Totally out of touch with public mood, the BBC is prioritising political parties – any political party – over an independent candidate, even a serious one. The BBC’s Michael Crick has denied any bias by the BBC in refusing to cover me on Newsnight. In Today’s Independent on Sunday, Michael Crick states:

“Oh yes, that’s right, it’s all a big conspiracy, ordered by the BBC governors. Of course it’s not. It was an accident. We’re not obliged to report all the candidates. He’ll have to join the queue behind the BNP and UKIP candidates to be interviewed. It’s much ado about nothing.”

The BBC’s desperation to promote the BNP as ahead of me is scarey. Here are today’s odds from Ladbrokes.

Conservatives 1/9

Labour 6/1

Greens 16/1

Craig Murray 25/1

Ian Gibson 33/1

Liberal Democrats 33/1

UKIP 100/1

BNP 200/1

Bill Holden 200/1

Libertarian Party 500/1

Official Monster Raving Loony 1000/1

Can anybody see a genuine reason why I have to queue behind the BNP for an eventual interview, or why the Greens and Lib Dems have been heavily plugged by the BBC while I to date have not been reported at all?

Bloggers are excellent at free speech issues which affect the interent. But free speech should not be confined to the internet. I should be most grateful if other bloggers would take this up too.

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Frazer,

If you can see this in the Congo, can you urgently send me say five good pictures of the Tema project, inc one with me on, on with the Atholl name on and one of the finished turbines?

Thanks!!!

Crooks Lies and Politicians

An Evening With Craig Murray.

Friday 3 July Norwich Puppet Theatre, Barrack St, 7.30pm.

Tuesday 7 July Norman Centre Mile Cross, 7.30pm.

Thursday 9 July, Norwich Playhouse, 7.30pm

Friday 10 July, Hellesdon High School, 7.00pm

Saturday 11 July, Taverham Village Hall, 7.30pm

Tuesday 21 July, Thorpe Frog Hall, 7.30pm

When MPs’ expenses were finally published officially, they were redacted to the point of meaninglessness. The Tories are now practising some very curious redaction with the cv of their candidate, Chloe Smith, who is bidding to become the youngest member of the current parliament.

Chloe’s official c.v. begins when she moved to secondary school in Swaffham. Most people’s cvs begin by stating where they were born. Chloe’s doesn’t. That is not very strange. But what is strange is that the Tory party are refusing to say where she was born when journalists have asked. I am told they have been getting quite tetchy about it, even with a sympathetic journalist who was writing a puff piece about the glamorous young candidate.

Now that is a mystery. I genuinely don’t give a hoot if Chloe was born in Basingstoke or Ulan Bataar, and I can’t imagine the electorate care either. (I had a friend at school who was born on an aeroplane en route to a holiday in Malta, which I thought was dead impressive). But why would the Conservative Party not want people to know? Plainly Chloe is English enough even for the nutters of the BNP.

I can’t think of any logical reason for the Tory reticence, except that Chloe’s latest leaflet quotes her as saying “As a Norfolk girl through and through, I’m determined to be the strong voice the whole area needs.” Perhaps if she were born outside the county, they are worried about diluting her local credentials. But if they hadn’t made a mystery of it, I don’t suppose anyone would have noticed. (I am not saying she was born outside Norfolk, incidentally. I really don’t have a clue. I am just puzzled why they won’t say).

Anyway, a free copy of The Catholic Orangemen to anyone who knows either where Chloe was born, or why on earth it’s a secret!

After an eight hour delay, I have just been telephoned back by what sounded like the most junior member of the Newsnight team. He told me that in the “Editorial judgement” of the BBC, I was not a “Significant candidate”.

I will therefore not figure in BBC coverage other than the mandatory two second caption at the end. For Newsnight, Michael Crick will give the statutory mention this evening.

By denying me any media exposure the BBC are, of course, consciously attempting to make their prediction of our failure a self-fulfilling prophecy, and to silence one of the most known voices against the political establishment in the UK.

I do hope the people of Norwich North will prove the arrogant and super-rich executives of the BBC wrong.

Conservatives 1/5

Labour 9/2

Greens 12/1

Craig Murray 25/1

Ian Gibson 33/1

Liberal Democrats 33/1

UKIP 100/1

BNP 200/1

Bill Holden 200/1

Libertarian Party 500/1

Official Monster Raving Loony 1000/1

(Ladbrokes)

From the doorstep experience, I think that is basically the right running order if the election were held today. Fortunately it isn’t, and we have three weeks of intense campaigning ahead of us. I start from lower “brand recognition” than the parties, but am already moving up in public awareness very fast and we have some big campaigning surprises up our sleeves.

Stop posting comments asking what you can do to help, and get yourselves to Norwich to pound the streets and deliver leaflets. There are a few other tasks as well, but 95% of the man-hours we need are foot-slogging. We can provide accommodation – helpful if you can bring sleeping bag or bedding. Whatever you can spare – hours, days or weeks – just get yourselves here.

Our first public meeting is 7pm this Friday at Norwich Puppet Theatre. Ironic venue as I am one of the only candidates who is not a party puppet. Tell anyone you know in Norwich!

Craig

The reason the political parties retain their iron grip on power, even when exposed to all as corrupt self-seekers, is that they have the ability, brutally, to grind down all opposition. Trying to stand against it is soul-destroying. I got two hours sleep last night. The Tories are bringing in over a hundred full time workers to the constituency. So far I have eight local part time volunteers, and myself.

BBC Newsnight last night ran a profile of all the candidates – but excluded me. I am truly shocked about it. We have delivered twelve thousand leaflets so far, taken two full page adverts in the local press, and announced and advertised in the media a series of six public meetings for which the halls are booked. Yesterday we had sent a press release specifically to Newsnight. And Michael Crick, who did the Newsnight report, certainly knows I am standing:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight

So do the bookies, where I am ahead of the Lib Dems and the Greens in the odds – but still very worth a flutter.

Martin Bell has commented “It is very wrong that Craig Murray was not featured on Newsnight. He is a serious candidate, and serious independents must be given fair coverage by the media alongside the major political parties.”

I truly think that Newsnight’s behaviour is outrageous.