His comments may have been stupid and insensitive, but Ken Livingstone is right about the Daily Mail and its underhand agenda.
The row over Ken Livingstone’s angry remarks to an obnoxious journalist door-stepping him refuses to die down. Blown out of all proportion, I’m not interested in writing a column about exactly what a man with a fiery temper said when he was possibly not completely sober. But I do support his attack on the Daily Mail.
In my eyes, the Daily Mail is the most dangerous mainstream newspaper in Britain. The down market tabloids may be cheap and nasty, pandering to the lowest common denominator, but at least they are honest – The Sun never seriously pretends to be a reputable journal. The Daily Mail is different. The Daily Mail views itself as Britain’s moral guardian – passing judgement from its lofty perch in a right-wing voice of outrage.
Meanwhile, it appears to attack the people who I would judge to be the most vulnerable in an attempt to sell newspapers to an already paranoid and obsessive country. Think Ken’s remarks were distasteful? It’s a million times worse, to me, to moan all the time about the cost of housing asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their own country.
And when newspapers start tutting disapprovingly that Cruz is a ‘ridiculous baby name’ it is time to wonder, who exactly is guilty of being the ‘nanny state’?”
You may disagree with me, but try leafing through a copy of the Daily Mail. How many attacks on asylum seekers and immigrants? How many things are ‘in crisis’ – the health service, police, schools? Funny that the government is ‘wasting so much money’ on services, but is then accused of ‘not doing enough.’ The constant negativism, the continual columns written by people who seem to think crime started in the 1960s and dream of a mythical past where moral standards were so much higher, it’s all geared towards a political agenda, which includes placing Mr. Howard in No. 10.
In the defence of the Daily Mail, this is a generalisation. Not every article fits in with what I see as the Mail’s point of view; not every column attacks someone in the public eye, or in Government. But my overall impression of the Daily Mail? You’d be better off getting your news from fish and chip wrappings.
© Ruberyvillage.co.uk 1999 – 2005. We bite; don’t mess.
Personally I agree with you, the mail is crap and your right about them portraying themselves as a serious newspaper.
What he said can’t really be considered as racist and he’s done alot of good for london, I’m behind him on this one.
I think Ken Livingstone is a s*** face i mean okay hes done London a bit of good but hes done more bad stuff as well u cant admit it like making tube more crap and more bendy buses and higher taxes and congestion charges. Also my mum nearly had the chance to run over him and she nearly suceseeded coz he wasnt looking while crossing the street lol
Sounds like hes a lot more personal than the mayor of New York. You had a chance to run over him, I dont think the mayor of New York would cross the street, he get driven in a limo.
People generally ‘love or hate’ Ken in my experience (a bit like marmite) and yeah, he is famous for either walking to work or taking the bus or tube. I met him a few years ago – nice guy!
H8 in my opinion lol nearly ran him over again this time i was in the car