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: Difference between Debt and Deficit explained as UK Deficit begins to grow again. News review with LibDem Councillor for Knowle Gary Hopkins. Iceland’s president Grimmson vindicated for refusing to pay debts and arresting bankers. Britain’s deficit is getting worse as well as debt growing so what is the difference between Debt and Deficit? The government borrowed more than expected in November, Office for National Statistics data shows, reducing the chance that the government will meet its 2012/13 deficit reduction goal. Introduction from guest Gary Hopkins. Discussion about the new Bristol cabinet which is mostly LibDems so what has changed? News stories – Mayor George Ferguson has cancelled Speedwell Pool; new crisis loans from local government; who are George Ferguson’s three advisers from KPMG and how much are they paid and where do their loyalties lie? Is the mayor a dictator? Does George know KPMG are under investigation for fraud by the competition commission; Office of Fair Trading report says there is no petrol price fixing by the oil cartels – 2/3 fuel cost is tax, Libor style fixing of wholesale oil prices, geo-political games; BBC’s Stephanie Flanders interviews Chief Executive of Goldman Sachs Lloyd Blankfein at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland; clip of Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland, about why Iceland’s economy is flourishing after his judges arrested and jailed bankers; clip of at PMQ about UKs debt going up despite austerity measures – discussion about the economy, the deficit, and tax avoidance; the parasitic financial class are a cancer on British economic life, everyone is looking at each other as they start to go backwards down the up escalator and debts will never be paid off. Some evidence that tax evaders who keep their money secretly in Swiss bank accounts are being taxed under the ‘Rubik Accord’ but there is no transparency or audit trail, all done on ‘trust’ of the Swiss banks. First Great Western will not now have to compete for the Great Western rail franchise. Franchise rail contest will no longer take place, is this because First Group were caught out by Richard Branson’s Virgin cheating over the West Coast main line franchise bid? PMQs about why won’t Prime Minister David Cameron visit a food bank? Top police jobs may be opened up to anyone, including foreigners, like unsuccessful ‘SuperCops’ like LA California’s Bill Bratton in the United States.
[audio: 201302011700]
download

Second hour: Israel bombs Syria to provoke war & investigative reports. Round up of some international stories with Martin Summers – Syria, Mali, Israel; a clip from Ofcom banned Iranian channel Press TV about Hispan TV, the Spanish language Iranian TV station for Latin-America that has been shut down in Spain; the EUTEL satellite which blocked the channel, run by Michel de Rosen a French/Israeli chief executive so are they using their satellite as a weapon of war? Perhaps the satellite should be shot down for censorship? Dutch royal family abdicates, and some of their interests. Steve Rose phones in to discuss a conference on ‘Journalism and Islamophobia’ he has attended in Turkey. Tony and Martin discuss the destruction of Timbuktu library of Arabic manuscripts. Respect party MP George Galloway at PMQs asking why the Coalition government supports Islamic extremists in Syria and Libya but not in Mali & Algeria? Gary McFarlane, a former counsellor for Relate, who was sacked because he didn’t feel qualified to help a gay couple with sexual counselling. Sex addiction, love addiction & personal relationship counsellor Gary McFarlane and author of The Art Of Loving sacked by Relate for his faith fights his case of unfair dismissal through the courts. Now counselling in his own Bristol practice.
[audio: 201302011800]
download