James O'Brien repents

Crikey!

According to the UK Press Gazette, occasional Newsnight presenter James O'Brien has said it's time for journalists, like him, to stop talking about Nigel Farage and Diane James as if they are "a pimple on the backside of British politics":

The media, myself included, now have to stop talking about Nigel Farage and UKIP like they are some sort of pimple on the backside of British politics.

He went on:

I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve made a conscious personal and professional decision to leave the scepticism at the door and will now treat this party, this man and this woman as I treat all politicians – with a degree of cynicism but not as some sort of aberration.

And questioning the negative media reception to UKIP's policies (including the BBC's), he said: 

Try this on for size. "We have let immigration spiral out of control and it's having a serious impact on public services and harming the poor". What’s not to like about that? Why is that even controversial?

He added: 

I used to call it racist, quasi-fascist. Parking all that language, it’s over, it’s finished, it’s meaningless.

Praising Nigel Farage’s qualities, he said:

You see a strength in the man, a lot of other people would have buckled under the sheer weight of abuse he has received from from the media and establishment, including me. You’ve got a former leader who really does appear to represent a profound alternative to the notion of business as usual. Why has that been treated so negatively?

Why indeed, James?

*******

Note for readers who don't click on links and are feeling worn out after a hard day's work: James O'Brien was actually talking about Jeremy Corbyn. Of course. (Most of the words above were his).

Who would have expected a London-based left-wing shock jock to publicly recant and declare his admiration for Our Darling, Our Guiding Star (as Seumas probably calls him)?