Friday Drivetime

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 and Marina Morris

For all the shows back to Easter 2009 visit the Friday Drivetime archive page.

First hour: International Political Economy masters graduate (Warwick) Polly Winch and Old Labour Oxford economist Martin Summers discuss mafia banking. British Bankers Association controlling the regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Are politicians stupid or part of a conspiracy? Martin reads from The Iron Heel by Jack London. Entire banking system based on ‘confidence’ so is money some kind of huge confidence trick? Has the Vickers report addressed casino banking? Banks fraudulent capital ratios need to be addressed to make banks viable. The Economist magazine compared to Brian Leslie’s Sustainable Economics magazine. There is enough wealth to go round but perversity of present disfunctional money system is widening inequality to sick proportions. Failure of police to prosecute for fraud, FSA and the the financial lobby, monetary reform and all matters economic.
[audio: 201112231700]

Second hour: Russia’s role in global politics. Vladimir Putin, his four-and-a-half hour long TV discussion and last week’s Russian elections. Was Prime Minister David Cameron a ‘fixer’ in an illegal South African nuclear arms deal in 1992/3? Origins of the word ‘Tory’ to describe the Conservative party. Terrorist or western intelligence bomb attacks in Iraq and Syria this week. Smoke and mirrors: Western police and intelligence services manipulating terrorists and planting bombs themselves? Similar history in Turkey, Italy (Operation Gladio), Northern Ireland and Egypt. The Clash, modern political story of Nicaragua, the Sandinistas and the Iran-Contra scandal. BBC Radio Bristol loses 50% (RAJAR: 8.4% to 4.2%) of their listeners and lose their way too in year to October 2011. BBC Director General Mark Thompson and Chairman of the BBC Trust Chris Patten quizzed on possible pro-EU bias by Public Accounts Committee. Resignation of North Somerset MP and Defence Secretary Liam Fox and the Adam Werritty and UK’s Israeli ambassador Matthew Gould scandal.
[audio: 201112231800]