Today's show 30/06/11

Lying journalistic scum Johann Hari continues to make the news today (http://blogs.forbes.com/jeffbercovici/2011/06/29/accused-of-plagiarism-johann-hari-responds-with-lies/) and his world seems to be rightfully unravelling as the scale of the lies and deceit that he spread to an eager-for-news public becomes apparent. I have suggested before that you should do an item on journalism and news reporting in 2011, and what - if anything - can be done to restore its credibility. Perhaps it is just such an impossible task that it is not worthy of discussion, eh?

We have to feel sorry for Ed Miliband again today. Poor bloke. The Independent commissioned a Comres poll using pictures of some of the Labour big names and simply asked people to identify them. The results can be seen here: http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00618/Graphic-lab_618861a.jpg. You have to wonder what Ed Miliband has to do to make an impression on the UK public, especially when 23% of those polled thought he was David Miliband. Similarly, the picture of David Miliband was identified as being Ed Miliband by 26% of those that took part. At least nobody managed to get Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper confused. So, perhaps you should be asking today: "Brothers in Government - Is it all just too confusing?".

And in the background the Awkward Miliband Moments web site (http://awkwardedmilibandmoments.tumblr.com/) continues to ridicule Poor Ed. Something should be done, and I can't think of anybody better than your goodself to give Poor Ed the level of credibility and respect that he deserves.

But not today apparently. Instead we have this...

1) STRIKES - As up to 750,000 teachers and civil servants go on strike over their pensions. We talk to a teacher who tells us why "she's worth it" : How about talking to her Head Teacher, or her Board of Governors to see if they think "she's worth it". After all, she is hardly likely to say "No, you're right, I'm a rubbish teacher, so don't give me the money", is she? As for the civil servants (members of PCSU) I sincerely hope that you have their leader Mark Serwotka on your programme today. Perhaps you should ask how he justifies his £112,634 salary (http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/tradeunionrichlist0611.pdf) and how the strikes will affect him. We don't have children, and I'm not aware that I will be using any facilities provided by the civil service today, so this item is of no interest to me. Next...

2) SNAKES - A snake breeder was killed by the snake he loved. Does your partner keep snakes and have you persuaded them to get rid of them? : The answers to your questions, as you can probably guess, are "No" and "No", and I would imagine that 99.9% of your listeners are in the same situation. This is real target audience stuff! Next...

3) BAIL COURT RULING - Following the High Court ruling that the police can't hold suspects on bail for more than four days, the government is considering emergency legislation. But civil liberty groups are saying if the police don't have the evidence, what right have they got to lock people up? : And this discussion will achieve what, exactly? Great and clever minds are hard at work trying to conjure up a solution, but I have this strange feeling that not one of them will say "I know, let's listen to the Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2, he'll tell us what to do". Next...

4) EMAIL - Finally, the future mother-in-law who sent the future daughter-in- law an email on how to behave in her house. Find out more in this Sun article : Oooohhh... second day running for a story from The Sun. Is this news? I feel that a new blog label is needed. Is The Sun the new Daily Mail, I wonder? My final question yesterday was : Can your programme get any worse than this? Predictably, it just did.

The Jeremy Vine Show - getting worse, every day

Today's show 29/06/11

Oooohhh... I'm late today, as I was busy dealing with a valued customer. So, let's get on with it...

Following The Guardian's revelations about BBC expenses at Wimbledon, your favourite news rag has also found a story concerning BBC expenses: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1394675/BBC-spends-6-400-day-luxury-travel-despite-pledging-expenses-cut.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Again, allow me to quote:
BBC spends £6,400 a day on luxury travel despite pledging expenses cut
The BBC bill for first and business class travel soared by 60 per cent in the last financial year despite the corporation's pledges to cut expenses.
Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'The management at the BBC seem to be completely out of touch.
'While everyone else is cutting back they are still expecting first class treatment at licence fee payers' expense.
'It is also very disappointing that they are still resisting proper transparency.
'Taxpayers should be able to see how their money is spent.'

Good to see that Mr Sinclair refers to us, the Licence Fee payers, as "taxpayers" - a view with which I concur.

Also, did you hear about so-called journalist Johann Hari? He, like many of his brethern, decided that if he didn't like what somebody said in an interview then he would substitute different words. Details are here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/johann-hari-denies-he-plagiarized-during-interviewsbyhari/2011/06/28/AGGk0ApH_blog.html.

You see, I keep saying that journalists make this stuff up. Scum, the lot of them.

Right, moving on to today's irrelevancies then...

1) HIGH STREET - Nearly ten thousand jobs are likely to go on the high street and up to fourteen percent of shops are now empty. But given we have out-of-town shopping and the internet, should we stop feeling sentimental about the high street? In the 21st Century, is it time to let the high street go? Jeremy talks to Jeremy Baker; Affiliate Professor at ESCP Europe Business School and Chris Wade; Chief Executive of Action for Market Towns. Find out more in this Guardian article : This may be true of where you live, but it certainly is not the case around here. We try not go to our nearest town between 10am and 4pm during the summer months as it is heaving, and use other outlets instead. We don't have any out-of-town shopping anywhere near here, and even the nearest DIY and electrical retailer "sheds" are in a town, albeit 25 miles away. Next...

2) CRAIG THOMSON - Scottish footballer Craig Thomson has been suspended from Hearts Football Club, after being placed on the sex offenders register for sending indecent images to underage girls. Some say he should never play again. However, Marlon King was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman and punching her in the face and went to jail, but he's now back playing football for Birmingham City. Jeremy talks to Josie Appleton; Manifesto Club and Anne Houston; Chief executive of the Children1st charity : Who? Oh, he's a sports person. I have no idea why you are singling out footballers today, and this really is of no interest to me. Next...

3) CHRISTINE LAGARDE - Former French finance minister Christine Lagarde has been appointed new head of the IMF. She once suggested that if women had been running the economy and the banks, we'd have never had the financial crash. We imagine a world in which the crash never happened, because women were in charge : "We imagine a world" ... you make it sound as though you are doing something different. Every day you imagine a world in which you think people are actually worried about handbags, polytunnels, fried chicken shops, sharing toothbrushes, church organists, wart treatment by shotgun and exploding glass tables. Things are actually very different for those of us who live in The Real World. Is the news menu on offer today really so bad that we have to start imagining "what would happen if...?". Next...

4) DISABLED TOILETS - And finally, should able-bodied people be allowed to use disabled toilets? Jeremy talks to actress and disability rights campaigner Julie Fernandez. Find out more in this Sun article : And the Jeremy Vine Show finally reaches rock bottom with a story culled from that doyen of The Dead Tree Press - The Sun. And it is a story about somebody called Wayne Rooney, who I think might be another footballer. Seriously, am I meant to care? Can your programme get any worse than this? Sadly, the answer to that question is probably "Yes".

