Things we won't discuss...

Ken Livingston used to meet with Gerry Adams when he was persona non Grata. The right wing press are giving it the " spy" tag because it makes it sound like espionage. I can reveal what Jezza told his Czech mate ? Drain covers and there locations around London. Stinkgate

Leuth said:

Can everyone stop being disingenuous please?

Corbyn was and is a socialist and it absolutely makes sense that he'd have looked to build relationships with other socialist thinkers across the globe. He clearly didn't want to build too close a relationship with the Eastern Bloc as the form of 'socialism' espoused there didn't sit well with him, but he sought dialogue, and as far as I'm concerned that's a good thing. He was a person of little influence and this kind of activity was doubtless undertaken in good faith and with a sense of his responsibilities to his constituency and his nation.

So yeah - maybe he met someone; maybe the story is being exaggerated or twisted to cause a sensation; maybe it's all bollocks. I don't think it really matters either way. The present reality of Corbyn is what you must seek to engage with. Otherwise I'll just repost those videos of Gove asking for a nubile young woman over and over again

Surprisingly @Leuth, I've given you a like for this - if only because it was refreshingly... blunt? Entirely transparent and focused around why those meetings would've taken place.

I personally suspect the "spy" nonsense is overplayed; as you correctly highlight, not only is it quite unsurprising that he'd seek dialog with other countries, he'd also (presumably) lack any real access to diplomatically sensitive material. I suspect the truth may lay closer to the idea of him being groomed though, with the idea of him being useful if his career progressed.

Ultimately though - it all comes down to a question of progress, time and forgiving. How much as a society should we be prepared to overlook, and at what timespan, in order to make progress? (aka "is it really a big deal anymore?")

Leuth said:

The issue here is how and why the story is being reported. It is not in the national interest. It is not in the public interest. It is because the increasingly right-wing press is shook.

Bah, and then we lose that common ground..

I should have mentioned in my first post that in the Paper Review which always kicks off the Marr show, the Corbyn story was covered. However it was not chosen by the Sunday Express editor (a surprisingly measured and balanced contribuor, given her employer) as something she wanted to go into. Marr himself said of it "I've read through it and I must say it does look rather thin. He also covered the Brendan Cox story.

I watched Peston on ITV as well. He didn't give it any quality time either, and he naturally looks for any opportunity to upstage his former employer.

So in fact, @Riviera your entire OP, which seeks to attack the BBC, is baseless.

Corbyn story is total shit.

Murdered MP's widow isn't exactly national interest.

Wonder why the Daily Mail and other right wing papers are promoting these stories and overegging the Oxfam story and ignoring stories about Tories/Brexit.

I'm afraid your problem with the stories being discussed or not is just down to confirmation bias.

Good to see everyone is getting along in here too.

Algarveaddick said:

Chippycafc said:

Good to see everyone is getting along in here too.

Right winger pokes left wingers, gets a reaction. No surprise really is there?

No not really.

Would have made better reading if. Jo Cox husband was a spy. And Jeremy a sex pest.

SuedeAdidas said:

The Corbin story must be bollocks.

We all know that Spies are suave, well dressed and debonair. No spy has ever been like a cross between a history teacher from the 70’s and Worzel Gummige.

If you're a spy in the former Soviet Union, looking like Worzel Gummige is compulsory, Vodka chic. Special Agent Catweasel

Corbyn can always sue the Sun and Daily Mail.
Expect Michael Mansfield is awaiting instructions,
but don't hold your breath!

Along with AFKABartram I'm political neutral, I usually vote for the local independent who lose their deposit. It's the greatest freedom because you can critique the right, left or centre and their self righteousness. Homo sapiens are flawed. Nature is working on the next reincarnation.

AFKABartram said:

LuckyReds said:

Algarveaddick said:

Bunch of right wingers in "trying to pretend they are not really digging out left wingers" shocker.

If you "...can't see Corbyn being a spy..." why waste time and energy pontificating about it? Just tell the OP that you think the reason why the Beeb isn't reporting it, is because its crap?

You are fooling no one. Why not worry about the pile of poo the Tories have created that is going on right now?

It's quite possible to see issues on both sides of an argument, I'd even go as far as to say it's a part of being an adult.

I’m about as far from being a completed adult as being 9 pieces into a 1,000 piece jigsaw but one thing I’m pretty thankful for is being politically neutral.

Find it absolutely batshit bonkers how people get so ingrained in left wing / right wing bias and just completely lose the ability to view and form opinion of pretty much anything in a neutral way. And then when there’s a struggle to defend it’s a reflective attack on the ‘other lot’ for something completely different. Absolutely crazy, yet it seems the majority of people are formed this way so feels like I’m a bit of an outliner in that respect.

With you 100% mate. You’ve only got to look at any political thread on here to see it brings out the worst in people (from both sides). Far more important things in life to get so worked up about.

I probably should but couldn’t be less interested in politics if it tried. Don’t trust any of the self serving wankers.

Riviera said:

PragueAddick said:

I should have mentioned in my first post that in the Paper Review which always kicks off the Marr show, the Corbyn story was covered. However it was not chosen by the Sunday Express editor (a surprisingly measured and balanced contribuor, given her employer) as something she wanted to go into. Marr himself said of it "I've read through it and I must say it does look rather thin. He also covered the Brendan Cox story.

I watched Peston on ITV as well. He didn't give it any quality time either, and he naturally looks for any opportunity to upstage his former employer.

So in fact, @Riviera your entire OP, which seeks to attack the BBC, is baseless.

Couple of points, a) The Sunday Express is owned by the Mirror Group, b) When I posted the BBC had not covered the Corbyn story, not on TV, radio nor their news website.

Furthermore the BBC cover many, many baseless stories.

Ah, so you are serious? I was thinking maybe you'd gone all Pub Landlord, suckered us all in, and sat back to watch the fun.

Oh well, couple of points then.

1. The Sunday Express has been owned by the Mirror Group since 9th Feb. Nine days ago. Do you think that on Day 1 some Mirro Group big wig walked into the Sunday Express newsroom and shouted "From now on, all your stories and editorials will be left -wing" ?

2. You posted at 02.51 GMT. Even media editors sleep.

And FYI on the R4 World At One just now, the Brendan Cox story was the lead one.

AFKABartram said:

LuckyReds said:

Algarveaddick said:

Bunch of right wingers in "trying to pretend they are not really digging out left wingers" shocker.

If you "...can't see Corbyn being a spy..." why waste time and energy pontificating about it? Just tell the OP that you think the reason why the Beeb isn't reporting it, is because its crap?

You are fooling no one. Why not worry about the pile of poo the Tories have created that is going on right now?

It's quite possible to see issues on both sides of an argument, I'd even go as far as to say it's a part of being an adult.

I’m about as far from being a completed adult as being 9 pieces into a 1,000 piece jigsaw but one thing I’m pretty thankful for is being politically neutral.

Find it absolutely batshit bonkers how people get so ingrained in left wing / right wing bias and just completely lose the ability to view and form opinion of pretty much anything in a neutral way. And then when there’s a struggle to defend it’s a reflective attack on the ‘other lot’ for something completely different. Absolutely crazy, yet it seems the majority of people are formed this way so feels like I’m a bit of an outliner in that respect.

Outliers rule