Statement on The Spectator article
From Boris Johnson – sent to the Liverpool Daily Post this morning
It is quite an education to be at the centre of one of these sudden media firestorms: the cameras on the doorstep, the phone ringing off the hook, the endless requests for interviews, the shouted abuse.
By Saturday morning my poor Commons secretary was so overcome by the avalanche of electronic hate mail that she had to retire to her bed. And yet I can’t really pretend to be surprised.
We had a firestorm because we had an editorial in the magazine that was frankly incendiary, and I have no one to blame but myself.
I am the editor. I put it there. I must now take responsibility for enraging my party leader, alienating the people of a great city, and incurring the anger of not a few of The Spectator’s readers.
What on earth was I thinking of?
How could I possibly have approved an attack on Liverpool?
I will tell you the genesis of the piece. I was driving a child to a football match, and we were listening on the radio to the start of the England-Wales game, where it was the intention to hold a minute’s silence in memory of Ken Bigley.
I listened with mounting disbelief and disgust; because instead of keeping silent – as the people of Liverpool kept silent – the crowd started to jabber. Then they started to swear, and jeer, and catcall.
After what seemed like barely twenty or thirty seconds the ref was so embarrassed that he gave up, and blew the whistle for the start of the game. The following day I looked in the papers for an account of this disgrace, and found nothing, and thought we should have a piece on it.
I brooded on the causes. How could people behave so thuggishly, when called upon to hold a minute’s silence?
It occurred to me that the crowd’s reaction showed there was something by definition false in the decision to hold the minute’s silence. The ceremony required people to show an emotion that – manifestly, alas – they did not all feel.
Suppose a British crowd had been asked to hold a minute’s silence for those who died in the second world war. Or suppose that they were asked to commemorate all the British soldiers who have died in Iraq, or the victims of some IRA atrocity.
I don’t believe that silence would have been interrupted by anything more than a cough.
So it struck me that a large part of the crowd was in a sense rebelling against an imposed sentiment; and that made me think about a leader on the difficulties of the culture of sentimentality in modern Britain. No doubt I shall be strongly criticized for saying this, but I still believe that the underlying point of that editorial was serious, and was worth pondering.
Whatever apologies I am about to make, it would be absurd and Orwellian if I were to perform a complete intellectual U-turn, and repudiate, this week, the main point of a leader I published last week.
I still think it worth saying that it is a sad truth that tumultuous displays of grief, like those we saw for Ken Bigley, will tend to encourage the Islamic terrorists, because they increase the political value of each kidnapping and murder.
Time and again, in the leader, we stressed our horror and revulsion at Ken Bigley’s death.
Time and again we extended our heartfelt sympathies to his family. But we also pointed out that it was wrong of some of the Bigley family to say that Tony Blair had Ken’s blood on his hands, because in our view the people who had Ken Bigley’s blood on their hands were the people who killed him.
And I say that because I do not believe it would have been right for the Government to negotiate with his kidnappers in such a way as to encourage further kidnappings, and jeopardize the lives of others working in Iraq.
We concluded with a point – which I stick by – about risk, and the risks Ken was willingly running, and our modern refusal to accept that we may be in any way the authors of our own misfortunes. I now think that the point was valid, but that it was tasteless to make it in the context of Ken Bigley’s death.
I am truly sorry for any offence we may have caused his relatives.
But I am sorry, too, for the hurt and dismay we have so evidently caused in our description of Liverpool. There may well be some Liverpudlians who still answer to the characteristics in question – just as there are all over the country. We should not have generalized, so as to seem to refer to everyone in Liverpool.
Above all, we have simply no excuse for getting our facts wrong about the Hillsborough tragedy. We said “more than 50″ Liverpool supporters died. That was I suppose technically accurate, but the real number was 96, as ten seconds on Google would have shown.
And we should clearly not have blamed drunken fans at the back, when this cause was specifically ruled out by the inquiry report.
