For those who don't follow Twitter very closely, here's a Twitter exchange between BBC presenter Andrew Neil and BBC regular Owen Jones. Enjoy!
Owen Jones: Frank Field voted to save Theresa May's government, supported her extreme Tory Brexiteer policies and has been compared to Enoch Powell because of his xenophobia. His local party wanted him out, and he jumped before he was pushed.
Andrew Neil: Frank Field = Enoch Powell. Modern McCarthyism at its finest/worst, depending on your point of view.
Owen Jones: I quoted a Bishop who compared Frank Field to Enoch Powell - who Field praised - because of his anti-immigration bigotry. But given you hired the Holocaust denier and Nazi apologist David Irving, and your magazine publishes defences of Nazis, I’d stay out of this one, old chap.
Andrew Neil: I admire how you do JC’s work, tirelessly and, so far, without reward. Everybody close to Mr Corbyn still despises you. It’s so unfair. Maybe adding to your McCarthyite litany by calling Mr Field a bigot will make them see sense. I do hope so.
Owen Jones: Did Andrew Neil describe the comparison of Jeremy Corbyn to Enoch Powell - a man frequently praised by his Spectator magazine’s leading contributors - as McCarthyism? No he didn’t, because Andrew Neil is a right wing Tory paid for by the licence payer.
Andrew Neil: Another McCarthyite smear. You really are getting the hang of this. If only Mr Corbyn and those around him would recognise your talents, as I do. I think I’ll have a word with them. You deserve better for selling your soul.
And, of course, others joined it:
Bivver1 bif #JC9 #brokenmedia: Really ? As if you know anyone close to Corbyn, more fiction from your 'News' programs Neil?Andrew Neil: Seamus is an old colleague of mine. He used to work for me.
Ian Lavery MP: What a load of nonsense from Andrew Neil. Think you need to get yourself some fresh sources. Owen Jones is and always will be a close friend and true comrade. He is an assiduous supporter of the mass movement of people power we are building. A Labour Party, for the Many!Andrew Neil: Ian, I agree with you. The wee lad is assiduous. Indeed I’d go further — a huge asset for you. Just not appreciated by Core Corbyn. Let’s try to put this right. I’ll have a word with my old mate Seamus. And you speak to Jezza. Together we can do this.
etc.
Well my take is:
ReplyDelete1. Neil knows he's out of the BBC soon so he doesn't care any more. He's now quite happy to wade up to the top of his boots into the politics...
2. Neil is being a political coward when he repeatedly references "McCarthyism". The truth is that there WAS huge Communist infiltration of US government networks (including of course its military and scientific intelligence which is why the Soviet Union was so easily able to replicate the A and then H Bombs). Just because McCarthy himself was a rather unpleasant and self-publicising (shades of Owen Jones) individual doesn't detract from that truth. Equally there was huge Communist infiltration of Hollywood and other areas of American cultural life (the media etc). If McCarthyism was a witch-hunt it was one where there were actual witches and to deny that is to simply deny the historical record.
3. Neil is right in thinking Owen Jones is just desperate - absolutely desperate - to be allowed into the Corbyn Camp, despite his previous multiple offences of not showing due respect for the dearly beloved Leader.
Simple answer, yes the BBC is biased, alongside mainstream media, they live in an echo chamber of middle class, humanities uni educated far left ideologues I suggest. It is far left biased, in favour of neo Marxist, postmodernism, identity politics, intersectionality lines. The BBC cannot explain what 'far right' actually means, without reference to far left ideologues like Hope not Hate or Prof Georg Betz. It is highly supportive of EU membership, globalism, islam and mass immigration, based upon observations. All most of us want is honest, critical, unbiased debate, not neo Marxist propaganda.
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