SA was one of the reasons I joined this forum in the first place, as I wanted to read what listeners were writing about him.

I think part of the fascination is that he seems able to sail so close to the wind without getting in trouble for it. I'm often quite genuinely amazed by this.

Also, I suppose repetition can be hypnotic and, in a strange sort of way, comforting for some people.

The venerable g-s (a legend in her own lunchtime) calls it 'car crash radio'. Very apt.

I'm amazed/appalled in equal doses. I wonder whether it's the nature of his audience. I think 4-6 doesn't attract many casual or accidental listeners whereas his regular audience know what he's about, for good or bad. Can't really imagine him getting away with it so often during a breakfast show or the 1 'til 4 slots.

All I can think is that he knows where bodies are buried: in one of his vanishing cabinets.

Earlier in this thread there was point raised about the response to Thatcher's death from the Left (which has generally been very polite and restrained) and some of the public and as to how would it contrast to Blair and Brown's inevitable deaths. A lot of LBC's presenters seemed particularly outraged about some of the spontaneous responses as well as the online comments.

The Order-Order blog (possibly the largest right wing comment platform, not counting the Daily Mail) had this to say about Michael Foot's death: http://order-order.com/2010/03/03/mi...foot-has-died/ Much of it as grim as anything on Twitter &c., and includes this relevant comment: "Presumably you and your Labour pals won’t be crowing when Margaret Thatcher dies. Foot was either a moron of truly epic proportions or he was an evil, evil man. Either way, I see no need to mourn the treacherous bastard."

Just look how often the word 'evil' appears.

Coincidentally, these very thoughts struck me over the past couple of days.

I wonder, too, about the reaction to Tony Benn when his time comes.

More muted, I think. He wasn't a PM and has been out of mainstream politics for quite a while. I've a lot of time for Benn.

Hartley-Brewer has had 2 mini-repimands today. One caller had a bit of ago for misrepenting what he'd said moments earlier whilst another took apart an argument that she's used in the past about how Foot closed down more mines than Thatcher. Whilst techinically she's right, however, she completely 'forgot' about how mining was transforming into the super-mines which absorbed some of the previous redundancies &c. - stark contrast to what happened with mines under Thatcher.

Sadly Michael Foot was reviled by many on the right. He wasn't wearing a donkey jacket, but a smart coat. However inevitably the right wing establishment and media used this propaganda lie to bring him down. (Incidentally didn't Boris make us ashamed when he visited China?). I have celebrated with champagne and am not ashamed of this. Many others are celebrating also with street parties etc.

Ah, but this is the infamous "but that's different". Boris is cuddly and loveable. Foot was a dangerous, evil lunatic. Apparently.

The Daily Mail's euology by Richard Littlejohn comprised of nothing more than 3 paragraphs of ridicule because he didn't serve in the Forces in WWII followed by a cartoon of him with 'crazy, swivel' eyes represented by spirals. That's the same paper demanding we show respect for a dead Prime Minister. Again "that's different".

I am a regular listener to LBC but don't contribute much to this thread, although I enjoy reading it. I am originally from the North East but have lived in the south since '88. Anyway, I texted Ian Payne last week when he was talking about the Di Canio business (I'm a Sunderland supporter) , LBC rang me and asked me to go on air, which I did. Since Thatcher died I have been unable to listen to LBC as I find myself getting so angry ! Most of the callers are (obviously) from the South and see things from their perspective. During the miners strike I helped with food distribution and saw the picket lines first hand. The Met ( none of them were local police) stood and waved their wage slips in front of the miners, laughing , shouting 'double time' , and there are many more examples of how things were. I know if I did get the opportunity to put my views across I would become emotional, that has never left me. I could find myself as an ex-listener , as listening to broadcasters such as SA at the moment would make me want to throw my radio out of the window. Can't wait for the funeral to be over and the ( hopefully) there can be some normality and not right-wing driven media hysteria.

Don't worry she did extensive damage to the South also. It's just that more of the very wealthy live in the south rather than the north.

Indeed.