A lot of people have said that this whole business shows that you can’t be both a politician and a journalist, and that there are things you can get away with as a columnist that you simply can’t say as a member of the Tory front bench.
I am not so sure. After all, I am not the first journalist to be forced to say sorry to the people of Liverpool – as I do – for misrepresenting what happened at Hillsborough.
I repeat that in so far as the leader made a serious point about
risk and sentimentality, and the culture of blame, I stick by it. In so far as it imposed an outdated stereotype on the whole of Liverpool, and thereby caused offence, I sincerely apologise.
160 Comments
Dear Mr Johnson,
I have taken time to read your article and the parts you wished to offer apologies for. I just wonder how many in Liverpool have done the same.Having also read the other feed back on this page I can only add my support to you. I am no stranger to grief and sudden deaths in horrific circumstances , having been present at the violent deaths of ‘ ordinary ‘ members of the public including friends. None of us involved would have wanted this public demonstation which comes over as a false emmotion but merely to be left to grieve within our own immediate circle of family and friends. You are to be admired for the honest way you have gone about offering apologies . It is a pity that the leader of the government does not have the same humility and honesty.
Donald F. Acton G.M.
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Just adding my support. Boris you’re right, shame your pathetic leader Howard made you apologise.
If the mindless idiots, pouring out the grief they have kidded themselves they feel, had any sense then surely they could see the absurdity of it all. Do they advocate the same level of grief for everyone who dies? Do they advocate two minutes silence for every death? If so nothing would be done and everyone would go around in a perpetual state of mourning.
Get a sense of proportion, grieve for your own losses and not for those people of whom you have no knowledge other than what the press has chosen to tell you. Ken Bigleys death is no more a matter for public grief than the death of my grandmother.
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Ken Bigley was only in Iraq to make money. He must have known the risks before he went. If he had made a huge profit would he have shared it with the people of Liverpool?
Despite this we feel very sad at what happened to Ken Bigley and to his family but we feel very sad as to what has happened to the people in Iraq, partly instigated by our own government.
We wish all these people with such sadness in their their lives the love of our one God.
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Mr Johnson, the article was spot on. All that you got wrong was the timing of its publication in my opinion. Indeed, the resultant public outcry (mainly from Liverpool) simply proves the article’s point.
Paul Bigley is quite understandably upset about his recent loss, but he is also quite wrong in his attack on you and you should definitely NOT “get out of public life”. In fact, we need more people like you in public life so please, do stay. Kind regards, Mike.
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Bonjour Boris!
Why apologise?
Ken Bigley went to Iraq of his own fruition to earn a final big paypacket to fund his retirement in Thailand with his wife. The ‘gang’ that carried out his abduction and subsequent murder are to be reviled – this is ‘modern warfare’.
He knew the risks, he wasn’t a young soldier sent to fight in an illegal invasion of a country, Saddam Hussein was no innocent, he was there because it suited many, the ‘gangs’ are the continuing legacy.
And to Paul Bigley, I would like to express my deep condolences to a family that has lost a son, husband, father and brother in such a brutal way, they should mourn his passing privately.
If, as Paul Bigley said on the radio today, you are a ‘pompous twit’ then so am I. There is a minority of people throughout the UK that carry a deep seated longing to be trodden down and seen as martyrs, the media have a field day. In an obtuse way they are sycophants, riding on the despair of someone or something remotely connected with them.
The majority are reasonable, educated and wise who are able to accept that whilst a tragedy for the family, we all have situations to deal with that are far from ideal.
The media are happy to report this mass mourning, but as anyone who has truly lost someone close, mourning is done in private. The teenager shown at the church, the books of condolences signed, just send a short note to the family out of the gaze of the press, this would be more genuine.
Finally if Paul Bigley can utter such a tirade of abuse at you and who you are without apologising, then in a democratic society, you and I can have a differing opinion.
I am appalled that your boss appears to have insited upon the apology, but maybe politics and showbiz shouldn’t mix? Isn’t your salary as an MP enough? Do you really need to take a second or third job? Give your all to one or the other, either way you’ll be a great performer!
