BBC hypocrisy by the author and whistleblower Gary Watton

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
Permit me to share the following information with you. I have previously worked for a Belfast taxi firm and as a consequence I had access to literally thousands of taxi bookings. This item refers to bookings that were made in the years immediately preceding August 2009, starting circa the beginning of 2007. Unless I am mistaken, the BBC in every urban centre in the UK in which it has premises and staff, constantly provide taxis for some employees and also for many guests in their studios. Such taxis are euphemistically described as “on account.” This means that such fares are not paid by the actual passenger, but are charged to the BBC. Ultimately, such taxi journeys are being funded by the Licence Fee-payer. On a scale of one to ten, just how acceptable do you think that it is that the hard-pressed Licence Fee-payer is subsidising a multitude of taxi journeys every day in urban centres throughout the Disunited Queendom? A fair fare? Surely not?
However, what lends a degree of farce, not to mention hypocrisy, to the proceedings is that during the very time period when the expenses of politicians were brought into sharp focus by the media, including the BBC, we discover that BBC personnel and their high-profile guests [many of whom are/were wealthy celebrities] were creaming free taxi journeys off the public purse!
It gets worse, or funnier, depending upon your sense of humour. When I liaised with the nice boys and girls at the News Of The World about such shenanigans in August 2009, the BBC in Belfast summoned two ‘investigators’ on the BBC payroll to fly over from the north of England to threaten me with possible charges of harrassment against BBC staff. Frankly speaking, my activities were not quite in the top drawer of espionage or subversive sabotage, which the two gents [former gendarmes] readily conceded. Therefore, no charges were forthcoming in the event, though the NOTW still published details from my findings. What this episode demonstrates is that the BBC and other media vehicles would not flinch at exposing the bonus and expenses culture of others, but God have mercy on anyone who dared to reveal that this same broadcasting giant also has its hands filthy with the same rotten endeavours.
Ask yourselves the following questions:
1. Why should BBC staff be permitted [on occasions] to travel to and from work in an all-expenses paid taxi when the rest of the populace have to pay for their journeys to and from work?
2. Why should guests of the BBC who may have been invited for interviews [frequently wealthy guests into the 'bargain'] be permitted free taxis paid out of the public purse when the rest of us suckers have to pay for travel to job interviews or medical appointments?
3. Gordon Brown and David Cameron ordered their Members of Parliament to repay their extravagant expenses. What do you reckon is the likelihood that the BBC and its personnel will have the integrity to re-pay the vast mountain of free taxis that they have accrued, funded by the Licence Fee-payers?
Okay, without further ado, feel free to browse through the enclosed hall of shame of current and former BBC employees who booked taxis “on account” in Northern Ireland [predominantly but not exclusively in the Greater Belfast area]. As a disclaimer [your Honour], it is only fair to point out that some of the listed people who have taken Joe Public for a ride may have only taken one taxi journey. Therefore, there is much variation in the volume of taxis ordered “on account” by the individuals below. Secondly, as the listed information only covers a period of two and a half years in but one locality in the UK, the mind boggles at the sheer numbers of staff and guests who have taken the Licence Fee-payer for a ride over the last decade and beyond. We are talking about the tip of a gargantuan iceberg here. Personally, I regard it as obscenely scandalous, but hey, you are welcome to your own thoughts.
Oh and penultimately, I have not fabricated any of the information. I am not in the business of constructing fantasy statistics. I also do not have a grudge against the BBC. I merely have a grudge against the agents of hypocrisy. After all, the bonus and perks culture extends way beyond Auntie Beeb or Westminster village. Many banks such as the Ulster Bank, the Bank of Ireland, and First Trust have in the past paid for staff taxis out of bank funds, which were the product of their members’ investments. [That, one might say, is a story for another day]. Mind you, maybe Michael Corleone was correct in ‘The Godfather Part II’ when he stated to the senator that “we are all part of the same hypocrisy.”
Oh and finally, if you delude yourself that this blog piece is a total work of fiction, then take yourself off to the nearest BBC studio or building and ask the passengers who alight from each taxi if they have paid for the fare. Better still, ask the cab driver if he received a cash payment or whether his company is charging the BBC [i.e. the Licence Fee-payer] for the travel costs. Some of the passengers are elected politicians. Do you think that they are suddenly paying their way, like the rest of us? Do you truly think that “we are all in it together?” Oh don’t let me arouse you from your complacent slumber!
At this stage, may I remind you that you are investing £145.50 per year in a TV Licence. Enjoy the view:

*****BBC TAXIS BOOKED FROM FONACAB***** [these figures include a number of BBC accounts, including BBC sport]
2007 – 9,646
JANUARY – 690
FEBRUARY – 754
MARCH – 919
APRIL – 699
MAY – 869
JUNE – 803
JULY – 575
AUGUST – 709
SEPTEMBER – 757
OCTOBER – 983
NOVEMBER – 1,091
DECEMBER – 797
2008 – 8,465
JANUARY – 778
FEBRUARY – 782
MARCH – 663
APRIL – 744
MAY – 732
JUNE – 618
JULY – 581
AUGUST – 516
SEPTEMBER – 763
OCTOBER – 845
NOVEMBER – 819
DECEMBER – 624
2009
JANUARY/FEBRUARY – 1,480
MARCH – 890
1 – 6
2 – 26
3 – 39
4 – 34
5 – 37
6 – 32
7 – 18
8 – 28
9 – 37
10 – 34
11 – 34
12 – 39
13 – 41
14 – 16
15 – 10
16 – 33
17 – 35
18 – 31
19 – 27
20 – 28
21 – 12
22 – 7
23 – 38
24 – 45
25 – 36
26 – 47
27 – 25
28 – 23
29 -17
30 – 29
31 – 26
APRIL – 698
1 – 62
2 – 44
3 – 30
4 – 11
5 – 7
6 – 19
7 – 26
8 – 26
9 – 25
10 – 11
11 – 7
12 – 4
13 – 4
14 – 15
15 – 26
16 – 27
17 – 23
18 – 7
19 – 6
20 – 31
21 – 34
22 – 23
23 – 40
24 – 30
25 – 11
26 – 7
27 – 39
28 – 41
29 – 28
30 – 44
MAY – 824
1 – 26
2 – 10
3 – 6
4 – 11
5 – 33
6 – 57
7 – 59
8 – 43
9 – 22
10 – 5
11 – 30
12 – 35
13 – 53
14 – 34
15 – 44
16 – 10
17 – 9
18 – 35
19 – 39
20 – 34
21 – 46
22 – 30
23 – 9
24 – 3
25 – 13
26 – 23
27 – 39
28 – 29
29 – 20
30 – 10
31 – 7
JUNE -
1 – 29
2 – 22
3 – 30
4 – 25
5 – 28
6 – 12
7 – 10
8 – 34
9 – 35
10 – 29
11 – 31
12 – 30
13 – 8
14 – 10
15 – 30
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