The Jeremy Vine Show - talking toilets, as usual.

Today's show 28/06/11

You will, of course, recall the in-depth coverage that you gave to the MPs expenses scandal. I feel sure that you would be interested in another similar story, so how about this one from The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jun/27/bbc-expenses-david-cameron
Wimbledon 2011: Sweet deal on expenses for BBC staff
£19 a day adds up to a lot of cupcakes

Allow me to quote:
"The man from Auntie was standing in front of a Guardian reporter when he paid for almost £20 worth of cupcakes . When asked if this was his usual calorific intake, the BBC employee responded that he was taking them home to his wife and it was all going through on expenses."
"But multiplying estimated staff figures by the £19 daily allowance suggests the BBC has prepaid about £30,000 into the Wimbledon restaurant, and that is equivalent to the licence fees for more than 200 households."

Now, and just like the MPs, I am sure that most of your listeners will not have any issue with hard-working BBC staff claiming expenses for legitimate expenditure incurred during their working day. However, and just like the MPs, this should not allow them to spend BBC money ... no, that should be OUR MONEY ... just because they can. I feel sure that you will want to investigate this further and include it in one of your programmes later this week. I'd listen to that.

Oh, but you don't talk about the BBC when it has done something wrong, do you. You only talk about it when hailing its success or in shameless self-promotion. Remember Primark and Panorama? I do.

Today then I will be missing these stories:

1) CAR INSURANCE RACKETS - Have you been targeted by a car insurance racket? Did somebody text you to claim compo on a crash that never even happened? Find out more in this Daily Mail article : No doubt that this is a deplorable practice but my answers to your questions are No, and No. Is it really possible to be "bombarded" with emails as the good old Daily Mail suggest, bless them? Marking the first one as spam usually stops any others arriving. I learnt a long time ago never to give out my mobile phone number or my email address to anybody that I didn't want to know it. Forcing an unscrupulous insurance company to send a printed letter (which costs them money) is a good way of preventing this kind of thing. Next...

2) POLICE DOGS - A police dog handler leaves his two dogs in a car and they both died. He did the same thing six years ago and is completely devastated again : Hmmm... nowhere on the BBC news page that you link to does it mention anything about the officer concerned. However, the Daily Mail give far more details here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008691/Sergeant-Ian-Craven-suicide-bid-police-dogs-die-heat-car.html. I hope he is prosecuted and sacked, but he'll probably just be demoted to join the ranks of the other police numbskulls who do nothing more than hassle innocent photographers going about their lawful business (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAUan2DXBsk), or he'll be given another dog. Next...

3) GREECE DEMONSTRATIONS - Greece teeters on the brink, as hundreds of thousands demonstrate against austerity measures. We talk to a Labour MP who says they should leave the Euro now : I look forward to tomorrow's headlines: GREECE TO LEAVE THE EURO FOLLOWING SUGGESTION BY LABOUR MP and WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THAT? - ASKS GREEK PARLIAMENT. It's not going to happen, is it? Gisela Stuart MP is entitled to her opinion, and I am entitled not to listen. After all, neither she or you will change anything. Next...

4) CRYING BABIES - Lastly, a man who complained about a baby crying in a restaurant is hit over the head with a wine bottle by the father of the baby. Were you driven to distraction by a baby crying in a restaurant, or is it time we made our restaurants more family friendly, like they are in Italy? Find out more in this Daily Mail article : Today's show would be nothing without the Daily Mail. You do know Jeremy that if I wanted to know what was in it I could buy a copy (not that that is ever going to happen) or look on their web site. I don't need you or anybody else to read it to me. And I certainly do not need to be told what my tolerance of crying babies should be, thank you.

The Jeremy Vine Show - brought to you in association with the Daily Mail.

Today's show 27/06/11

I have no doubt that one of today's topics will be the collapse of Levi Bellfield's court case on Friday following the media coverage, and described by the judge as "deplorable". This was, of course, the first item on your show on Friday. How can the media defend their actions, bearing in mind the huge financial cost of a trial of this kind which has all now gone to waste? So let's just check that it is there....

1) TEACHERS STRIKE - Teachers are set to strike on Thursday. The government has called for parents to come into schools to fill the gap. Will that work? Jeremy talks to Jackie Schneider; Teacher, NUT member and parent and Rachel Agnew; Broadcaster and single mother : I'm not in education, and we have no children so this is an issue that does not affect me at all. I see (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13791255) that the National Union of Journalists scum are going on unofficial strike (well, I'm guessing that is what "not officially striking" means) on the 30th, and which goes to prove that some strikes have their merits. even if not those intended. Let's hope their employers sack them all, and the BBC cuts the jobs it wants to. Next...

2) COMMUNAL BINS - Has your street now got a large communal bin and is it rubbish? Jeremy talks to Janet Bell, who had a shared bin moved from outside of her house and Doretta Cocks; Founder of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collections and Jeff Gazzard; Environmental Campaigner. Find out more in this Telegraph article : The Telegraph article you link to dates from 9th January 2009 ... 2 and a half years ago. Is something that old still able to be classified as news? Anyway, our personal bin was emptied at about 7am this morning, so apparently we don't have a communal bin and the answer to your question has to be "No". Next...

3) SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE - Special programme: Could Scotland break away from the UK? What will a new Scotland look like? Will they keep the Queen and the pound? Would the rest of the UK be better off with out Scotland, if they go it alone? Find out more in this Herald Scotland article : I'm not sure why there is a comma in the last question. The Herald Scotland article requires me to register to read it and, frankly, I can't be bothered. I've not been to Scotland for years, and I've no plans to go there. But good for you for talking about somewhere other than England. Next...

4) ALEX SALMOND MSP - And finally, we talk to Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond. Find out more on The Scottish Parliament Website : As I live in Wales, I hope you understand that this is of little interest to me.

So, no Levi Bellfield court case discussion then? Quelle surprise.

The Jeremy Vine Show - scraping the news barrell every Monday.

Complaint response 22/06/11

It is responses like this that make we wonder whether the BBC Complaints department actually read the messages that they receive. I specifically asked why JV's normal format was not included in the "on-air celebration of everything the UK's favourite radio station has to offer, all rolled into one day", but that was conveniently ignored. Check out the incorrect spelling of favourite too....


Reference CAS-833270-415PK8

Thanks for contacting us regarding 'Jeremy Vine and Dermot O'Leary (2Day)' broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 22 June.

I understand that you were unhappy with the changes to the schedules on BBC Radio 2 on the 22 June to accommodate the '2Day' celebrations. I note that in particular you were unhappy with 'Jeremy Vine' being dropped from the schedules for that day.

