Boris was right to accept McGrath's resignation in race row

Verity

According to you, Fraser: "McGrath made a remark which could easily have been misrepresented as racist, even though it was not."

So Boris threw McGrath under the bus for a remark he hadn't made, but some people might "interpret" the remark he didmade as a remark he didn't make.

Oh, I see. It all adds up now.

perdix

People like Marc Wadsworth and Marcus Howe make a living out of stirring up racial divisions and promoting "victimhood".

Iain

Bad call on your part, Fraser. It was a minor slip that even the Mirror had decided not to run, partially because of Wadsworth's unreliability.

Now - thanks to the headless chicken decision to sack McGrath - it's a much bigger story.

Boris is strong enough to change the terms of debate and slay the retarded notion that if you don't jump all over someone for committing even the most minor lapse of PC etiquette on racial matters then you, in turn, must be a 'racist'.

The used to be a convention that no Tory dare take on the unions - until Maggie did so and we all wondered why we had cowered for so long before paper tigers. In a decade's time we'll all ask ourselves why we quaked in terror before the charlatans and demented ideologues of the Race Relations industry. Boris has first class people like Ray Lewis, Munira Mirza and James Cleverley who would have been happy to go out and defend McGrath on the media. This is a missed opportunity and a shabby way to treat a loyal aide.

David Lindsay

Where race is concerned, James McGrath is the last person who should worry anyone about his newly former boss, Boris Johnson, the de facto joint Tory-BNP candidate who only won on the BNP's second preference votes.

For McGrath was simply stating a fact. If Darcus Howe is right (and I don't believe that he is) that elderly West Indians will simply return to the Caribbean rather than live in Johnson's London, then they should do just that. There is more to Britain than London, and those who would rather live in a different country should go there.

The same is true of those who wish to live under Sharia Law. The same used to be true of those who idolised the Soviet Union, or apartheid South Africa.

And the same is true of the Boris-backers (including many of the old Moscow-worshippers and all of the old Pretoria-worshippers) who now prostrate themselves to what they imagine America or Israel to be like, by definition including all three people who ever supported the Iraq War.

They should clear off to America or Israel, not only because the shock of what those countries were really like would probably kill them, but also because those of us who want to be British could then get on with being British.

mart

Verity, IMHO a heavy dose of sarcasm doesn't shed any light here. I note that Fraser also said:

"That, for better or worse, is how the game is played."

The judges are the public. The "evidence" is what is presented by the media. Not everyone plays fair. It's life - and notice that the gentleman concerned resigned rather than publicly attempt to hold on to his position in light of his mistake.

Ken

I just read the interview, and it's all about Wadsworth pushing his own agenda. McGrath says very little. Take a look at this clip, which appears at the end of the interview:

Curtly, he added: “I get where you are on the radar, sunshine.” Again, not a politically correct thing to say to a Black person.

peter wilson

Fraser Nelson should do some reporting before he comments. He says McGrath should have done some research on Wadsworth and should not have given him an on the record interview. If Nelson did his own research he would find that Wadsworth never told McGrath that the meeting was a media interview at all, simply that it was aimed at discussing race issues.

Verity

Mart posts: "Verity, IMHO a heavy dose of sarcasm doesn't shed any light here."

Mart, where did I give a mission statetment that I was in pursuit of shedding light? You mustn't try to misappropriate the thoughts of other people.

I am a warrior in the cause of preserving our language.

On the other hand, for you to remember is, sarcasm does indeed awaken the consciousness of people. That's why there are satirical caberets all over the world.

Verity

Mart, he resigned because he didn't wish to damage Boris in today's British, iron-booted thought Fascist society.

Do you think he did the right thing? Do you think he'll get recruited by a lobbying firm in the land of the free?

I do.

Water

Though I do sympathise with James McGrath, for the comment was not bad at all, I wonder why he has given up without a fight, leaving on grounds of context seems absurd.

One thing is for sure though, people can no longer pass of Boris as a racist, for this makes his point of view very clear as regards race issues (despite the nature of situation) and will provide ample ammunition against anyone who tries to bring up his rather insensitive remarks in the past.

