Black Friday

There's something seriously wrong with our democracy when our prime minister refuses to take part in a tv leaders debate, attempts to send along a replacement and then has the bare-faced audacity to make an official complaint of political bias because he was 'empty-chaired'. Of course the nasty self-entitled bully now wants revenge so has decided to threaten the very existence of the publicy-owned Ch4. 

Like every bully, Boris Johnson can't play fairly so he resorts to cheating, lying and manipulating. Along with thousands of others all over the country, my postal vote arrived yesterday, so voting has already started and Tory HQ are fully aware of this. There is more than a suspicion that the refusal to take part in last nights debate, along with that planned for Sunday and dodging an interview with Andrew Neil would all expose Boris to very unflattering performances - so just refuse and attempt to frustrate the democratic process of scrutiny.

Without doubt something momentous is brewing for December 12th. I've just been informed that because there have been so many new voter registrations, the Polling Station I've presided over for more than 25 years has been allocated more staff and moved to a larger room. The stakes couldn't be higher and with no one able to confidently call the result, with just under two weeks still to go, sadly I suspect there's still plenty of scope for dirty tricks to further undermine confidence in our democracy.  

This from the Guardian:-      

Tories threaten Channel 4 after ice sculpture takes PM's place in debate

The Conservatives are threatening to review Channel 4’s broadcasting remit if they win the general election after the channel decided to replace Boris Johnson with a melting ice sculpture during its climate change debate.

A Tory source confirmed that the party would review Channel 4’s public service broadcasting obligations if Johnson is returned to Downing Street next month. Under the proposal, first reported by BuzzFeed News, they would “look at whether its remit should be better focused so it is serving the public in the best way possible”.

Channel 4’s licence runs until the end of 2024, meaning it would need renewing under any new government if the next parliament lasts a full five years. While the media regulator Ofcom is tasked with reviewing the channel’s output, Channel 4 is state-owned and its existence is underpinned by legislation that could be altered by parliament.

A Conservative spokesman, Lee Cain, said he had written to Ofcom demanding an investigation, claiming Channel 4 had breached the broadcasting code with “a provocative partisan stunt” that constituted “making a political opinion in its own right”.

He accused Channel 4 of a “wider pattern of bias” after the cabinet minister Michael Gove turned up at the TV studio but was not allowed to take Johnson’s place.

Earlier speculation that the ice would be carved in a representation of the prime minister proved wide of the mark. The Brexit party’s Nigel Farage got the same treatment after also refusing to go head-to-head with other leaders.

The Conservatives are in negotiations with the BBC over Johnson’s public appearances in the election campaign, having failed to agree a date for the prime minister to take part in a one-on-one interview with Andrew Neil.

Every other party leader has agreed to subject themselves to a half-hour examination on primetime television by one of the BBC’s toughest political interviewers. Labour believes that Johnson is trying to back out of this commitment.