Whilst I appreciate your disappointment, as you have said '2Day' was an on-air celebration of everything the UK's favorite radio station has to offer, all rolled into one day. Unfortunately, this meant that the normal schedules were changed for one day, but we feel that this opened up our programming to new listeners.

Nevertheless, we’re guided by the feedback we receive and I can assure you I've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's made available to all BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.

Thanks for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

Mxxx Rxxxxxx
BBC Complaints
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

Today's show 24/06/11

So we return to whatever equates to "normality" today, and you're back in that there London again. For two days the Jeremy Vine Show has failed to provide any current stories to its allegedy news-hungry listeners, yet we seem to have survived unscathed. Thank goodness.

So, there must be some really hard-hitting news stories arising from the last two days, so let's take a look at what they may be...

1) LEVI BELLFIELD - Levi Bellfield is found guilty of murdering schoolgirl Milly Dowler but the case raises questions about how her family were treated in court : No doubt that this is a news story, and it is absolutely tragic in all respects, but it is not the kind of thing I want to listen to at lunchtime. Next...

2) NUCLEAR POWER - Would you like a nuclear power station to be built next to you - a boost for jobs and a way of solving energy shortages? Find out more in this Daily Mail article: Yesterday's news, and what would we do without the Daily Mail, eh? You are, of course, treating this topic in a frivolous way as nuclear power stations cannot just be built anywhere. Take a look at this BBC map http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456932/img/1199875220.gif. Do you notice something? They are all built within easy reach of the coast as a nuclear power station needs massive amounts of water to operate. So, this question cannot possibly have any relevance to anybody who lives inland. For your information, "Bradwell, Essex" is, of course, the one on the coast near Southminster, and not the inland one near Braintree. As I wrote on 14th March, I live within 10 miles of the decommissioned Trawsfynydd Nuclear Power Station and within 50 miles of the still-functioning Wylfa Nuclear Power Station. Trawsfynydd was unusual in that it was built in-land, although on the shore of a huge lake to provide its water requirement. As for Wylfa, well it looks like the decision has already been made for me. Next...

3) DUNCAN BANNATYNE - After 1, we're joined by entrepreneur and Dragons' Den star Duncan Bannatyne who tells listeners what he thinks of their ideas for a business to power Britain's economy back to a full recovery : Not news at all, but he seems like a nice enough bloke. Is there a new series of Dragon's Den in the offing, or has he got a book out? Next...

4) TOOTHBRUSH - And do you share a toothbrush with your partner? Find out more in this Mirror article : Non-news twaddle, and from the Mirror too. Need I say more? The answer to your question is, of course: No.


UPDATE:

I was right: Bannatyne has got a book out! How predictable.

Interesting to see that blatant advertising is now more important than The News.


UPDATE 2:

I've just heard about this on 6 Music news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13903710

The story concerns the trial of Levi Bellfield, as discussed on your programme today. Allow me to quote:

The jury considering a charge of attempted abduction against Milly Dowler's killer Levi Bellfield, has been discharged.
Lawyers for the defence highlighted comments in newspapers attributed to at least two former partners and comments in television interviews.
The judge discharged the jury and closed the case, describing some of the coverage as "deplorable".
He said the "the trigger had been pulled too soon" by the media.
Mr Justice Wilkie said he had referred the case to the Attorney General with a view to taking contempt of court proceedings.
A spokesman for Attorney General's Office said: "Media coverage following the conviction of Levi Bellfield for the murder of Milly Dowler has been referred to the Attorney General.
"He will consider whether there has been possible contempt of court."

 

Well, well, well. Now there's a thing. "The Media" (whoever they may be) possibly in contempt of court and causing a major upset in a serious criminal trial. Let us hope that prosecutions follow.

 

I look forward to you discussing this on Monday, and hearing "The Media's" explanation for their behaviour, including your own of course. I would listen to that.

 

Somehow I feel I am going to be disappointed.

Freedom of Information request for Iceland programme

I have just sent the following to the BBC's Freedom of Information department. Let's see if we, the licence fee payers, got value for money yesterday....

The Jeremy Vine Show was broadcast from Iceland on Thursday 23rd June 2011. I would be grateful if you would supply me with some information concerning this broadcast under your Freedom of Information procedure.

 

My questions are:

 

1) Excluding Mr Vine, how many other BBC staff travellend to Iceland in support of this broadcast?

 

2) What were the travel costs incurred as a result of the visit to Iceland by Mr Vine and his associates?

 

3) What was the additional cost (studio hire, satellite link, etc.) incurred by the BBC in broadcasting a live programme from Iceland as compared to broadcasting from the London studio?

 

4) What was the total subsistence and accomodation cost for Mr Vine and his associates?

 

5) On what date and at what approximate time did the group leave the UK?

 

6) On what date and at what approximate time did they return to the UK?

 

Many thanks.

Today's show 23/06/11

I'm not sure what to say about yesterday's 2DAY extravaganza, other than to say that I had stopped listening by 09:15 and didn't go back to Radio 2 until 8am this morning. I did monitor the comments on Live Chat, and to me they seemed to be about 30% in favour and 70% against, although the in favour vote increased as the day went on. I wonder if this was because more and more listeners had moved away from Radio 2. I have no doubt the person responsible for 2DAY will have done some in-depth research in to listening figures and patterns, and will now be justifying their continued BBC employment to whoever will listen. Those of us that don't work for the BBC will never know for sure whether 2DAY was an unqualified success, an unmitigated disaster, or just a self-indulgent "look at how good we are" exercise.

 

The old saying rings true: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

One unexpected result of 2DAY was a significant rise in my blog readership, and enough to push it over 3900 page views. See the attached graph. The spike on the 17th June coincided with the revelation of the Panorama "fake film" story ... that you didn't discuss.

The other attachment shows the Search Keywords that people have used and found my blog and it includes three references to Panorama. "jeremy vine biased" is an interesting one, what can they be thinking?

 

Anyway, you're in Iceland today, which is nice for you and your team. There is nothing like a company "jolly" from time to time, is there? Especially when we licence fee payers are funding it. So let's look at the value-for-money we will be treated to today in the five (yes, five) chosen topics::

 

1) FINANCE - Jeremy will visit Reykjavik's financial district - the scene of an extraordinary boom and bust - and grill the country's finance minister on when British councils and charities will get their money back from Iceland's failed banks. He'll look at how Iceland's people are coping with the aftermath of the crash. Jeremy talks to journalist Robert Jackson, Steingrímur Sigfússon; Iceland’s Minister for Finance, Sveinn Valfells' from ‘Advice’ group and Lisa Bjork; Mum of three from Kopavogur : On the advice of Martin Lewis (yes, that Martin Lewis) I invested a significant sum with Kaupthing but fortunately took it out before they got in to trouble. I understand that unemployment is a problem there, so I wonder if any of the women have ever thought about getting a job in a strip club? Oh, hang on...

