Language Tommy!

Here's a fascinating video of a BBC interview with a difference. It shows the informal interview leading up to the actual BBC interview. 

And a very intense informal interview it is too, with the BBC reporter answering as well as asking the questions!

It stars the BBC's Daniel Sandford and Tommy Robinson, and whether you strongly approve or strong disapprove of either or both of them (or neither), it's gripping stuff.

I'll quote a few bits from it but the full 50 minutes is well worth watching...

TR: Do you know, I stood in Manchester after the Manchester attack. I stood there and I found in the point that I was standing there, in the two-mile radius, there were 19 terrorists who had come from that point. That's what you need to be reporting. You're leaving it to me to report it. And that's why...

DS: I suppose we would argue that we do report this stuff but we try and do it in a measured way so that it doesn't...

TR: A politically-correct way? 

TR: I you were to sit here and say, 'You said this, which was a lie', then I'd hold my hands up. But I've not said one lie. I've reported the truth and the reality of the situation our country's in. 

DS: Well that's an honest answer. I think there'll be lots of people who would say, 'Yeah, but it's all about how you say it, and you have to be careful.

TR: You don't have to be careful. As I said, when 22 children get blow up in Manchester the time for being careful in our words has gone.

TR: So do you think in future then I should just shut my mouth and not tell anyone what's going on? No honestly, I'm just asking you as a journalist, just in case one person out of 200 million people who view it is...
DS: Because that's plainly not right because my profession is exactly that, to tell people what's going on.  

TR: But you don't tell people what's going on.

DS: But we don't tell it in the same way. 

TR: No, no, you just don't tell them. OK, when did you...

DS: You know, the things that I've reported on Islamist extremism. I was the first person to report the existence of Al-Muhajiroun. I reported on Abu Hamza from long before anyone else had heard of him. I reported on international terrorism from 9/11 and through to 2010. The only reason I stopped reporting on it from 2010 to 2014 was because I was reporting out of Russia. And since I've been here the main theme of what we do is reporting into Islamist extremism. I reported...

TR: Forget 'all Muslims'. Islam. What you should be saying is 'Islam'. But what is coming into the frame...

DS: You see I think that's exactly where people would say that you're not careful enough...

TR: I have a frustration...you're probably bearing the brunt of it sitting here as a journalist.

DS: Listen, I completely understand it. I do. I completely understand where you are. I actually think that you ought to be more...personally I do actually believe you ought to be more thoughtful because, you know, stuff that seems like a great idea to say can make some nut do stuff.

TR: Do you think it's my fault he done this?

DS: Er. I don't know whether he would have got as fired up as he did if it wasn't for some stuff he was reading. I've no idea if...

TR: One more question: Do you think it's Islam's fault he did it?
DS: Er. I don't particular think that.

TR: So you're not sure about me but the fact that Islam's encouraged all these terrorist attacks!!

DS: Let's do it. OK? You ready?
TR: Yeah, go on. 

DS: Be careful! Don't make things worse!

TR: 'Don't use dangerous words!'

DS: No, no, no...

TR: Say 'Islamist' rather than 'Islam!'. 'Don't upset anyone!'