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: news review with Labour Deputy Leader Ron Stone. Clifton lido is too exclusive and expensive so we have to go to Portishead, Cirencester or Street to swim in an outdoor pool, why no outdoor swimming pool in Bristol? Litany of failure of Bristol’s privatised waste contractor May Gurney, who have gone bust and been bought up by health and safety cheats and blacklisters Kier Group. The Bristolian reports that local MP Jack Lopresti’s brother Giovanni used to work for the Council and awarded the May Gurney contract. He has now, they say, got a job working for May Gurney and Kier Group. With the royal baby due any time now, the royal family is discussed, including a voxpop; Prince Charles criticised again, this time on three fronts, abusing his power by vetoing laws he doesn’t like, stopping the release of his ‘black spider’ letters to government ministers under freedom of information requests and dodging taxation of his massive Duchy of Cornwall corporation which he says is not a corporation but an ‘estate’. The bedroom tax is going to increase public expenditure as 8 out of 10 people evicted will have to move to more expensive private rented accommodation; Arch law-breaking lobbyist Lord Bell and Conservative MP Dr Sarah Wollaston on the power of lobbyists, Tuesday’s Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis even saying “we have one of the cleanest political systems in the world” wishful thinking Emily; Lynton Crosby scandal, BBC news telling the public shale gas is extracted by injecting ‘water’ into the ground; KPMG ‘volunteers’ saving the BBC and Matt Payne at Bristol City Council money? but what is their motive? Newport Labour MP Paul Flynn in PMQ on the PMs inability to answer questions; No longer any rule of law in UK? Hacking cover up scandal as police refuse to name blue chip companies who used corrupt private investigators; weapons sales to human rights abusing regimes approved by government. Britain approving thousands of arms sales contracts to human rights abusing regimes: Blood money: UK’s £12.3bn arms sales to repressive states. Government approves thousands of deals with states it condemns for human rights abuses
[audio: 201307191700]
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Second hour: Tony Crofts launches AEOB Against Empty Office Buildings, an investment to build social housing in Whitehall Road. Tony Crofts, from Action Against Empty Office Buildings (AEOB), and Ron Stone discuss the potential of turning the 60 acres of empty office space in Bristol into housing, as has already been achieved in Manchester and Birmingham. www.AEOBhousepeople.org.uk. Round up of international news stories with Martin Summers:  an update on Edward Snowden and spying generally Joint Intelligence Committee boss Alex Allen was found mysteriously covered in blood in 2008, he’s now overseeing the Parliamentary Code with the Intelligence and Security Committee giving GCHQ a clean bill of health, Martin is sceptical;  Lord Falconer and Tony Blair key people in the ‘cover up of the murder’ of David Kelly by subverting normal legal procedures; former Italian president Francesco Cossiga says Mossad and CIA were responsible for the 911 attack, supported by the zionist world; historian E.P.Thompson in his book ‘Writing by Candelight‘ discovers a 1593 diary of a remote ancestor – it recounts how  people are afraid England has been invaded, but it turns out just to be a giant trick to persuade the people to turn to the government for protection.  It was Nelson Mandelas’ 95th birthday yesterday and his legacy is discussed with a clip of ITNs Brian Widlake interviewing him in 1961.  A benefit gig to celebrate him is on Saturday 20th July at the Arc Bar, Bristol. Bristol celebrates Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday at the Arc Bar on Broad Street tomorrow from 8pm to midnight.
[audio: 201307191800]
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