Friday 7th September 2018

BCfm’s weekly Politics Show presented by Tony Gosling

At six – discussing the big stories in Bristol, Britain and around the world
After seven – straight talking and investigative reports with Martin Summers

Listen live http://www.bcfmradio.com/player or http://stream.bcfmradio.com:7017/live.mp3

BCfm audio files usually available 1hr, Radio4All 3-4hrs, after TX
Any probs mp3s should be on alternative links below by then

First hour: news review: Opinion: Why Bristol has been short-changed by the arena decision. The chair of Bristol Hoteliers Association explains why Bristol has been ‘short changed‘ – Bristol Arena: ‘Contempt for democracy’ and ‘balance sheet decision’ – reaction to plans to scrap city venue – The decision is both loved and loathed – News that Bristol’s long awaited arena will not be built in the city centre has provoked mixed reactions. From hailing Bristol Mayor, Marvin Rees’ bravery to claims of an abuse of democratic process – feelings about the decision are running high. The Labour Mayor officially passed plans to scrap the arena project on Temple Island at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, September 4. Instead the council will push forward with asset managers Legal & General to develop a conference centre, hotel, housing, offices and shops on the land. The news has been welcomed and criticised in equal measure. Conservative group leader, Mark Weston, has voiced his concern at Mr Rees’ decision. “We believe that the Mayor has made the wrong decision for the city – The Arena Island is the best site for the arena,” Mr Weston said. “The Mayor even agreed with this on Monday night. Then 24 hours later in a feat of intellectual gymnastics his cabinet decided to kill off the whole idea. “They are taking a gamble with the city’s desire to have an arena. I am afraid that Bristol has once again been let down by Labour.”

Radio4All download pages
BCfm audio file

Radio4All audio file

Second hour: Investigative reports: Skripals – The Mystery Deepens, by Craig Murray – The time that “Boshirov and Petrov” were allegedly in Salisbury carrying out the attack is all entirely within the period the Skripals were universally reported to have left their home with their mobile phones switched off. A key hole in the British government’s account of the Salisbury poisonings has been plugged – the lack of any actual suspects. And it has been plugged in a way that appears broadly convincing – these two men do appear to have traveled to Salisbury at the right time to have been involved. But what has not been established is the men’s identity and that they are agents of the Russian state, or just what they did in Salisbury. If they are Russian agents, they are remarkably amateur assassins. Meanwhile the new evidence throws the previously reported timelines into confusion – and demolishes the theories put out by “experts” as to why the Novichok dose was not fatal. This BBC report gives a very useful timeline summary of events. At 09.15 on Sunday 4 March the Skripals’ car was seen on CCTV driving through three different locations in Salisbury. Both Skripals had switched off their mobile phones and they remained off for over four hours, which has baffled geo-location. There is no CCTV footage that indicates the Skripals returning to their home. It has therefore always been assumed that they last touched the door handle around 9am. But the Metropolitan Police state that Boshirov and Petrov did not arrive in Salisbury until 11.48 on the day of the poisoning. That means that they could not have applied a nerve agent to the Skripals’ doorknob before noon at the earliest. But there has never been any indication that the Skripals returned to their home after noon on Sunday 4 March. If they did so, they and/or their car somehow avoided all CCTV cameras. Remember they were caught by three CCTV cameras on leaving, and Borishov and Petrov were caught frequently on CCTV on arriving. The Skripals were next seen on CCTV at 13.30, driving down Devizes road. After that their movements were clearly witnessed or recorded until their admission to hospital. So even if the Skripals made an “invisible” trip home before being seen on Devizes Road, that means the very latest they could have touched the doorknob is 13.15. The longest possible gap between the novichok being placed on the doorknob and the Skripals touching it would have been one hour and 15 minutes. Do you recall all those “experts” leaping in to tell us that the “ten times deadlier than VX” nerve agent was not fatal because it had degraded overnight on the doorknob? Well that cannot be true. The time between application and contact was between a minute and (at most) just over an hour on this new timeline. Israel Armed, Funded 12 Different Syrian Rebel Groups: Rebels assumed Israel would save them during southern offensive. New reports on Israel’s arming and funding of Syrian rebel groups reveals that no less than 12 rebel factions, all in southern Syria, were on the receiving end of Israeli aid. This included weapons, ammunition, money, and even some armored vehicles. The story about arming Syrian rebels actually broke Wednesday with the Jerusalem Post, though Israeli military censors shut this down quickly. Once the foreign-based Foreign Policy came out with its own version Thursday, Israeli media were quick to follow, suggesting the censors gave up on trying to keep this secret.

Radio4All download pages
BCfm audio file

Radio4All audio file