 

2) STRIP CLUB BAN - Iceland is the most feminist country on the planet, according to the World Economic Forum. And it's just banned strip clubs - is that a good idea? Jeremy talks to Katrín Anna Guðmundsdóttir; Equality Definer and Venetia Thompson; Journalist and former city broker : Is it a good idea? I have no idea. I guess it all depends on how good they were. But then I have never been to an Icelandic strip club, or any other strip club for that matter. Next...

3) WHALING - Iceland argues that its commercial whaling is essential to the economy and it's a sustainable way to manage fish stocks. Jeremy talks to Tomas Heidar, Iceland’s Whaling Commissioner and John Gummer; Former Conservative minister and now Lord Deben : I can see no justification for the killing of whales by any country. It sickens me that this still goes on. Iceland, Norway and Japan should hang their heads in shame. Next...

4) VOLCANO - Jeremy checks out the volcanic activity that caused so many problems for air travellers last year. He talks to Professor Pall Einarsson; Professor of Geophysics at the University of Iceland : Has he fixed it then? No? Oh dear. Next...

5) SCOTLAND AND ICELAND - And Jeremy asks if Scotland should be more like Iceland. He talks to Angus MacNeil, Scottish National Party MP for the Western Isles and Anne McGuire; Labour MP for Stirling : Hmmm... Scotland with active volcanoes and geysers, now that would be something to see. However, I'm not sure what the operators of Glasgow and Edinburgh airports would think about it.

 

Sorry, but nothing here of interest to me today, so I won't be listening. And I can't stand Bjork.

 

I wonder if I can obtain details of the costs of your Icelandic trip under a Freedom of Information request...

2DAY's show 22/06/11

Well, this is different. JV on the radio while I'm eating my breakfast, who'd have thought....?

So, here's a question for you, as suggested by valued blog reader Andy:

Why is deliberately stirring up public outrage using stories culled from the Daily Mail not seen as part of "A 12-hour on-air celebration of everything the UK's favourite radio station has to offer"?

I'll come up with my own answer: Because your programme is an embarrassment to Radio 2 that they only have to broadcast because the BBC Trust tell them to, in their mis-guided wisdom.

I'll also have my own celebration, in that I won't be subjected to your ramblings at lunch time today.

So let's see what news stories I can cull from the Mail today:

Ooooh, this looks good, and I bet you would have conveniently ignored this one:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2006540/Chris-Evans-race-row-saying-black-scientist.html

Chris Evans in race row after saying he could not see black scientist

But you don't talk about the BBC, do you?

How about this one then?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2006615/Kate-Middleton-handwritten-Wimbledon-thank-letter--spelling-mistake.html

Grateful Kate and the handwritten Wimbledon thank you letter... with a spelling mistake

After all, none of us have ever made a spelling mistake, have we? Especially whoever writes your daily web page....!

Here's another one to waste 30 minutes that your listeners would never get back:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2006591/Robert-Pattinson-Zac-Efron-When-goings-tough-women-wimps.html

When the going gets tough women go for wimps rather than a rugged macho man

Needless to say, I would have responded with my usual "I'm not a woman" retort.

And finally:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2006161/Roman-gladiator-Diodoruss-gravestone-blames-poor-refereeing-death.html

You cannot be serious! Roman gladiator's gravestone blames poor refereeing for losing a key battle (and his life)

You could have investigated refereeing standards at Roman gladiator matches, expressed your usual outrage or complete indifference, pinpoint the person responsible for the apparent failings, ask what can be done to improve the situation (but not actually change anything, as usual), and express faux sympathy for the poor victim.

Your listeners are being deprived of your usual offering, and for no apparent reason.

Don't worry, I have sent a complaint.

Anyway... I've listened for 12 minutes of your programme, and as I was not involved in the miner's strike in any way I have re-tuned to 6 Music. I'll probably stay there all day. Well done!


UPDATE for my blog readers:


After all that contact with the Daily Mail (even though it was online) I feel as though I need a shower, but it is going to have to wait for a few minutes as there are some brilliant comments on the 2DAY Live Chat, including one from me! Here is my biased selection:

Comment From lizzie 

have chris and ken gone on a booze cruise and left the witterers to bore on - dont need to hear about the miners strike ,I lived through it in a mining village-didnt see any posh BBC people there then

Comment From JackieD 

Had to turn R2 off 3 hours early - Jeramy Vine at this time of day (or any for that matter) - who's bright idea was that?? Hope I remember to switch back for Chris Evans

Comment From lizzie 

not good-prefer to listen to documentaries when i choose to and can listen to them properly -rarely listen to JV and just remembered why! I appreciate that its good to experiment but think you should not mess too much with the usual morning format

Comment From richnpaula 

hmm, maybe the timings of the presenters aren't quite right - the arts shoiw was waaay to early, not sure my brain is ready for vine and we deffo need more music and less chat



Comment From steve 
A certain irony. JV and DO play one of Bruce Springsteen's classic tracks 'Badlands' , then would you believe, talk about the passing of Clarence Clemons - right over his classic saxaphone break.


Comment From I Hate Jeremy Vine 
Is something wrong? Vine isn't rambling on about a story nicked from today's Daily Mail! Will the country survive?


Comment From Stuart P 
I think Jo Wylie mentioned earlier that we will all be discovering something new today. She is right as I will be finding the frequency for another radio station. What a load of self indulgent twaddle. If I want to listen to certain programmes I will tune in to them. 2day seems to be force feeding us with stuff we are not intersted in. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Radio 2 isn't broke so leave it all alone please. Pop Master, tracks of my years etc etc. It works whether Ken or Zoe presents so please put it back on asap. A very dissapointed listener. Still I guess all those presenters/sidekicks who have the day off off on full pay no doubt are enjoying themselves.


Comment From Mikew 
Sorry but I really HATE this mess .I`m off to commercial radio until this hotch potch day is over - I listen from 9.30am until 6pm because that`s my choice , what my own personal listening preferences are . Forcing people I dislike and always avoid ( Dermot, Jamie C , Johnnie Walker, Wogan, etc ) into my day just antagonises me.I`m away !


Comment From Tris 
What a mistake r2day is! I want the usual stuff back! There is a dial on the radio, if I wanted to listen to "other stuff". This is the sort of mistake that made me turn off radio 1!!!!!