Welcome along, kate. Hope to hear more from you.

I remember Tony Benn (Viscount Stansgate as was) when he was Postmaster General. He wanted to close down the offshore radio stations, which brought more employment within the music business by breaking the monopoly that the big record companies had. They introduced more artists who were never previously heard on the BBC.

Mr Benn wanted a return to the BBC monopoly and we would therefore not had LBC (or any other commercial radio station), and ultimately we would not therefore be here!

Yes, we're all earning a fortune here! Except those of us intimidated and put out of work by Union action in the 70s that is.


I think a lot of people remember how they felt or what they've heard about the Thatcher years but not many remember just what a mess we had before that and why she, or someone, had to do something about it. If life with 29% inflation, the oil crisis, power cuts, the economy going down the pan at a frightening rate, constant strikes with closed shops, secondary picketing (with violence) and forced mergers for small unions (very democratic,that, along with no ballots for major strikes) sounds like fun then you'd have loved the 70s.

It might have had something to do with the fact that they were operating illegally. They were pirate radio stations. They paid no royalties on the records they played. When they were closed down nearly all the DJs found work within the BBC, Tony Blackburn, Ed Stewart John Peel, Kenny Everett and Johnny Walker just to name 5 big names who survived for decades and who were all originally pirate DJs in the 60s

The difference being that before Thatcher you could just walk into a Jobcentre straightaway and get a job whereas now the only jobs available are unpaid workfare.

I think it's an oft-used quantum leap to assume that being anti-Thatcher automatically means uncritical support for Arthur Scargill et al. Neither of them do it for me.

I am noting that 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' is heading for number 1 in the charts. I wonder if this will be mentioned on LBC news?

From the Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...h-8566042.html

Not sure, but it certainly will not be played on the BT40 or BBC Radio 1's official chart. It would be commercial suicide for Global and the Daily Mail would have a field day with the BBC and someone would end up getting sacked.

Firstly, like so many other things the term 'pirate' radio was invented by the media. They were broadcasting offshore, outside the legal jurisdiction of the UK government. That is why the Government had to frame legislation against British companies and personnel helping / working for the stations, but not the stations themselves or foreign nationals.

The record companies were providing records to the stations. Some stations offered to pay royalties to Phonographic Performance Ltd (who collected the royalties), but they refused to accept it.

I wonder how many of those djs would have found work, but for these stations. The BBC were only made to start up Radio 1 as a result of these stations, and initially modelled its station on Radio London (Big L).

I go back to my original point. If it was not for these stations you may well be still listening to the Light Programme and Home Service !

On the subject of Mr Scargill, who was so vehemently opposed to Mrs Thatcher and her policies and called out his miners on undemocratic strikes (no ballots). Why has he not made any comment whatsoever on her death?

Only overmanning along with demarcation was part of the Union conditions that helped towards full employment, extra people turning up for work and sloping off again a few hours later (if that) as there wasn't enough to go round, all on full pay. The Unions had such control there was nothing you could do about it. And people wondered where the public money thrown at the utliites and communications went.

And if I recall never condemned the intimidation of the mine workers who did want to work or belonged to the Union that didn't strike?

Rubbish, i lost my previous job in September. Within 2 weeks i had a job, ok so its not what i want to do but its a job.

Do you mean 'I'm alright Jack'? I went for a job in a post office warehouse (not what I want to do) and was turned down on the grounds I can't drive! I went for a shop job (not what I want) and the interviewer turned her nose up at my workfare experience as it was only two lots of 4 weeks in retail.

You posted your experience and i posted mine. To say that all everyone is offered in a job centre is unpaid workfare now is rubbish. As i say in my personal experience i found a job no problem, not doing what i want or what i had been doing, but a job non the less. I'm just playing the waiting game now until something becomes available in the area i work in but i have a job that i don't mind doing to keep me going until that day.

From my job as well i know of 2 (out of 4) people who came to my place of work on the workfare program got hired. One on a 39 hours contract the other on a 20 Hours minimum contract but currently doing 39 with overtime.