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http://www.channel4.com/news/2004/10/week_4/20_boris.html
Here’s the Channel4 page on it. Eek.
It seems to have been a rough day for everyone.
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Sorry you had such a bad day Boris,you didn’t deserve it! We did not agree with everything in the article, but vehemently support your right to print it. Long live freedom of speech, it would be a stupid and dangerous world if one could only print opinions guaranteed to offend no-one. It is a pity that you chose to hit a raw nerve of a very touchy tribe. That they are overly sentimental and melodramatic is well known, unfortunately the rest of the country seems to be catching the disease.
March on Boris !
You are welcome here any time.
Ken & Marion Lloyd
Nunney
Somerset
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Dear Mr Johnson
I neither have your educational qualification or wealth, but have at least the ability to understand the political and media value of this story. I think that your comment is well worth discussion, unlike that chap related to ken Bigley who in my opinion embarrassed himself and his relatives today. I live in Romford, and should you choose to make comment about the town, I would like to think that I have the mental capability to take an independent view on your comment and decide for myself whether it had any value or not.
I do not send flowers or sympathy cards to East Enders or Coronation Street type programs when a wedding or bereavement is written in. I live in the real world, and admire your strength and humility.
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Like any failing comedian, Boris has yet to get to grips with the concept of timing. The timing of his editiorial was less than impressive.
As a “woolly-back” scouser from the Wirral I can appreciate that Bozza might be feeling a tad sheepish today. I feel disappointed that he felt the need to join that ranks of the misinformed and play the oh-so-dull, stereotypical, “let’s rubbish Liverpool” routine so beloved by people who have never been there or have some political axe to grind (or both).
I take his points about publicity being the oxygen for terrorist causes and that the only ones with blood on their hands were the muderers of poor Ken, but the validity of this message was lost when wrapped up in a sad sideswipe at a great city and its proud people.
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Pompous? Self Centred? That’s not the Boris Johnson I knew at the Oxford Union Society. I met a whole army of pompous self centred – I would use the word pricks rather than twits – among the wannabe politicians at Oxford. Boris was most certainly not one of them, and I see no indication he has changed much since.
Having read the editorial it astonishes me that there has been this reaction, especially when I consider how lightly Billy Connolly has been treated for something far worse for which he refuses to make any statement (let alone apology) other than a string of epithets.
My advice to Boris in future is that if he has any other ‘challenging’ and ‘provocative’ ideas for an editorial, for heavens sake write it yourself rather than farm it out to some other hack who may bowdlerise it, express certain prejudices (against cities or otherwise), or even regurgitate some half remembered and discredited story from ‘The Sun.’
Personally I’ve always had a soft spot for Liverpool, with my fond childhood memories of things like the Liver Birds and the Beatles. Also I’ve never thought that the Hillsborough disaster was down to anything other than police incompetence and stupidity. Moreover, I am less concerned with an excess of emotion and ‘caring’ than the complete absence of it and expressions of total callousness, as shown by the incident at a football ground that you were present at and by Mr Connolly’s ‘jokes’ at Kenneth Bigley’s expense.
Nonetheless I completely accept that such outpourings of grief are highly selective. Where is the concern in any part of the country for the dozens of British soldiers who have been killed in Iraq? I don’t support the occupation myself, but that’s beside the point.
Also all the coverage has been missing a very essential point. The group that captured Kenneth Bigley were never going to let him go free. If concessions had been made they would simply have demanded more or killed him anyway. They were simply spinning things out, partly to prolong his agony. They are utterly merciless and actually enjoy causing violence and suffering. There might have been a chance of saving him if he had been caught by the Al Sadr group or the Ba’athists. With the Al Zarqawi group there was no chance.
The pleas of other Muslims to save his life would have been treated with utter contempt. The sect they belong to believe that only their sect will go to heaven and everyone else, both Muslims and non-Muslims will go to hell.
