indicating that they might be special forces (also talks about such instances being on the rise)
This was followed up with pieces appearing in the mainstream press (Sept 2015) after the summer refugee crisis about plans to reinforce Europe’s borders with far reaching security elements – for example:
Another possibly related link is by IPI Global Observatory from March 2013, which talks about FRONTEX’s ever-increasing powers, making the force essentially ‘an independent actor with legal autonomy’ from the humanitarian law restrictions placed on the EU. Also discussed are its military wing, known as RABITs or ‘rapid border intervention teams’.
Investigative Journalist
NOT The BCfm Politics Show 
Hope Martin Summers is ok and hope he’ll be back soon. Nothing against you Tony but you and Martin are like 60’s British pop/folk duo Chad and Jeremy. One without the other its just not as good. When you or martin are not together the show is just not the same. You two are the best politics and features radio show duo I know of recently and currently.
The recent refugee crisis in Europe is those running from mayhem in Syria and Iraq via land travel to eastern europe and then too Germany or further. For the past ten or fifteen years it is sub saharan Africans who have tried to cross the Mediterranean, and many have drowned in over loaded dodgy boats&ships owned by people smugglers and pay exorbitant money to make the crossing. They usually try to get to Italy, Malta, Greece. Those coming from the African countries on the Atlantic try to make it to Spain and Portugal.
Your guest is wrong about Africans becoming richer. The African elite are getting richer. One significant reason Africans are risking there life is because of Land Grabs. This is first world countries making deals with tribal leaders and governments who have pushed off self sustaining small farmer off the land. It is another hideous type of speculation by the western and Chinese. Most of this land is fallow and is not being worked for agriculture. Some of it is used for mega corporate gm food made of Monsanto killer seeds.
thanks
Yes, hopefully Martin will be back next week 😉
really depressed that Dialect is being dropped. I guess i shouldn’t criticize because I am an American albeit disabled. At BCFM the Politics Show, Back Chat and Dialect are the few programs that discuss serious issues but also educational, and arts and entertainment talk features about Bristol and the world. The rest of the schedule seems to all musical programs. For a progressive community radio station it seems like a waste because the air waves and the internet radio have so many music radio stations and free streaming and even a significant amount of free downloads. btw, I just looked at loads of pictures of Banksy’s Dismal Land near Bristol and they are great. i’ll have to look to see if any videos of it are online. The night photos look nice, real happy carnival atmosphere. its hard to be dismal all the time. I hope they don’t get the idea to light it up with greenish mercury vapor lamps. Is it true that Damien Hirst, the avant garde artist for the rich and famous has a work there. that is so unlike Banksy. a lot of his time was spent of free street and grafitti art. I heard once he would leave some of his work on cardboard or canvas here and there around the city for people to pick up for free. And now they are worth lots a money. He sounds like a cool fellow and very generous.