https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgexg4lz2q5o
You've got to admit he's played a blinder with this.....
Farage said the Today programme interview was a "disgrace" and demanded the BBC apologise for 1970s TV shows such as "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" and the "The Black and White Minstrel Show," which he said were homophobic and racist.
He also mentions Bernard Manning which I guess is fair if they want to go back 45 years.
What probably isn't fair though is blaming the BBC. They didn't dig up this story about Nigel Farage's schooldays 45 years ago Labour did, the BBC is simply reporting it.
I love how the article says that the BBC has been contacted, of course they have, they wrote the ****ing article!
which he said were homophobic and racist.
The fallacy here is whatabout-ism. If Nigel wants to have a discussion about early 70's TV he's more than entitled to, the rest of us are discussing the fact he's [still] a racist.
Does anyone remember a TV show from their childhood where Jews were told they should be gassed? Pretending his vile behaviour was “normal for the time” is just another deflection.
Also, Manning is not the person here running a political party. If he were alive and had a chance of becoming PM, I would hope his past behaviour would be pointed out and scrutinised by other politicans and the media as well.
You've got to admit he's played a blinder with this.....
He really hasn't.
He's come up with a load of whataboutery and thrown a tantrum when he's been called out on it.
Does anyone remember a TV show from their childhood where Jews were told they should be gassed? Pretending his vile behaviour was “normal for the time” is just another deflection.
Nigel Farage hasn't been accused of being responsible for a TV show during his childhood.
What I do remember from my childhood is coming home from school and being genuinely mystified when my mother didn't find the hilarious joke I had heard doing the rounds concerning Jews and laughing gas, and a couple of other equally tasteless "jokes" about concentration camps, funny.
I was brought up in a deeply anti-fascist environment thanks to my father from whom I inherited much of my politics, but I simply could not understand why something which was clearly imo a very funny joke, and which all my mates had laughed at as it did the rounds at school, should cause my mother to frown and walk away instead of laughing.
Children can be incredibly crass and insensitive. I think children justify that sort of insensitive and deeply unpleasant "humour" because they believe that it isn't physically hurting anyone and they lack any serious insight into the consequences of that sort of unpleasant humour.
I am not defending Farage btw, I have no doubt that he was as much of an arsehole when he 13 as he is now, in fact almost certainly more so than he is now, but I think it is a waste of time trying to smear politicians for what they said during their childhoods. Most voters will dismiss it as irrelevant.
As I have said previously the only people likely to be outraged by what Farage might have said when he was a child are people who hate him anyway and would never vote for him or any of his many parties.
You've got to admit he's played a blinder with this.....
He really hasn't.
He's come up with a load of whataboutery and thrown a tantrum when he's been called out on it.
This story has been rumbling on for a week or so, and it has come to the surface before more than once over the years, there is no evidence that it is causing him any damage now. And it certainly smacks of desperation by Starmer and McSweeney. If he is throwing a tantrum over it he's a fool.
If Nigel wants to have a discussion about early 70's TV he's more than entitled to
Don't give him ideas - Reform's next manifesto will include a commitment to a new state-funded PBTC (Proper British Telly Channel). 24/7/365 broadcast of Mind Your Language, Jim Davidson, Bernard Manning, Black & White Minstrels, and Romany Jones. It'll be very popular with his base!
And it certainly smacks of desperation by Starmer and McSweeney.
I've seen loads of reports on the story in different sources and nothing linking it to Starmer and McSweeney, even from Farage supporters.
If he is throwing a tantrum over it he's a fool.
The latter was never in doubt, the tantrum throwing looked and sounded incredibly Trumpian. Which just exposed him for what he is.
I've seen loads of reports on the story in different sources and nothing linking it to Starmer and McSweeney, even from Farage supporters.
The current story is based on a piece of deep investigative research by The Guardian, which identified 15+ witnesses to and targets of Farage's abuse.
Starmer and Lammy have stuck their oar in, but if Farageists are trying to make out this is some kind of deep state stitch up by the government...they need to loosen their tinfoil hats.
The story that Nigel Farage was a massive racist and neo-fascist whilst a pupil at Dulwich College first broke about 12 years ago and was very extensively covered at the time.
