I hold my nose and side with John McDonnell…
He admitted that he had sometimes “gone too far” in criticism of opponents, but insisted it was better to be honest about his views.
He said: “I was angry. Sometimes you need to express honest anger and that was about what this last government was doing to people with disabilities. It was appalling, to be frank, and sometimes it is better to be honest about how you feel.
“At times, in Parliament in particular, it means using strong language but, actually, if it reflects your honest views, I think it is better to be honest than it is to be in any way deceptive.”
Yes, indeed. This is freedom of speech and speech can be intemperate and offensive. So, I don’t think he should apologise for it, unless he has had second thoughts, of course and genuinely feels remorse for what he said. Otherwise it is just hot air, like so many of the enforced apologies we are used to hearing.
Okay, now the caveat.
John McDonnell is a Labour politician. Labour, when in power, made inroads into our freedom of speech with hate laws. It was them, when in power, that encouraged the police to prosecute people for racist speech that now means calling someone a Jock can get you a criminal conviction – and don’t get me started on homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia and all the other excuses for shutting down speech that someone, somewhere (including me, possibly) might find offensive. Suddenly, he is now complaining about freedom of speech. Colour me unimpressed. I don’t recall him making any freedom of speech arguments then… Or is it only Tories that are allowed to be offended?
McDonnell is to Labour what Livingstone was to the old LCC, the real power behind the throne. Forget the gentle, naive, views of uncle Corbyn, but concentrate on the extreme views of Comrade McDonnell whose Momentum followers are today’s Brown shirts or KGB or Stasi. If Labour win the next election, then Corbyn will be Prime Minister, for about 6 months before having to resign due to ill health and thus allowing McDonnell to take over. And you thought 1984 was a work of fiction.
There is just one tiny problem with your prognosis. Labour will not win any election with policies like this. In fact given Abbott’s latest outburst, allied with the Hope not Soap’s tirade against “uneducated and racist” labour voters, I can’t see them holding that many constituencies either. UKIP will be aiming for those ‘lost’ voters
Part of the problem regarding the decline of free speech has been the willingness of those who have been caught out saying something unpopular to apologise for any offence that may have been caused. The correct response would have been to challenge the offenderati to explain how and why I was wrong. If they are able to give a coherent answer to this question then, and only then, should a considered retraction be contemplated. Otherwise, stick to your guns FFS.