Comment From Kevin 
Agree with Rob this is dross..i listen to radio 2 every day...i'm glad i've got meetings later so i wont have to listen to this anymore...roll on tomorrow


Comment From Claire L 
Have just switched off. This 2day thing feels a bit like a big marketing experiment, and I can understand why it’s being done but can’t help wonder whether a day over the weekend would have been better as, like many, I listen while working and so whilst the discussions regarding the documentaries might be interesting, having Dermot and Jeremy wittering on is more irritating than anything. Will tune in again later, but not between 12 and 1. ;o)

Comment From Thomas Byrne 

I have nothing to add to the comments other then 2Day is PANTS! I want my old Radio2 BACK, even if this is for one day! Feel like a bank holiday, which is weird, cos its Wednesday!


Comment From Jo,Mary,Sharon & Gang 
Sorry, but don't like this at all!!!!! In the office we need music in the morning, we enjoy the normal schedule, my collegue has found decent music this morning by going to a commercial station!!! What's the point???

Comment From Will 

This is a brave, but misguided experiment. I enjoy much of the Radio Two content but I don't want to listen to documentaries about Springsteen at 10.00 in the morning (actually, at any time since I am not interested in Springsteen). Listeners should be at the heart of what you do and I suspect you have alienated many of them today with this self congratulatory back slapping. Leave the daytime schedules alone and do this stuff in the evening. Janice Long must be thrilled to be back on prime time radio. I am not thrilled to being subjected to her - or, indeed, much of the content today. It's a mess and ill conceived. I'm switching channels!

Today's show 21/06/11

It was interesting to hear Prime Minister David Cameron give an in-depth and lengthy interview on Radio 2 yesterday afternoon. This must have been a massive opportunity to ask him all sorts of questions, so which show did he appear on? Well, it wasn't the daily programme that features "news, views and live guests", was it? It was Steve Wright's show. On a scale of 1 to 10, how disappointed were you? Or does having Ed Balls and/or Ed Miliband on your programme make up for it?

And as the sound of a barrel being scraped for news stories again echoes around BBC Western House, let's take a good look at what you are dishing up for your listeners' delectation today...

1) PRISON SENTENCES - The government is preparing to abandon plans to allow criminals in England and Wales to have their sentences halved if they plead guilty early : So what are you suggesting, exactly? Is it that the government hasn't got a clue about sentencing rules? Or is it that the government has listened to what has been said, reconsidered the decision and acted accordingly? I'd be willing to bet that this is just another attempt to add to the list of Coalition U-Turns. Is Murray Walker coming back? Next...

2) HOUSE REPOSSESSION 'HOTSPOTS' - As a charity identifies the UK's repossession hotspots, do you remember a day when your home was repossessed? : Do I remember A DAY when my home was repossessed? Ooohhh... good question! Now let me think... No, I cannot remember. You make it sound as though this happens to the same people over and over again. Shouldn't your question be "do you remember THE DAY when your home was repossessed?". Not that many people would forget something as unsettling and upsetting as a repossession, I would guess. Fortunately, it has never happened to me. Next...

3) HIGH SPEED RAIL - Campaigners for a new high-speed rail link say it's a choice between lawns in Buckinghamshire and jobs in Birmingham. Are they right? Find out more in this FT article : The Financial Times web page that you link to can only be accessed if you register on the site, and I can't be bothered to do that. On that basis, I have no idea what you are talking about. Or do I? Next...

4) CHURCH ORGANISTS - And did a church organist ruin your wedding? : We didn't have an organist at our wedding, so the answer to your question is "No". More irrelevance.

Good here, isn't it?

Tomorrow is Radio 2's 2DAY. I am puzzled as to why whoever came up with this idea decided that a Wednesday would be the best day for this. Surely a Tuesday (Two's Day - geddit?) would have been more appropriate. But what would I know? Anyway, I see that you are on from 9am to 10am with Dermot O'Leary doing "Top of the Docs". So, no news tomorrow then? Is the world just stopping for the day? How will we survive?

The whole idea of 2DAY, as I understand it, was to cross-promote Radio 2's programmes to audiences that would not normally hear them. If that is the case, why are you not doing your normal programme between 9am and 10am and subjecting a whole load of other people to this mindless dross? I feel a complaint coming on...!

I also feel a complaint coming on about Thursday's show, if the information I have heard is correct. We'll see what happens.

Complaint lodged on BBC web site:

I notice from the schedule for tomorrow's Radio 2 2DAY that Jeremy Vine and Dermot O'Leary are hosting a show called "Top of the Docs" from 9am to 10am. While I am sure that this programme will be of interest, I am puzzled as to why it is being broadcast on this day at this time.

2DAY is billed as "A 12-hour on-air celebration of everything the UK's favourite radio station has to offer". This concurs with my understanding of 2DAY in that it is meant to bring Radio 2's wide range of programming to audiences who, through their own circumstances, may not normally be able to listen.

My complaint is that the normal format for Jeremy Vine's show has been dropped for 2DAY, so Radio 2's listeners will not be subjected to ..., errr... I mean, will not have the opportunity to listen to Jeremy's unique views on what he mysteriously classifies as "news".

Today's show 20/06/11

You had Ed Balls in the studio last week and I suggested that you should ask him about his court case. If I were a betting man I would bet that you chose not to ask him this question, which would be a shame because the Saturday papers were full of it. The Love of Your Life - The Daily Mail - has it here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2004842/Ed-Balls-ordered-pay-landlord-1k-filthy-constituency-office.html and says in its own inimitable style:
Another fine mess: After helping to wreck the economy, Ed Balls is ordered to pay former landlord £1,000 for filthy constituency office 
The Daily Telegraph has it here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/8583588/Ed-Balls-to-pay-1000-for-constituency-office-bill.html and is rather less sensationalist in its headline:
Ed Balls to pay £1,000 for constituency office bill

You had the man in your studio, under your control. You did take the opportunity to ask him about this, didn't you?

Anyway, here we are again on another non-news Monday, so let's see what you will be talking about today...

1) PENSION AGE FOR WOMEN - Women will have to wait until the age of sixty-six before they can receive the state pension. Some say it's about time there was parity with men, others in their late fifties are angry that they have no time to prepare : In case it has slipped your notice, I am not a woman, so this story does not apply to me. However, it will apply to my wife but she is at work today and so won't hear your programme. She did hear your programme on Friday when you were advocating the wholesale destruction of the UK wildlife food chain, apparently, and I believe she emailed you with her thoughts. She's not a great fan of your programme but I will tell her that you talked about pensions today. I'm sure she'll be thrilled. Or perhaps not. Next...