Very harsh and I can fully appreciate those who label it a mistake, what a ridiculous situation. But a question persists to boggles me, why has McGrath agreed in such an obedient manner, surely had he stood his ground Boris would have kept him.

Commondog

Bang wrong Fraser.
This approach is what has stifled race debate and the removal of McGrath adds to that same record of knee-jerk, over sensitive, obfuscation.

Cassius

As touched on by "Water", the reason given for McGrath's resignation seems insubstantial, as well as being wrong. Is there some other cause about which we have not been told?

Sally S

"Anyone who knows McGrath knows he isn’t a racist, and he has a reputation as a top rank political operative. But this was a major slip, which handed a gift to those who still want to smear Boris as racist." Has it handed a gift though, its done quite the opposite hasn't it much too many peoples dismay Boris has taken a fairly hard line against things even seemingly racist, though ruthless and bound to upset (and open up to being called an error) it provides a buffer against any future allegations of racism on his part. Very mean yet it provides him with a stronghold of sorts as this will eventually blow over and he will have a long term form of saying well look at the line I took with McGrath. Though I don't totally agree with you Nelson you're not totally wrong.

Chuck Unsworth

Verity

Warrior you may be, but in the interests of 'preserving our language' (whatever that is), let's not confuse sarcasm with satire, eh?

John Ionides

Sadly, I think that Fraser is right. I say sadly, because Wadsworth is clearly a nasty piece of work and has been allowed to promote his extremely unpleasant agenda, and I don't for a moment believe McGrath is guilty of the racism he is being accused of.

However, it shows naivity bordering on incompetance to for McGrath to put himself the position of saying something like that to someone like Wadsworth. One of the biggest problems with the current government is its complete incompetance when it comes to governing. This resignation shows that Tory administrations intend to uphold the highest levels of professionalism and this should be seen as a very good sign.

Or to put it another way; if Labour ministers had been forced out every time they messed up to the degree of McGrath then they might have had slightly more incentive not to screw the country around so much.

Chuck Unsworth

@ John Ionides

"I say sadly, because Wadsworth is clearly a nasty piece of work and has been allowed to promote his extremely unpleasant agenda, "

Is that not the whole point of democracy and free speech?

'I might not like what you say' etc etc.

Wadsworth should have been exposed for what he is, but apparently McGrath was - regrettably - either unable or unwilling to turn the tables. And perhaps that is reason enough for a professional communicator to resign.

Elizabeth

What an interesting issue and interesting debate.
Would he have been sacked if he had suggested that white people who don't like something should go elsewhere - NO!
Would the media have even reported it - NO! White people can be insulted, affronted and abused. White people have no sensibilities, no rights and are the only people guilty of the PC sin of 'racism'.
Would people be beating their breasts on this thread - NO.
That IS racism.
This is a storm in a teacup and proves merely one thing. Those of us who believe that Cameron IS the heir to Blair, and that the present Tory party are lib dem in drag, are absolutely right. Boris Johnson the chosen heir to Heseltine is up to his ears.
A change of government in two years time is a pipedream. PC will stll rule OK under Cameron, nothing will change and MY country will continue to go down the drain of enforced and failed multiculturalism.
Free speech, even when innocent in intent, should it hint of non PC when spoken by white people alone will still be punishable by the most draconian action - for instance - instant dismissal. No doubt, like under Livingstone and under Labour white people will be discriminated against and insulted with impunity.
We live in a one party state. There isn't a tissue paper between the big three and they all of them support the globalist/multiculturalist/neo-liberal agenda and there is absolutely nothing else credible on offer - at present.

THX1138

Mark my words. The first of many resignations, finishing with Boris.

Peeved Perry

[FRASER – did my submission of this comment reach you – or was it deleted? No matter!]

Oh Boris, Boris, Boris!! You of all people falling into the bleeding-heart, po-faced PC bulls**t of ‘Cuddly Cameron’ - the sales-rep for we know not what.

Shame on you. We expected so much better. Still, there is a little time for you to pull yourself together. Forget all this ‘could easily have been misrepresented’ blather. Get back in the real world man, - as I expect you once would have unhesitatingly told yourself.

