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: Bristol Masonic MP Jack Lopresti promises Bristol Freemason’s Provincial Yearbook but fails to deliver. Bristol Freemasons holding an open day at their Park Street masonic temples next Saturday on 16th June. Will elected mayor help relations with neighbouring authorities? Conservative party seem by many as greedy, retrogressive, even ‘Victorian’. No mandate to privatise the National Health Service (NHS) in the interest of giant US private healthcare firms. Public & patient Involvement Forum, The Link, and Community Health Councils chopped and changed over the years to weaken patient power, a loss of patient representation. Resignation of Defence Secretary and North Somerset MP Liam Fox after signing British Harrier jets to Americans at knock-down price of £112m after a £600m refit. Euro crisis rumbles on with Spain now in the cross-hairs and German Chancellor Angela Merkl now demanding ‘United States Of Europe’ style political union as the price for her support and staying in the Euro. Far right growing in Greece with another election looming. Tensions developing between Greece and Germany over buried historical bodies. No mechanism for coming out of the Euro which makes it as difficult as possible. Greeks playing chicken with Germans. Bristol courts are running out of money to pay judges. Bristol University produce ridiculous report which suggests exercise does not help with treating depression. Who is to blame for South West’s ‘slave labourers’ on the ‘Work Programme’ sent to London to work free as Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Stewards? Is it  Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, ‘prime’ contractor Prospects, charity Tomorrow’s People or Close Protection UK? Culprit Prospects’ boss Ray Auvray is a former school careers adviser and one-time Lib Dem councillor who now earns £193k a year. Prime Minister David Cameron reads the New Testament lesson, Romans 12, on Tuesday in St. Paul’s Cathedral, at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving. Is Cameron challenged by Biblical sentiments? A declarartion of war on the police by the Home Office as Tom Winsor looks to be made H.M. Chief Inspector of Constabularies. Fraud Squad fails to raid a single suspect in the year 2011-2012. UK banks are sitting on £40bn black hole of undeclared losses. New French president Francois Hollande lowers French retirement age from 62 to 60. News review with Conservative councillor for Henbury Chris Windows.
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Second hour: Another massacre in Syria, this time in Qubair & Hama, but who is carrying out these killings? Western powers and their friends Saudi Arabia & Qatar in the Middle East backing the rebels. Assad instantly blamed by William Hague but does that indicate the Foreign Office are jumping to conclusions and even that MI6, or so-called allies the US and Israel, may be behind these massacres, trying to provoke civil war and regime change like in Libya? Middle East Correspondent for the Independent Robert Fisk not being heard in the British broadcast media. English language Iranian channel Press TV is now censored in the UK so here is this week’s clip from Gordon Duff of Veterans Today explaining that Al Qaeda is a fantasy and who we were not allowed to hear in the UK this week ‘for our own good’. Bristol’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) transport public enquiry with Bristol City Council’s Executive member for Transport, Tim Kent, and spokesman for Rail Future & BCFM presenter Steve Sa’tan. Tim Kent says the Bus Rapid Transit scheme will begin next year in two ‘Y shaped’ sections. South: from Long Ashton and Hengrove to the City Centre. North: from Cribbs Causeway and Emerson’s Green to the City Centre. Bill Still: monetary reform – The Secret Of Oz. Surveillance special: looking at latest developments in the creeping police state UK with privatisation of CCTV, behavioural detection, and social networking surveillance with our guest Big Brother watcher and Birmingham based No-CCTV campaigner Steve Jolly. Software companies making a fortune as they sell mobile phone and social networking surveillance software much beloved by control freaks’ private company the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), to the Metropolitan police.
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