2) ED MILIBAND - A new book on Ed Miliband suggests he’s had a major falling-out with his brother over the Labour leadership. It’s even worse than we thought… Jeremy talks to Mehdi Hasan; Co-author of 'Ed: The Milibands and the Makings of a Labour Leader'. Find out more in this Independent article : We? Who are "we"? I think you are confusing me with somebody who gives a toss, to be honest. But on non-news Monday it is no surprise at all that you have dragged this story back from the dead, kicking and screaming. It was ONE WEEK AGO today that this story came to light, and I did bring it to your attention, but when the heat was on you chose to calmly ignore it. Some would say that the BBC have a pro-Labour bias. I think they are correct. It is a good job that at least one of us knows what the real news stories are, isn't it? I'm sure that Mr Hasan will be grateful for your free publicity of his tome, not that I'll be buying it. Next...

3) DISABILITY AND MINIMUM WAGE - A Tory MP Philip Davies says it might help disabled people if they could work for less than the minimum wage : Hang on, have I slipped in to a space/time continuum error? This is last week's news too! Mr Davies made his comments on Friday morning. All I can say is that I would love to earn a guaranteed minimum wage but being self-employed in a specialist and fickle industry (and I use that word in its very loosest sense) it just does not happen. In addition, and fortunately, I am not disabled so Mr Davies' views do not relate to me. Next...

4) BRIAN HAW - Brian Haw is dead. The man who set up a protest camp in Parliament Square to denounce the Iraq War for nearly a decade. His placards may have been unsightly but will you miss them? : Just remind me again ... how can I miss something that I have never seen? I think I was last in Parliament Square (my one and only visit, if I remember correctly) in the early 1980s when I passed through on my way to a Sunday morning Record Fair at a nearby hotel.

The Jeremy Vine Show : First for last week's news.

Today's show 17/06/11

Top story for today must surely be the revelation that the BBC fabricated a scene for a 2008 edition of the Panorama programme (presumably introduced by your goodself) about the apparently legitimate activities of clothes retailer Primark (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13794227). An interesting video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUSsG_tDDY0. The BBC will have to publicly apologise to Primark, and rightly so. The perpetrator was Dan McDougall, who was allegedly a journalist working for Panorama. Journalist? Lying scum more like, as are most other journalists. We can only hope that Mr McDougall enjoys spending the rest of his life asking "Do you want fries with that?".

Even the BBC's apology for "a rare lapse in quality" is a lie. I have long held the view that if the available facts don't fit the news story then the BBC will simply make them up, and yesterday's revelation backs up my view yet again. I am currently in a battle with the BBC Complaints Department concerning the film where the effects of volcanic ash on a jet engine are demonstrated by someone referred to as a scientist (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8632572.stm) yet the whole item is just wrong, wrong, wrong from start to finish. Why? Because the truth was not available, so they made it up.

Your favourite daily rag, the Daily Mail, have also covered the story (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2004298/Panorama-documentary-Primark-BBC-apologise-fake-child-labour-footage.html) and lambast the BBC for their poor reporting. As a mark of retaliation I suggest that you boycott stories from the Daily Mail for the next year. That'll show 'em!

On several occasions I have suggested that you discuss the credibility of the BBC's news, but my requests have been ignored. I make that request again today. Otherwise, why should I believe a word you say?

I expect Panorama/Primark to be the first item on your show today, so let's take a look at the lies to be peddled today...

1) GREECE CRISIS - Conservative MPs say that we should let Greece default on its debt rather than commit ourselves to another bailout : Delayed from yesterday, after the man with a wart took precedence. That says it all really, and shows how important this story is to you. I will take your recommendation then and not listen. After all, how can I trust you to tell me the truth? Next...

2) ALCOHOL - Are you teetotal because of what drinking did to your parents? : I am teetotal, and the answer to your question is "Yes". At the age of about 6 or 7 I remember my father dropping a wine bottle one day. It smashed on the floor and while picking up the pieces he managed to stand on one and cut his foot quite badly. I've not touched alcohol since. Next...

3) SUMMER PESTS - After 1, we discuss summer pests with our resident expert : Blimey... where to start? I'm not entirely sure why your web page links to another page about cabbage white butterflies. Although we see them in our garden, they are not in sufficient numbers to be classed as a pest. The main summer pests around here are tourists with caravans, so can your resident expert deal with them? Other wildlife pests are a small price to pay for living in one of the most beautiful areas of the UK. You said on Ken's show that this resident expert is a chap called Mark Holtman. A quick Google shows that he works for a company called Portland Pest Control based in Watford (http://www.wecando.biz/profile.php?bid=2211 and third paragraph http://www.pestcontrolnews.com/2010/july/issue_2.php). So, he is not a "resident expert" then, is he? More lies! Next...

4) TERRY WALTON - And we catch up with Terry Walton on the Jeremy Vine Show allotment : Aaaahhh.... the return of sound effects man. How do I know that his gardening information is the truth? How do I know he is on an allotment? How can you prove that he is even in Wales? I can't see him from here.

No BBC story then? No examination or explanation of what went wrong? No attempt to reassure your listeners that BBC News is to be trusted? Nothing to address the Bollocks to Truth ratio that is now very firmly in the former's favour?

 

The Jeremy Vine Show : First for completely ignoring the Elephant In The Room ... and not criticising the BBC no matter what they do or how bad it gets.

Today's show 16/06/11

10:40 and your web page is giving us a tantalising preview of what you are going to discuss today: Jeremy discusses government economic policy and tax cuts, Greece on the brink of collapse, inappropriate text messages and a man who shot his own finger off to remove a wart.

So, where is Ed Miliband?

While you droning on about streaming in schools yesterday I was watching Prime Minister's Questions. This was made all the more entertaining by Mr Miliband's attack on Mr Cameron concerning payments to cancer sufferers. Some would say that Miliband had a point, while others would say that it was a cheap "card" to play to gain attention. While Cameron's performance was not one of his best, the use of all six PMQs allocated to Miliband did nothing more than labour the point excessively according to some. I thought he was going to burst a blood vessel. What was puzzling though was Miliband's frequent references to Macmillan Cancer Research specifically, followed immediately after PMQs by the appearance of Mike Hobday from Macmillan on SkyTV within minutes. That'll be the Mike Hobday who used to work for the Labour Party and stood as a Labour candidate in the last election. It makes me wonder if Macmillan are happy with this blatant politicising of the fantastic work that they do, but apparently this is of no interest to you today.

