The BBC has wasted no time expressing its unreserved joy at the news Lancashire County Council has rejected a planning application from Cuadrilla to drill for shale gas near Blackpool.
The decision – which appears to be based on little more than hysterical scare stories by professional activists– was taken by the “Development Control Committee” who decided to ignore their own legal advice.
As soon as it was announced the BBC struggled to contain its joy.
The BBC Lancashire Twitter account dutifully posted videos of jubilant anti-fracking protestors gathered outside:
And their subsequent ‘victory parade’:
They even saw fit to retweet a message of congratulations from Green Party supporter Natalie Bennett:
Before signing off with this little message:
At the time of writing they have not reported on/retweeted anyone supportive of the proposals.
Meanwhile on its website, the BBC started with a straight report, but then lower down includes a report “At the scene” from the gang of protestors outside the council building. What follows is an account so gushing you’ll need a stomach of steel to read through it all.
Here are some excerpts from the totally dispassionate and balanced report:
People wept openly but they were tears of joy, not disappointment.
A chorus of “Frack free Lancashire” sounded outside County Hall. Then “Frack free world.”
Fylde deputy mayor Karen Speak said she felt like she had won the lottery.
Jamie Peters of Friends of the Earth wept and said it “shows people power has worked.” He said it had been grassroots campaigning. “The councillors have listened to what people want,” he said.
The jubilant anti-fracking campaigners marched through Preston for a spontaneous rally outside Lloyds Bank in Fishergate.
They were told: “Keep up the fight,” amid cheers.
Katherine Seary, from Bipsham, with her dog Molly, who was wearing an anti-fracking T-shirt feels “ecstatic.”
Although there was a strong police presence, one said: “Well done, ladies,” to a group of protesters.
Oh and there’s something about the North West Energy Task Force calling the decision a “missed opportunity” but you have to do a fair bit of scrolling before seeing that.
The BBC has form in this story.
We told you last week how the Corporation reported as fact that “850 legislators” from New York had written to Lancashire County Council to warn it against fracking.
A cursory glance, however, revealed that the letter was signed by little more than 10 people, all left-wing Democrats, representing only about 75,000 from the peripheries of New York State – not the Big Apple as the article implied.
These 10 people had signed on behalf of the mysterious other 840 – none of whom were named.
And some wonder why the BBC Trust may be abolished and the corporation subject to outside scrutiny for once!
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