It was credible then as it now. I am not sure what the point of digging it all up again now is. If you are going to have this sort of smear campaign against a politician then the time to do it is during the election campaign in an attempt to swing the undecideds. This will all be forgotten by 2029 and any attempt to regurgitate it yet again then will be seen for what it will be, a cynical smear tactic.
https://www.channel4.com/news/nigel-farage-ukip-letter-school-concerns-racism-fascism
I am not sure what the point of digging it all up again now is
Because his stock has risen since 2012? Nice easy story for the journalists? Maybe not a McSweeney conspiracy?
Children can be incredibly crass and insensitive. I think children justify that sort of insensitive and deeply unpleasant "humour" because they believe that it isn't physically hurting anyone and they lack any serious insight into the consequences of that sort of unpleasant humour
True but that doesn't make most of them teenage racist bullies.
I'm a year or two older than Farage and was at a multi ethnic comp in the 70s, rather than Dulwich College. NF actually leafleted at the school gates from time to time. I was a not very active member of SWP (I later realised) offshoot Nat Union of School Students, and Anti Nazi League. Sure there was Manuel in Fawlty Towers stuff on telly and I'll have told racist jokes I'd be highly embarrassed to be reminded of now. But teenagers weren't thick and knew what racism was, hence frisson in crossing lines with 'banter'. That didn't make most of us racist bullies, as Farage very clearly was.
We're all having to take Farage more seriously now. Imagine how you'd feel seeing every day the teenager who'd bullied you in racist fashion at school being talked up as the next Prime Minister? Bad?? I think that's why 20 plus people are now speaking out and good on them.
The way Farage is dealing with it: (1. I didn't do it; 2. The thing I didn't do was only banter and I was very young; 3. My victims are politically motivated; 4. The BBC was just as bad) may persuade some fans but I think for most people it's revealing of the person he is.
I am not sure what the point of digging it all up again now is
Because his stock has risen since 2012? Nice easy story for the journalists? Maybe not a McSweeney conspiracy?
I am not sure that I would describe it as a conspiracy, the very day after the Guardian revived this 12 year old story Starmer, no doubt after being briefed by McSweeney, decided to run with it and raise it in parliament. I obviously don't know if the Guardian and McSweeney colluded I suspect not, but it is of course possible that Downing Street were tipped off before the Guardian published.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1j8jdpej0wo
That didn't make most of us racist bullies, as Farage very clearly was.
The suggestion that Farage was a racist bully isn't just plausible imo but also highly likely. And yes racist bullying should never be tolerated but the time to deal with Farage's behaviour was then not 45 years later.
Like most voters I am not interested in what Farage, Starmer, or any other politician, were saying 45 years, why should I be? I am far more interested in what they are saying right now.
The problem for Starmer is that with all his talk of Islands of strangers and the "incalculable damage" to the UK he claims immigrants have made he actually agrees with much of what Farage is currently saying with regards to immigrants and asylum seekers, at least so he claims, hence Starmer needs to pull the narrative back 45 years.
During last year's racist riots which swept across the UK Starmer had a fairly unique and golden opportunity to attack Farage for his anti immigrant and anti asylum seeker rhetoric which was clearly fueling the riots, Starmer deliberately chose not to do so. He now wants to criticise Farage for what he was saying 45 years ago. For ****s Sake. 🫣
And perhaps the hypocrisy and inconsistency could be forgiven if it was actually showing any sort of positive result for Labour, but it isn't. Starmer decided to go after Nigel Farage's childhood behaviour over two weeks ago, the 12 national opinion polls since then all show Reform's huge lead over Labour being maintained with the very latest one showing Reform on 31% against Labour's 14%
It's a shit tactic providing no positive result. How about trying the alternative tactic of tackling the lies which Nigel Farage is saying right now? 💡
This is not the Starmer thread, but hey,
Starmer had a fairly unique and golden opportunity to attack Farage
Which he did, calling out his racist tactics at the party conf. During the riots the priory was to end them not inflame them.
It's Farage's nasty response to 20 odd fellow pupils calling out his teenage racist bullying that I was highlighting, Though frankly it doesn't endear him to me I must admit.
Anyway that's all I have to say about Farage.
During the riots the priory was to end them not inflame them.
And how exactly do you think attacking Farage's rhetoric which inflamed the riots would end up inflaming them?
Starmer is worried about criticising Farage's racist rhetoric, which is coming out of Farage's mouth right now in 2024-5, too much because he wants to engage in a bit of dog whistling himself.
So instead Starmer wants to focus on Farage being a raving Hitler supporter when he was a school kid. The problem is that very few people apart from those who already hate Nigel Farage give a monkeys about what he was saying as a child nearly 50 years ago.