Ed Miliband's day didn't get any better as he conducted a Twitter Q&A session from 5pm (http://edmiliband.org/2011/06/14/ed-miliband-webchat-on-twitter-wed-15th-may-5pm-askedm/). This has been covered heavily in the Dead Tree Press today:
Telegraph:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/willheaven/100092450/nasty-tories-attempt-to-sabotage-ed-milibands-twitter-web-chat/

Spectator:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/7028508/ed-miliband-volunteers-for-a-kicking-gets-kicked.thtml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The BBC's favourite, The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jun/16/ed-miliband-twitter-chat

And your favourite, the Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003994/Ed-Milibands-Twitter-question-answer-session-backfires.html

I monitored this and noted the way he managed to answer questions that had not been asked, and didn't answer the questions that had been asked, such as:
 - If you give a speech, but nobody cares, do you make a sound?
 - Was Brutus an Honourable Man? Discuss
 - Exactly what sort of socialist lives in a £1.6 million house?
 - If a train leaves Paddington at 11:36, carrying 200 commuters, what time will the RMT bring it to a standstill?
 - If Buzz Lightyear doesnt think he’s a toy then why doesn’t he speak when humans enter the room?
 - Do you feel bad about stabbing your brother in the back?
 - Will you be firing the person who suggested this?
As a former guest on your show, I continue to feel that you should give him some support. How much worse can it get? Again, apparently this is of no interest to you today.

So let's remind ourselves of what is...

1) PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE - With hundreds of thousands of teachers, civil servants and public sector workers set to strike over pay and pension conditions. Do strikes still work in the 21st Century and when was the last time you supported a strike? : In answer to your questions: As a self-employed sole-trader I have given this some considerable thought and have concluded that, unfortunately, going on strike would not actually benefit me. I think I honked my car horn once during the 1978 fireman's strike. Does that count as support? Next...

2) ECONOMIC POLICY - Labour Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls says the government economic policy isn't working. What we need are tax cuts to kick-start the economy : Oooohhh.... "Ed Balls is coming in", you said. Some questions for Ed:

 - How does the abolition of the 10p National Insurance rate relate to his suggested tax cuts?

 - How does he explain the fall in unemployment announced yesterday?

 - When is he going to knife Ed Miliband in the back?

 - What can he tell us about Project Volvo? (see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8566987/Labour-coup-The-Ed-Balls-files-database.html)

 - How did the recent court case concerning his parliamentary office go? (see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1358486/Embarrassment-Ed-Balls-sued-keeping-finances-order-mess-left-constituency-office.html)

Not that I'll be listening, of course. Next...

 

3) CONGRESSMAN ANTHONY WEINER - An American Congressman is at the centre of a scandal, which involved sending inappropriate text and email messages to several women. We look at why the 'affair that doesn't involve sex' can be just as devastating to the injured party : Just to be clear, is this the same story that first appeared on or around the 7th June? That was OVER A WEEK AGO. Not exactly "first with the news" stuff, is it Jeremy? Next...

 

4) WART REMOVED BY SHOTGUN - Finally, Shaun Murphy from Doncaster used a shotgun to remove an irritating wart on his finger. He took off his finger and was found guilty of possessing an illegal firearm. Outside the court, he said he was happy with the verdict and "The best thing is, the wart has gone." Find out more in this Telegraph article : Yeah, whatever. And he didn't even qualify for a Darwin Award. Shame.

Hang on ... what happened to "Greece on the brink of collapse"? I can only assume that they have solved their problems as a man with a wart is more important.

Today's show 15/06/11

I must start with the most important news of the day: My blog soared through 3500 page views yesterday afternoon. You see Jeremy, it is not just me!

Again, I must thank the like-minded JV Show haters who choose to use their valuable time to read my ramblings. I love it when they leave comments, and I would love it even more if you joined us there and left some comments of your own. It would be fascinating to read your own Points Of View and perhaps then we, the listeners, could get a better understanding of how your story selection process works, for example. The invitation is there, and I promise to publish any comment you make without comment from myself and leave it to my valued readers to respond as they see fit.

For the third day in a row, I see that Ed Miliband's woes continue, with at least two rags, errr... sorry, I mean newspapers, publishing interesting stories today. The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/first-his-brother-now-milibands-at-war-with-balls-2297553.html) claims "First his brother, now Miliband's at war with Balls", while The Sun (yes, The Sun!) has an interview with Tony Blair (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3638081/Red-Ed-Miliband-warning-by-Tony-Blair.html#ixzz1PKJgt6M5) headed "Ed is dead if he stays red ...and Cameron's education & health policies are RIGHT". You have to ask if it really can get any worse for Mr Miliband, and how long can he remain Labour leader. Or perhaps you don't as once again you have managed to completely ignore this proper and important news story.in favour of irrelevant drivel. I'll remind you that on your web page it says "Jeremy presents news, views and live guests" but your listeners are not seeing a lot of news from you these days. Is it my imagination, or is your story selection process actually getting worse in this regard? It certainly seems that way.

So let's look at what we will be missing today...

 

1) STREAMING IN SCHOOLS - A new report says that 1 in 6 children are streamed from the age of 7. Were you someone condemned to the low stream for the rest of your school days? Or rather, are you a parent who believes in streaming and wants to know what number your kid is in the class? : In answer to your questions: No, I wasn't condemned to the low stream, and I have absolutely no recollection of any streaming at my school. And I am not a parent, so I have no children to be numbered, and so this cannot be of any interest to me. Next...

 

2) OLYMPIC TICKETS FOR ARMED FORCES - Members of the armed forces have been allocated 10 000 free Olympic tickets. Do you agree that our armed forces should be given every possible privilege, or should we stop treating all soldiers as heroes when actually they’re just doing their job? : Hmmm... should we stop treating soldiers as heroes, you ask. Who is this mysterious "we"? Are you including me in that? You really are far too presumptious, and I shall remain puzzled as to what there is to discuss. Next...

 

3) CHAVS - We speak to the writer of a new book ‘Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class’, who says we should all stop treating the working class with contempt : Well, there's a book I won't be reading any time soon ... thanks for the warning! I'm just approaching the end of your former colleague Mark Radcliffe's latest book "Reelin' In The Years", which is absolutely wonderful. And again, who exactly is the "we" who are allegedly treating the working class with contempt? Not me, that's for sure, so this is of no interest to me, although I bet author Owen Jones will be grateful for the publicity. Next...

 

4) NEW DIY BADGE FOR SCOUTS - Finally, as scouts introduce a new badge for simple DIY chores, are you someone who hasn’t even got a screwdriver, let alone a tool box, and would rather pay someone a lot of money to do the job for you? Find out more in this Daily Mail article : Thank God for the Daily Mail. Without it coming to the rescue today you might have had to address a proper news story, but at the last minute they have come to your rescue with some non-news twaddle. Hurrah! What would you do without it?

 

So, Ed Miliband tomorrow then?

Today's show 14/06/11

It is 10:30 and I am taking a bit of a gamble today in that I am going to guess a couple of news stories that you won't be covering today. So here goes...

