BBC licence fees again ....

[antongould]

Well yes, good point AG. Not much value in a punt on the Baroness on that particular contest.

Although there is the Lady who is going to bang us all up for counter terrorism offences .......

[teamsaint]

John Crace on the Baroness.....

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/05/baroness-morgan-turncotes-brings-disingenuity-bbc-debate

[jayne lee wilson]

John Crace on the Baroness.....

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...ity-bbc-debate

Concentrate on the footie TS! Its going to get tense now......!

[teamsaint]

Concentrate on the footie TS! Its going to get tense now......!

Too tense !!! We should have been out of sight...... sounds like a great game though.

[cloughie]

John Crace on the Baroness.....

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...ity-bbc-debate

I’m surprised that Cummings has allowed the Guardian access to a minister!

[antongould]

I’m surprised that Cummings has allowed the Guardian access to a minister!

...... not anymore cloughers I think JC is now banned .......

[antongould]

...... not anymore cloughers I think JC is now banned .......

“We need to talk about Nicky. Or Baroness Morgan of Cotes as she now insists on being called by family and staff alike. Not even Nicky addresses herself as Nicky any more. Some people are born great, some achieve greatness and some have mediocrity thrust upon them.

On a rare day out among the great unwashed, her ladyship dropped in to the right-of-centre thinktank Policy Exchange to share her thoughts about the BBC. Well, not her thoughts exactly – Nicky has never knowingly had any of her own – but she was more than happy to pass on some of Boris Johnson’s. Any enemy of the prime minister’s was an enemy of hers. “

From today’s Grauniad

[cloughie]

“We need to talk about Nicky. Or Baroness Morgan of Cotes as she now insists on being called by family and staff alike. Not even Nicky addresses herself as Nicky any more. Some people are born great, some achieve greatness and some have mediocrity thrust upon them.

On a rare day out among the great unwashed, her ladyship dropped in to the right-of-centre thinktank Policy Exchange to share her thoughts about the BBC. Well, not her thoughts exactly – Nicky has never knowingly had any of her own – but she was more than happy to pass on some of Boris Johnson’s. Any enemy of the prime minister’s was an enemy of hers. “

From today’s Grauniad

Maybe

https://youtu.be/fHfBNyaUXdk

With apologies to Elkie whom I rate as a singer!

[gurnemanz]

John Crace on the Baroness.....

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...ity-bbc-debate

The observation that Johnson only ever wanted to become Prime Minister not be Prime Minister rings horribly true. Time will tell.

[teamsaint]

Got my 2 year reminder to get a licence that I don’t want this week. A couple of sneaky things. The letter says that it understands that “ something has changed” in our household . It hasn’t .
Also , the five questions that you have to answer are posed twice. On the first set , you need to answer in the negative to all five, but the second time the last two questions are changed so that you need to give three negatives and then two positives.

I can only think this is designed to catch people out. In any case, even after the declaration, they still threaten a visit from the enforcement guys. I have no idea what legal right they have to visit and check ( god knows what they check) , but they won’t be getting a cup of tea and a mince pie if they turn up.

[french frank]

Got my 2 year reminder to get a licence that I don’t want this week.

I have mentioned this before but can't remember the answer. They ask why you don't need a licence and you have to choose one of six options. Five of them assume you watch something or use a TV for some other use (none of which apply to me). I have to choose the sixth (No TV receiving equipment or devices at this address) which is clearly untrue as I have (usually) three computers and a smart phone. I just don't watch anything other than, occasionally, YouTube or BBC/US news clips.

[oddoneout]

Got my 2 year reminder to get a licence that I don’t want this week. A couple of sneaky things. The letter says that it understands that “ something has changed” in our household . It hasn’t .
Also , the five questions that you have to answer are posed twice. On the first set , you need to answer in the negative to all five, but the second time the last two questions are changed so that you need to give three negatives and then two positives.

I can only think this is designed to catch people out. In any case, even after the declaration, they still threaten a visit from the enforcement guys. I have no idea what legal right they have to visit and check ( god knows what they check) , but they won’t be getting a cup of tea and a mince pie if they turn up.

This may be of use

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/visit

If I have understood it correctly they need your permission to enter to do a check, unless they have a search warrant.

[french frank]

If I have understood it correctly they need your permission to enter to do a check, unless they have a search warrant.

That is correct. However, if they're good enough to call on me I would think it churlish not to invite them in to lift every carpet, open every kitchen cabinet, lower the Ramsay ladder to give access to the roof space, look up every chinmney. Tea and mince pies unlikely to be available. They are just doing their job, after all, and I've found them very reasonable and friendly.

[Serial_Apologist]

That is correct. However, if they're good enough to call on me I would think it churlish not to invite them in to lift every carpet, open every kitchen cabinet, lower the Ramsay ladder to give access to the roof space, look up every chinmney. Tea and mince pies unlikely to be available. They are just doing their job, after all, and I've found them very reasonable and friendly.

Assuming one has a TV one only uses connected to a DVD or VHS tape player, not for live TV watching, are they likely to believe it? I am not in that category actually, but were the time to come when I could no longer afford the licence fee, it would be nice to know I could still use the telly as a monitor for watching my large store of tapes and DVDs - which I now do more often than for viewing live broadcasting.

[french frank]

Assuming one has a TV one only uses connected to a DVD or VHS tape player, not for live TV watching, are they likely to believe it? I am not in that category actually, but were the time to come when I could no longer afford the licence fee, it would be nice to know I could still use the telly as a monitor for watching my large store of tapes and DVDs - which I now do more often than for viewing live broadcasting.

A good question. Put it in writing. If it applied to me, I would write a detailed letter to them, explaining the position and asking whether I would be likely to be in trouble if An Inspector Called, and whether there was any way round what appeared to be a tricky situation as I would not wish my senior citizen's unsullied reputation to be compromised. They may just mark your address, 'Two more years: Do Not Visit :eyeroll:'.