Perhaps you had a bad weekend. Get a grip! Re-install McGrath.

bob

You are wrong and Boris has done the first truly twatish thing since being elected.

He was elected to get rid of this kind of crap and I have written to him to tell him so.

Ian C

Fraser, you should take note of the 'principle' you explain here.

If someone says something (however true, and in this case he should have replied more guardedly as you rightly say) but opens the political party for which he works up to untrue allegations, then he should go.

This defines why our politics, politicians and you politicos are held in such low esteem. It is about what the media might say about it, not what the populus at large think about it (a load of nothing).

Heaven help us.

mckenzie

Seems to me that we now have to be in total fear of saying anything that mentions non white people. What a sad arse state of affairs.

Sally S

Why not kick up a fuss? Seems like a distinct lack of punch to this scenario.

David Parker

Normally, no-one would accuse Boris of being excessively PC which is doubtless part of the reason for his popularity.
On the facts of this particular case, not only were the remarks themselves not racist, but nobody, except bigoted race agitators, could even have misconstrued them as such.

In throwing McGrath to the wolves (or allowing him to fall upon his sword) therefore, Boris appears to have been acting out of character, serving neither principle nor his own personal popularity.

One wonders whether pressure may have been applied upon Boris "in the interests of party unity"
by the much more politically correct Cameron and CCHQ.

It is a slippery slope when politicians are afraid to express their views, not because of what they actually say, but because of what others may believe they said, or what may be misrepresented when taken out of context or deliberately misreported.

This becomes even more dangerous when Cameron, instead of robustly challenging such malicious accusations of racism and supporting his MPs and officials, all too often compounds the damage by giving in to such arguments.

Glyn

James said people who wanted to leave should be allowed to. He did not mis-speak. His answer was fair, logical and in no way racist. Who beyond the far left would disagree with a statement that people who want to leave the country should be allowed to?

On the logic of this piece Thatcher would have been sacked on the basis of her "no such thing as society" remark.We have lost an intelligent and talented man to no gain. This is a bad decision.

THX1138

According to Dave Hill, Cameron made Boris sack him as Fraser already knew, Fraser is just following the party line from Central Office.

As we get nearer the election don't come to the Coffee House/Spectator expecting any free & fair coverage of David Cameron's Conservative Party, The Spectator is turning into W11 Tory Parties Pravda.

David Stuart

The 'PC brigade' even get the blame even when they don't object to something. Even those who have cried 'racism' in the past haven't really said a thing on the issue.

What's more confusing is that you defend yourself before being attacked? This "I'm not a racist, he's not a racist etc.", seems bizarre given that I haven't seen anyone accuse him of being one. Isn't that paranoid and weird? Can't people make up their own minds?

I get told to f-off back up north when I challenge the selfish, greedy, bad mannered nature of a some Londoners (on the tube, on the roads, pushing in at the bar etc.). No one has lost their job as a result.

However, Boris's comments about water-melon smiles were a hark back to Victorian ages, and thus offensive.

We DO need to have anti-racism work, the fact that people are killed and abused regularly because of myth and misinformation is absurd.

However, what is also absurd though is this belief that people cannot argue for themselves and that we have to have this anti-debate response to people we may disagree with.

Here are some responses if I was debating McGrath:

1. er no James, what we should do is convince them to stay and get paid taxpayers money for exploiting the holes in their opponents argument - like yourself.

2. Really, then as an Aussie who has voiced concern over your political adversaries in the UK, why are you still here in the UK?

There, wasn't so bad was it?

Upset that he feels forced to use so many (!) marks Perry

The more I think about this, the more irritated I am! Boris repeatedly denounced such nonsense during his time at the Speccy, - yet here, oh so briefly after, - I write in a Speccy blog denouncing – him!

Topsy-Turvy land indeed!

Did some fifth columnist spray Living-Death-McTwaddle-gas into his office?

Lance Diatessaron

I'm obviously not sufficiently au courant with grievance-mongering, but why is "I get where you are on the radar, sunshine" unacceptable?

Ted Tedford

David Stuart: "A hark back to Victorian ages and thus offensive".

I *think* I know what you are trying to say.

