For a proud military nation, the British love their military heroes.
Except, that is, for the Left-Wing BBC....
A real hero is too much for the BBC
By Andrew Pierce
14/04/2007
The Telegraph
True British hero: Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC won the Victoria Cross for extreme bravery in Iraq
Do you remember the Three Little Piggies?
It was one of my favourite childhood stories, as the big bad old wolf huffed and puffed until he blew the house down.
I was reminded of it this week as the BBC huffed and puffed in righteous indignation over the sale of the hostages' stories to Tony Blair's favourite newspaper. Good on you, I thought.
Until I discovered that it is the same BBC that has ditched a commission for a 90-minute drama on the bravery of the first living winner of the Victoria Cross since 1965.
L/Cpl Johnson Beharry, 27, was awarded Britain's highest award for bravery in March 2005, after driving a Warrior through heavy enemy fire in southern Iraq to rescue a foot patrol caught in a series of ambushes.
After being hit by a barrage of RPGs, the armoured vehicle burst into flames. Beharry was forced to drive through "Ambush Alley" with the hatch open, with one bullet penetrating his helmet, to lead five other Warriors to safety.
One month after his first act of heroism, Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior of his platoon when it was buffeted by more RPGs. He sustained serious head injuries.
A British Army Warrior vehicle
As other rockets hit home, his commander was incapacitated. Beharry took control and drove the Warrior to safety before losing consciousness. He was still recovering from brain surgery when he received the VC from the Queen last year.
What an inspiring tale of heroism from the killing fields of Iraq, yet our national broadcaster has decreed that the drama should not go ahead because it would cast the conflict in too positive a light for the millions who oppose it.
Yet last weekend MoD spin-doctors, plumbing a new low, justified the sale of the hostages' stories by bracketing their experiences with winners of the VC. Honest. I'm not making it up.
No wonder that Des Browne, the Defence Secretary (for now), conveniently chose not to mention this insulting comparison in his disastrous BBC interview. The Beeb presumably forgot to ask him.
With all respect to the hostages, Beharry was given special permission to write his autobiography because he is a hero in the truest sense and an example of why, despite Browne, the British Armed Forces are admired around the world.
And what a role model this man, from a poor background in Grenada, is for our black communities, which have been scarred by the shocking spate of gun crimes.
It could and should have been required viewing on some of our inner-city estates.
But not on the Beeb. Be reassured. As an independent production company was making the programme, it can take it to a commercial channel that has no objection to depicting a British soldier in a heroic light.
It makes you wonder what the BBC would have done if it had been around at the time of Agincourt. Presumably Henry V's stirring speech would have been ignored by the broadcaster on the grounds it made him and the ensuing victory too patriotic.
Do you think I am becoming too cynical?
It's just that I was not surprised to learn this week that one of only two hospitals in the country to avoid spending cuts just happens to be in Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt's constituency.
The other one is in the backyard of Ed Balls, confidant of Gordon Brown, who will be a major player in the Cabinet when Tony Blair finally limps off into the sunset.
As for the hospitals in Conservative constituencies, they have been forced to make cuts averaging 24 per cent.
The Blur drummer, Dave Rowntree, is to stand as a Labour candidate in Westminster in the local elections. Rowntree, a long-standing party member, said that Westminster looked lovely.
The drummer of rock band Blur, Dave Rowntree, is to be the Labour Party candidate in the Marylebone High Street ward by-election for Westminster City Council in London
"There are hanging baskets everywhere - but you only
need to scratch the surface and see that there's a lot of deprivation and a lot of inequality around," he said. "I think someone needs to do something about it."
Quite. What about Mr Blair, his leader?
telegraph.co.uk
Except, that is, for the Left-Wing BBC....
A real hero is too much for the BBC
By Andrew Pierce
14/04/2007
The Telegraph
True British hero: Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC won the Victoria Cross for extreme bravery in Iraq
Do you remember the Three Little Piggies?
It was one of my favourite childhood stories, as the big bad old wolf huffed and puffed until he blew the house down.
I was reminded of it this week as the BBC huffed and puffed in righteous indignation over the sale of the hostages' stories to Tony Blair's favourite newspaper. Good on you, I thought.
Until I discovered that it is the same BBC that has ditched a commission for a 90-minute drama on the bravery of the first living winner of the Victoria Cross since 1965.
L/Cpl Johnson Beharry, 27, was awarded Britain's highest award for bravery in March 2005, after driving a Warrior through heavy enemy fire in southern Iraq to rescue a foot patrol caught in a series of ambushes.
After being hit by a barrage of RPGs, the armoured vehicle burst into flames. Beharry was forced to drive through "Ambush Alley" with the hatch open, with one bullet penetrating his helmet, to lead five other Warriors to safety.
One month after his first act of heroism, Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior of his platoon when it was buffeted by more RPGs. He sustained serious head injuries.
A British Army Warrior vehicle
As other rockets hit home, his commander was incapacitated. Beharry took control and drove the Warrior to safety before losing consciousness. He was still recovering from brain surgery when he received the VC from the Queen last year.
What an inspiring tale of heroism from the killing fields of Iraq, yet our national broadcaster has decreed that the drama should not go ahead because it would cast the conflict in too positive a light for the millions who oppose it.
Yet last weekend MoD spin-doctors, plumbing a new low, justified the sale of the hostages' stories by bracketing their experiences with winners of the VC. Honest. I'm not making it up.
No wonder that Des Browne, the Defence Secretary (for now), conveniently chose not to mention this insulting comparison in his disastrous BBC interview. The Beeb presumably forgot to ask him.
With all respect to the hostages, Beharry was given special permission to write his autobiography because he is a hero in the truest sense and an example of why, despite Browne, the British Armed Forces are admired around the world.
And what a role model this man, from a poor background in Grenada, is for our black communities, which have been scarred by the shocking spate of gun crimes.
It could and should have been required viewing on some of our inner-city estates.
But not on the Beeb. Be reassured. As an independent production company was making the programme, it can take it to a commercial channel that has no objection to depicting a British soldier in a heroic light.
It makes you wonder what the BBC would have done if it had been around at the time of Agincourt. Presumably Henry V's stirring speech would have been ignored by the broadcaster on the grounds it made him and the ensuing victory too patriotic.
Do you think I am becoming too cynical?
It's just that I was not surprised to learn this week that one of only two hospitals in the country to avoid spending cuts just happens to be in Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt's constituency.
The other one is in the backyard of Ed Balls, confidant of Gordon Brown, who will be a major player in the Cabinet when Tony Blair finally limps off into the sunset.
As for the hospitals in Conservative constituencies, they have been forced to make cuts averaging 24 per cent.
The Blur drummer, Dave Rowntree, is to stand as a Labour candidate in Westminster in the local elections. Rowntree, a long-standing party member, said that Westminster looked lovely.
The drummer of rock band Blur, Dave Rowntree, is to be the Labour Party candidate in the Marylebone High Street ward by-election for Westminster City Council in London
"There are hanging baskets everywhere - but you only
need to scratch the surface and see that there's a lot of deprivation and a lot of inequality around," he said. "I think someone needs to do something about it."
Quite. What about Mr Blair, his leader?
telegraph.co.uk
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