Those who got out of the BBC sit pretty. Slim consolation for those left to worry about their jobs
• Deep woe at the BBC as staff contemplate more cuts and the axing of BBC3. How did it come to this? Where did all the money go? Well we know that around £100m went down the flush on the botched digital media initiative – a sum equivalent to the licence fees paid by Glasgow. And we know that a slew of execs left with golden goodbyes matching the GDP of a small country. A golden few did very well, and as those who haven't done quite as well think about their predicament, some have taken to googling the sale of former director general Mark Thompson's house in Oxford. A tidy £2.8m, apparently. That sort of preoccupation won't do them any good.
• We do our duty, said Nigel Farage this week, rejecting Nick Clegg's claim that Ukipians in Europe are idle. And his justification, as we pointed out yesterday, was that he leads a significant faction in Brussels, the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group. Let no one claim that they don't raise a voice about the issues most worrying Europe. A vice-chair of the EFD is Slavcho Binev, a leading light in the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria, and he is certainly a man to prioritise, as shown by his letter to colleagues and top officials in the European parliament. "The European institutions and the national Olympic committees of the EU member states did nothing to correct the unfair allocation made in rhythmic gymnastics ensembles for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China," huffed an indignant Slavi. "The European Union will not be represented in Nanjing by any team in the race for the title 'Best Ensemble in rhythmic gymnastics'," he said. The Russians won. It was a fix. Everyone "recognised the Bulgarian team as the real winner". Truly scandalous. Putin has a deal to answer for, doesn't he?
• Back in Blighty, Ukip declares war on comedy. Led by deputy leader Paul Nuttall, supporters train their fire on the comedy duo Johnny & the Baptists and the Stop Ukip Tour. Nuttall, writing on the party website, reveals that he has written to the Arts Council on the grounds that the duo will appear at the Royal Exchange, Manchester – and, quite separately, the theatre is to receive some Arts Council funding. "This blatantly party political rubbish is being staged to coincide with the run-up to the Euro elections in May," he says. And according to comedy website Chortle, others aggrieved have followed suit, posting messages on the theatre website. "If you're so politically correct, why didn't you call yourself Mohammed and the Mullahs?" said one. "At least Ukip haven't started any illegal wars. Or flooded the country with foreign paedos," raged another. All quite strange, for the other day, defending the comic who delighted the Ukip conference with jokes about migrants and Muslims, Nigel Farage advocated laissez-faire in comedy. "Let people tell their jokes," he said. As for his deputy, he should watch the master comedian and occasional Guardian columnist Stewart Lee. He has an acclaimed BBC series and a 20-minute routine all about "Paul Nuttalls of the Ukips".
• We have been searching, meanwhile, for a definition of the "complete historian", noting how keen they are to pull each other's pigtails. Readers have been keen to assist. "You're a complete historian if you can put the past behind you and look forward," says Richard Mills. "You're a complete historian if you can accurately predict the past," submits Rod Green. Paul Anderton claims: "You're a complete historian if you admit publicly that your version is only one of several alternative or complementary plausible histories." But no truly complete historian would admit that. Dick Bentley has a vision. "You are a complete historian if you sport a 1950s Brylcreem quiff and can discuss the Boxer rising while jitterbugging to 1940s swing and toking on a 70s spliff." That's covering all bases. We like the sound of him.
• Finally, as the chief medical officer demands a tax on sugar to tackle the nation's weight problem, one bright spark creates a T-shirt conveying the growing urgency. "What do we want?" it says. "A cure for obesity. When do we want it? After lunch."
Twitter: @hugh_muir
Hugh Muirtheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Reported by guardian.co.uk 6 hours ago.
• Deep woe at the BBC as staff contemplate more cuts and the axing of BBC3. How did it come to this? Where did all the money go? Well we know that around £100m went down the flush on the botched digital media initiative – a sum equivalent to the licence fees paid by Glasgow. And we know that a slew of execs left with golden goodbyes matching the GDP of a small country. A golden few did very well, and as those who haven't done quite as well think about their predicament, some have taken to googling the sale of former director general Mark Thompson's house in Oxford. A tidy £2.8m, apparently. That sort of preoccupation won't do them any good.
• We do our duty, said Nigel Farage this week, rejecting Nick Clegg's claim that Ukipians in Europe are idle. And his justification, as we pointed out yesterday, was that he leads a significant faction in Brussels, the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group. Let no one claim that they don't raise a voice about the issues most worrying Europe. A vice-chair of the EFD is Slavcho Binev, a leading light in the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria, and he is certainly a man to prioritise, as shown by his letter to colleagues and top officials in the European parliament. "The European institutions and the national Olympic committees of the EU member states did nothing to correct the unfair allocation made in rhythmic gymnastics ensembles for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China," huffed an indignant Slavi. "The European Union will not be represented in Nanjing by any team in the race for the title 'Best Ensemble in rhythmic gymnastics'," he said. The Russians won. It was a fix. Everyone "recognised the Bulgarian team as the real winner". Truly scandalous. Putin has a deal to answer for, doesn't he?
• Back in Blighty, Ukip declares war on comedy. Led by deputy leader Paul Nuttall, supporters train their fire on the comedy duo Johnny & the Baptists and the Stop Ukip Tour. Nuttall, writing on the party website, reveals that he has written to the Arts Council on the grounds that the duo will appear at the Royal Exchange, Manchester – and, quite separately, the theatre is to receive some Arts Council funding. "This blatantly party political rubbish is being staged to coincide with the run-up to the Euro elections in May," he says. And according to comedy website Chortle, others aggrieved have followed suit, posting messages on the theatre website. "If you're so politically correct, why didn't you call yourself Mohammed and the Mullahs?" said one. "At least Ukip haven't started any illegal wars. Or flooded the country with foreign paedos," raged another. All quite strange, for the other day, defending the comic who delighted the Ukip conference with jokes about migrants and Muslims, Nigel Farage advocated laissez-faire in comedy. "Let people tell their jokes," he said. As for his deputy, he should watch the master comedian and occasional Guardian columnist Stewart Lee. He has an acclaimed BBC series and a 20-minute routine all about "Paul Nuttalls of the Ukips".
• We have been searching, meanwhile, for a definition of the "complete historian", noting how keen they are to pull each other's pigtails. Readers have been keen to assist. "You're a complete historian if you can put the past behind you and look forward," says Richard Mills. "You're a complete historian if you can accurately predict the past," submits Rod Green. Paul Anderton claims: "You're a complete historian if you admit publicly that your version is only one of several alternative or complementary plausible histories." But no truly complete historian would admit that. Dick Bentley has a vision. "You are a complete historian if you sport a 1950s Brylcreem quiff and can discuss the Boxer rising while jitterbugging to 1940s swing and toking on a 70s spliff." That's covering all bases. We like the sound of him.
• Finally, as the chief medical officer demands a tax on sugar to tackle the nation's weight problem, one bright spark creates a T-shirt conveying the growing urgency. "What do we want?" it says. "A cure for obesity. When do we want it? After lunch."
Twitter: @hugh_muir
Hugh Muirtheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Reported by guardian.co.uk 6 hours ago.