Boris will quote this story at his peril (he may be forced to apologise to Al Zaqrawi or Bin Laden in person), but when some ‘proto Bin Ladenite’ clerics were captured by the Ottoman troops about 200 years ago, Ismail Pasha (the Ottoman commander) asked them about their beliefs. This included this belief that only members of their sect will go to heaven and everyone else will go to hell.
Ismail Pasha then exclaimed, “Oh swine! What is your belief about paradise and its breadth?”
The Sheikh of the sect replied, “It is like the breadth of the sky and the earth and it has been made ready for the virtuous.”
Ismail Pasha then asked. “If paradise is as spacious as the sky and the earth and you and your followers make the use of the shade of one tree what for is the remaining area and why has Allah created such a big paradise?”
The leaders of the sect cast down their heads in silence. Ismail Pasha then turned to his guards and said, “Cut off their heads.” A fate they had meted out to many themselves.
It would be justice indeed, albeit ‘rough justice,’ for Bin Laden and Al Zarqawi to have to face such a situation themselves.
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I have supported labour all my life and I was born into a working class east-end family.
Boris should stand for everything I loathe; but he does not.
I should be offended by the Spectator article but I am not.
Boris Johnson strikes me as the sort of man who says what he thinks without trying to offend and says it with conviction, honesty and integrity.
It is legitimate to query whether all of his views are correct but to make an honest man “apologise” helps no-one but the terrorists.
I could never agree with Boris Johnsons politics but to drag him to Liverpool to “apologise” strikes me as a ridiculous exercise and one that in an obvious way makes what the kidnappers did an even bigger outrage.
They set out to terrorise, to frighten and to reduce the effectiveness of an open democracy and whilst I think the people of Liverpool are entitled to feel aggrieved at, to be honest, a poorly argued editorial, it serves no purpose than to drive free speech even further underground and aids only the kidnappers in continuing this farce.
The mistake was to publish the article as it appeared rather than the excellent explanation given on this site.
The article raised legitimate issues, the people of Liverpool are entitled to feel aggrieved, but making Boris go to Liverpool and apologise is not the way our democracy should work.
The ongoing help this is giving to terrorists and the future deaths we will now have because of that as they realise that they are driving wedges between us was avoidable.
It was poor judgement to publish the article but it was also poor judgement of Michael Howard not to use this incident to raise legitimate issues. It is unforgiveable that we cannot discuss Hillsborough particularly as the same supporters were involved at Heysel.
There is no doubt that the people who died were innocent of any wrongdoing, at both tragedies, but there were people at both tragedies who were not innocent; and they were not all policemen.
Like any subject of this type, for example racism, the more people are not allowed to express their views, and have the absurdity of those views challenged, the more the terorists, the racists and the generally unacceptable will eventually win.
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Howard was wrong to send you to liverpool to apologise since by doing this he draged the Tory party into the mire. It would have been far better to leave it all to you and say nothing. I hope you will continue to speak your mind especially when telling the unpalitable Truth.
William Salmon
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Boris sets out a perfectly reasonable case and is pilloried, asked to apologise, then told to stick his apology.
On the other hand, Billy Connolly makes an outrageous remark about the kidnapping of Ken Bigley, and it is barely discussed.
Who shall the people of Liverpool bash? – a posh Tory making a serious point or a working class lad making a crass remark. Answers on a postcard…..
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I just want to say that ‘joey’ above has misenterpreted my remarks. He may “agree the media is running this show, and it is a dreadfull show. Paul Bigley is milking this for all he can and the media I suspect are there encouraging it all.”
I think Paul Bigley is having an understandable reaction to the loss of his brother and if anyone derves to be over-sensitive it’s him. It’s one thing to critisize a city’s (real or perceived) over-sensitivity, but to critisize a mourning brother for that, shows you to be the sort of lowlife who shouldn’t be commenting on anything.