The revelations didn't hurt Farage 12 years ago and there is no evidence that it is hurting him now, it just makes Labour look desperate which of course they are, especially after trying to steal Farage's thunder over immigration and asylum seekers and finding that it hasn't helped them one iota.
The centrists have no idea how to deal with Nigel Farage, and everything they are doing seems to be making the problem worse for them.
Maybe not a McSweeney conspiracy?
Apparently McSweeney is an incompetent **** whose incompetent gossiping wrecked the budget messaging and also a puppetmaster who secretly directs the UK media.
Amazing that the big 6 on here lost their minds over Starmer accepting a free pair of specs, and have literally nothing to say about Reform accepting the largest single political cash donation ever made to a UK political party, and from some-one who's not resident in the UK.
You realise Starmer was supposed to be better that Farage don't you? And I am sure if Starmers Labour Party could accept a multi million pound donation from a single person they would do it without question.
Amazing that the big 6 on here lost their minds over Starmer accepting a free pair of specs, and have literally nothing to say about Reform accepting the largest single political cash donation ever made to a UK political party, and from some-one who's not resident in the UK.
I think it is terrible and Starmer should use his massive 172 seat majority to introduce legislation capping political donations from individuals whilst also banning donations from those who are not UK residents.
HTH
Donations are only part of it. A huge war chest for party campaigning is one thing to contribute to. But it’s probably more effective spending a small proportion of your huge wealth (or even better getting other investors to provide the money) buying a newspaper, or a magazine, or starting a TV channel, or a taking over a social media company… lots of ways we’re being swung towards Farage the Fascist by the ridiculously rich (mostly from the safe distance of a country far, far away).
Donations may only be a part of it but I can't believe anyone donates large amounts of money to any party/person if they don't want to benefit from it, ranging from a question in parliament to policy direction.
If someone wants to help political parties then any donations go into a pot and get shared equally across all parties, failing that I would reduce donations down to a £10 max per person per year
If someone wants to help political parties then any donations go into a pot and get shared equally across all parties, failing that I would reduce donations down to a £10 max per person per year
Both of those are mad. Why should I be forced to donate to Reform if I want to donate to the NI Greens? £10 is nothing these days.
It't not "mad", impolitecameraaction. It's civllised and democratic. State finance parties, limit private donations and have rules on who can donate.Then prosecute those who break the rules and hand them jail terms. It works here.
State finance can work. Asking for donations that will then be handed out to parties you’d never support is unlikely to work. I wouldn’t donate, that’s for sure. Despite the fact I’ve often donated to more than one party (or their candidates) during the same campaign period.
Black & White Minstrels
I remember catching it once as a kid, I just couldn’t get my head round how people thought it was entertainment as it was just dire , that was around 77/78 when it ended up getting canned but I wouldn’t have picked up on the racist nature of it then as I was young, I found a good article/comment about it :
Probably the most offensive thing about the show was the repertoire of old songs the group would trot out and sing every weekend. The sort of material that even Max Bygraves used to throw out.
If someone wants to help political parties then any donations go into a pot and get shared equally across all parties, failing that I would reduce donations down to a £10 max per person per year
Both of those are mad. Why should I be forced to donate to Reform if I want to donate to the NI Greens? £10 is nothing these days.
Because everyone that donated to Reform would have to donate to the NI Greens.
So instead Starmer wants to focus on Farage being a raving Hitler supporter when he was a school kid. The problem is that very few people apart from those who already hate Nigel Farage give a monkeys about what he was saying as a child nearly 50 years ago.
It’s also giving him even more Print/internet/TV time,it’s the same mistake that’s always happening with Trump.
Starmer doesn't control how much print/internet/TV time Farage gets. You guys have Starmer Derangement Syndrome if you're blaming Starmer for the Guardian and other media outlets publishing articles that make Farage look bad.
Because everyone that donated to Reform would have to donate to the NI Greens.
Everyone would stop donating in the hope that the “other side” would keep donating. The idea that we’d be voluntarily popping our own money into a pot for “all politicans” to use rather than causes closer to our own hearts is for the birds.
And I am sure if Starmers Labour Party could accept a multi million pound donation from a single person they would do it without question.
The nature of the politician is that they don't want to restrict things that may benefit their party/self interest but are unable to see beyond this potential benefit to the very real danger this laissez faire attitude poses to the country from populists and extremists.