The BBC ran a new story that resulted in me receiving a lot of offensive abuse saying that Ed was trying to distance himself from the unions and scrap EMA. I am simply totally disgusted about how irresponsibly the BBC have reported this, and led to losing friendships.

The story is here.

The EMA story

In his BBC interview, Mr Miliband said he had been talking to Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes about the coalition’s scrapping of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for teenagers in England.

This introductory statement is incredibly misleading, such that people wrote to me saying that Ed Miliband was in collusion over scrapping of the EMA. This is completely untrue. Given that some Liberal Democrats like the Labour Party find it abhorrent that such support for students is being taken away, Andy Burnham is tabling an amendment such that its successor in some form can support students financially. I understand that Simon Hughes and Andy Burnham behind the scenes are working very hard to make this happen. Here is the video I took at the Fabian Society New Year Conference on Saturday.

The ASLEF story

From the ASLEF website

This is clearly written on the ASLEF website.

Royal wedding: Tube strike

10 Jan 2011
ASLEF’s General Secretary Keith Norman said today that the question of possible industrial action on the day of the Royal Wedding has not even been discussed by the union’s executive.
The union’s London officer Steve Grant stressed that no ballot had been held and the union and the management were due to resume negotiations about compensation for all Bank Holiday working by London Underground tube drivers.
‘The story is premature to say the least,’ Keith added

The link is here.

Here is a screenshot in case it disappears for some reason.

The report by the BBC and the amount of shit-stirring by David Cameron on this has been obscene.

There have been reports of transport and public sector strikes on 29 April, but unions have played down the idea in recent days.

The reports have come from the right-wing press and the BBC. ASLEF have been trying to deny them vigorously.

London Underground drivers in the Aslef union had been considering walking out on the day of Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton, but the threat has been removed as talks with Transport for London officials take place.

Read the statement above by ASLEF. So that you don’t think ASLEF are a bunch of thugs, I’d like to remind you of a picture of the equivalent of ASLEF members from yesteryear.

The BBC should report the news fairly, not be in the business as usual of sensational scaremongering. The BBC News in fact as usual simply disgusts me in how incompetent it is.

http://www.aslef.org.uk/information/100012/121663/royal_wedding__tube_strike/