The first story concerns Dear Old Auntie BBC herself, bless her. The BBC is in the news (or should that be "in its own news"?) today following the announcement that Television Centre in West London is to be sold (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13751491). There is a chance that you might actually cover this story and ask the usual banal questions, such as "What are your memories of Television Centre?" and "How will the closing of Television Centre affect you? - We want to hear your views" or perhaps "Are you proud of what the BBC has achieved at Television Centre?". My answers to those questions, by the way, are: I've been past it a few times on the train; It won't; and I couldn't care less. But it is not this BBC story that I have in mind, it is this one...

From http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1423442_bbc-hires-chair-champion-to-tell-mediacity-staff-how-to-use-seats...
BBC hires 'chair champion' to tell MediaCity staff how to use seats

The BBC has employed a 'chair champion' to help staff moving to Salford Quays choose their seats - and learn to sit on them.
A BBC spokeswoman ... said: "Every BBC staff member is given training on how to use their chairs as part of their health and safety training exercise. It is standard practice for inductions to new buildings."
Councillor Karen Garrido said: "What a waste of money. I can't believe we need to teach people how to sit on their chairs. They aren't children."

My own views coincide with Councillor Garrido's, so I reckon that this is a worthwhile topic for discussion today if only to justify the BBC's waste of our licence tax money. I also reckon that you won't go anywhere near it. The bigger question is, of course, if staff from BBC news are included in this and they are soon to be sitting securely in their new chairs, how will we listeners ever hear what they are saying?

My second suggestion for a topic that will not appear on today's show is, again, Ed Miliband and his current difficulties. It is odd, but not surprising, that the BBC are treating this with a "move along, nothing to see here" attitude, and I suspect you will do exactly the same. Even your favourite "newspaper" - The Daily Mail - have jumped on to this particular journalistic bandwagon with this story (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2000349/Ed-Miliband-champion-political-gurner-return-fray-wedding.html) with:

And the award for champion political gurner goes to... Ed Miliband!

A good effort by them, considering who they are, but it pales in to insignificance compared with this site http://awkwardedmilibandmoments.tumblr.com/ where there are 14 pages of photos taking the mickey out of poor old Ed. He told us yesterday that "being in government is not like ordering a pizza". Perhaps he'll soon be telling us that "life is like a box of chocolates". He's been in your studio (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/jeremy-vine/photos/guests/index.shtml?gp=1#gallery602) so you must have some sympathy for him, surely? I'm sure he would love you to come to his defence.

It is now 10:48, so I'll stop now until your web page is updated so we can see what you ARE going to waste your listeners time with today.

11:35 and I've just listened to your trail on Ken's show. I was losing the will to live after a couple of minutes and it was a good job that there was not a sharp knife nearby, otherwise the temptation to End It All Now may have been too great. Your geography really is atrocious, isn't it? I've never been there but even I know that Spitalfields is an area of East London, and it is only down the road from you!

So, and without getting too suicidal, let's look at today's gibberish...

1) GOVERNMENT U-TURNS - As David Cameron’s government announces 2 more u-turns, on NHS reforms and bin collections, we ask: is this a sign of a listening government or a government that hasn’t thought through any of its policies? Jeremy talks to Christina Pattison, columnist for the Independent, and Christina Odone, writer for the Telegraph : Aaaahhhh... more boring and blatant government bashing. Well done! And you are talking to two professional journalists too, whose views I would not give any credance to at all. Even better! Ken suggested that reappraising new information and forming a new opinion could be a sign of strength, not weakness, and I would concur with his view. However, that doesn't make for good old-fashioned confrontational radio, does it? So, have you never changed your mind about anything? Do you always make the right decision first time, and then stick to it with no regrets? The evidence suggests otherwise, I'm afraid: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23409175-my-shame-at-watching-tube-thug-beat-passenger-admits-jeremy-vine.do Pot, kettle and black Jeremy, pot, kettle and black. Next...

2) BODY LEFT TO ROT - A family left the dead body of their mother to rot in their home for up to 6 months. Jeremy talks to agony aunt Barbara Want : Not really the kind of thing I want to listen to while eating my lunch, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that viewpoint. Somebody, somewhere must be your mythical Target Audience, but it certainly isn't me. You said on Ken's show that "... the papers are turning this in to a benefit fraud story ..." yet the BBC news page you link to today says Grandmother's corpse kept in Wirral benefits fraud. Are you lumping your very own BBC News Department in with the papers now? Either you, or they, have got something wrong here, but I'm not sufficiently interested to care. Next...

3) INFLATION - A Radio 2 listener says that inflation is stopping him and his wife from having a baby. What is inflation stopping you from doing? Jeremy talks to listener Andy Denton : Errrr... listening to your programme. Well, it is a good as a reason as any. Next...

4) CHILDREN SELLING LEMONADE - Finally, an unsupervised 6 year old who sold lemonade outside their house was robbed. We look at the rights and wrongs of children selling things in the street. Jeremy talks to broadcaster Rachel Agnew and journalist Karen Kay. Find out more in this Daily Mail article : Hooray for the Daily Mail! Again, instead of talking to the people that matter (the Food Standards Agency, for example) you are talking to other journalists. They know little about anything else, so what specialist knowledge can they possibly bring to this discussion. My problem is that I have to calculate a Bollocks to Truth ratio when listening to or reading anything that a journalist or broadcaster attempts to tell me, and to do that I need accurate information and not just what the journalist wants to tell me. You will remember the story about Accrington Women's Institute attempting to give away home-made cakes in their local library. Unlike you, I did some research in to this and so I now know that the Food Standards Agency's view on the selling of home-made food products is quite clear and unambiguous, and from that I know that a child selling lemonade in the street is not illegal, as you suggested on Ken's show. It is all down to research Jeremy - you should try it some time.

No sign of the BBC or Miliband then. My prediction was correct and I shall award myself a Gold Star.


UPDATE: Just listening to Murray Walker making an embarrassing fool of himself. My long-held respect for him has just evaporated. Could you tell him this, please?


UPDATE 2: Email sent to Murray Walker's agent Arena Entertainments:

Hello!

I see from your web site that you represent Murray Walker. I have had a life-long affection for him and what he does, gaffes and all! However, I have just listened to Mr Walker on Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show

Unfortunately I am at a complete loss to understand what on earth possessed him to get involved in such juvenile coverage of a serious news story. I feel that his standing as a much-respected sports commentator was eroded by his appearance on this programme, and my admiration for his work has just completely evaporated.

Without using the "Oh, it was just a bit of fun" response, I would be grateful for Mr Walker's views in order that my respect for him can be at least be partially restored.

Thank you.