But, leaving aside the assumptions you make about Mr Johnson's phrasing, this is lazy liberal ellision. There was much that was admirable about the Victorian era, not least the philanthropy, social reform and opera hats. That you write "thus", and expect people to fall into line with your BBC-standard assumptions about this most exciting of periods in British history, is revealing.

Also, the Londoners you condemn as "selfish, greedy, [and] bad mannered" are, in our vibrantly multi-ethnic city, very likely to be northerners, Scotsmen, Frenchmen, Italians, Phillipinas; so it's possible that, like the sensitive Carribean migrants of Mr Howe's imagination, you might be better off outside London. Of course, you might find that the citizens of the town of your birth are equally repellent to your sensitivies.

Ray

Definitely shades of Patrick Mercer and Nigel Hastilow here: it's not what you say, it's what the lefties think you have said or wanted you to say.
One of these days the Conservative Party will tells its critics to grow up and get a life.

Verity

Unsworth- Caught! To be candid, I slipped it in thinking no one would notice,because I thought it soudned good.

Moving on, Boris has now put himself firmly in thrall to the racist agenda thugs in City Hall and now that they know he'll give in without a fight, they are the boss of the mayor.

I cannot stand Boris Johnson. He's a weak man.

Elizabeth - Well said!

Also Ray, well said! I said yesterday when this broke that it was of a piece with the lunatic sacking of Patrick Mercer and that,clearly, it had been directed by Bullingdon Dave, who is going to get his feet under the Prime Minster's desk no matter how many people have to have their careers rent in tatters to make him look good.

He is a vile man. Absolutely vile. I would not shake his hand, that's for sure.

Actually, I'd like to see Patrick Mercer run for leader. All classes of people respect a soldier. I don't know how many people hold ex-PR executives in deep respect, or Bullingdon Boys for that matter.

The Chocolate Orange Intifada

If I were a black Briton, I would feel thoroughly used, abused and bruised after 11 years of being hijacked as a socialist political football.

Benet Northcote

My understanding is that James did not give an interview to Marc Wadsworth.

He met him for a routine "get to know you" discussion and was secretly recorded.

James would never grant an interview, as he is a political adviser, not a spokesman.

Sally S

Don't worry Boris some of us are still there for you dear, and hardly going to be as dramatic as some. You're no coward maybe a bit ruthless towards your friends, but at the end of the day the weak man is Mc Garth, going without a fight is pitiful.
Though it is bad of Boris to get rid of him, you’re still better then a lot of politicians on the trot. At least you haven't had countries bombed hey and you’ll hardly be going to hell for this. Also considering how much money you have saved London already I certainly won’t begrudge you. At least we know for certain you’re no racist, now don’t let yourself get pushed into rash decisions by third rate reporters!

Perry

That’s nice of you Sally S. Your sweet reason has perhaps helped calm my savage disappointment in Boris. I had, with some justification, such high hopes in him.

Sally S

Perry thank you dear,given the amount of time he has been in place my high hopes are still in place, but this should be a good shock to the system, we need a fighter at the helm Boris.

THX1138

Just listened to Boris on The Today Programme- Ouch

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7462000/7462766.stm

Not for the squeamish or for those Coffee Houser's who like to hear Tories sounding competent. The really funny thing was that he knew why he was being invited on, not done his homework, thought he could wing it & fell flat on his arse. Hilarious

Ken rings the programme up later to stick the knife in, pure political theatre. I bet Dave was gagging on his organic muesli.

THX1138

Verity- Ian Duncan Smith was ex Guards & I don't remember anyone having much respect for him.

On the Boris thing I agree with you totally spineless, this will all end very badly for both Boris & Dave I can smell it.

Frank Pulley

THX1138

Tks for the link, I was still asleep when this little fiasco was unfolding. What with this yesterday's idiocy over the McGrath resignation, I've now aborted my plans to visit Boristown. The new supremo of The Smoke seems to be still fumbling around in the political fog. Red Ken's coup de grace in his phone call, about Boris obviously not being able to hold down two jobs simultaneously, was particularly galling, as you say. Get a grip FFS Boris! Goodwill is running out almost as fast as the funds for the Olympics.