My point was that anyone would want to tell someone off who they felt had insulted his recently deceased brother, no matter what the situation. So everyone who agreed to this conversation, including Boris, is at fault. Boris should have never agreed to take the call or do the show if it required taking that call. What did he think? That Paul Bigley was going to ask him for a date? To have expected Paul Bigley to have a rational debate on the ins and outs of the article is absolutely ridiculous after what he’s just been through. As I said in my first statement it’s not just the fact that he was killed, it was the ordeal that led up to his death, which is the kind of thing that would have a lasting effect on his family even if he had been freed.
Paul Bigley stepped up to insult the man who insulted his brother. I’d do the same. I certainly wouldn’t say ‘well, this guy makes some valid points so I’ll overlook the insult to my brother.’ However, the people involved in making this program (which, I’ll say again, includes Boris,) should have understood this type of confrontation would happen, and, in fact, I’m pretty sure they did.
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Tories looking for publicity. Boris the buffoon your future leader? great, we hope so. A great deal of tory Ignorance is displayed on this site.Re Hillsborough Trevor Hicks was one person who lost two teenage daughters at a football match, this has nothing to do with Heysel, or indeed has Heysel the mis management of PC Dukenfield. I question if Boris has anything better to offer in his writings.We (scousers) don’t feel sorry for ourselves, we just DEMAND respect from non-scousers.We didn’t start the media circus,or ask for Mr Bigley to be killed & mutillated the way he was.
Boris & the rest of the ignorant people in the country should visit the city before making comment. Liverpool people react to being stereotyped repeatedly.I trust our famous names for example Paul McCartney will give BJ a public slamming, especially after allowing him to Visit LIPA today.I have travelled far & wide and I take exception to the 50% of people that I meet who pre judge & repeat the old stereotypical crap.
Nottigham Gun crime, Oldham riots,Cosmopolotan London complete with the gangs of Eastern europe,Turkey,Jamaica,China to name just a few. I
Look at your own situation (stereotypically) before you criticise another City
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Why was Boris’s Comment on Hilsborough unacceptable? Personally I think it was actually spot on. Those that lost their lives at Hilsborough qualify for the largest joint Darwin award in history. Successfully removing themselves from the genepool by virtue of their own stupidity. The Liverpudlians that are still bickering about feeling victimised by Boris’s editorial have proven Boris right. They do see themselves as victims and they wallow in self pity.
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Boris,
By the postings on here and the BBC comment page, you have a lot of support. There are many who now see you as honest, and not afraid to speak your mind. I felt that your apology was heartfelt, and unlike most politicians, you still stand by your views after apologising only for the inaccuracies.
Mr Howard has made a serious error by forcing you to apologise in person. In doing this, he has proved to be incapable of leading the party. You have admitted your mistake, apologised for upsetting people, but still have the courage to stand by your comments.
I for one agree that mass outpouring of grief for a person you never knew is wrong. I was saddened to hear of Ken Bigley’s plight, but felt reaction to it in some quarters was over the top.
Boris, you have upset a few, but many now feel you are someone honest enough for them to trust. Ride the storm, it will pass and you will come out of it a better person.
Whatever you do though, please do not stand down. We will have lost a great man, and those baying for your blood will get their own way.
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The Fat controller typifies Tory fascist personna. The Hicks girls from Essex Born & bred, perished at hillsborough.
His views are typical of a in bred tainspotting country bumpkin (Countryside alliance maybe).
You seem to be of sub human intelligence,Burberry cap wearing soccer hooligan supporting a conference league club
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Personally I’ll always prefer politicians who state a view in which they believe rather than telling voters what they want to hear – so good on you!
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Darren get real, BJ received a lot of coverage for his being outrageous, paybacktime maybe ? Can we really expect a pleb like this to be a leader. Entertainer yes, politician NO.
Screaming Lord Sutch would be a better bet.
I have been a fan for years but only people of low intelligence can take him seriously from now on, it’s a pity.
Boris will always be able to sell himself, adverts/reality tv etc etc
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Re Stuart,
I was agreeing with you about the media here, I have had a close relative die as I expect many here have and I can tell you without doubt that the last thing I would have wanted was all this publicity. Paul Bigley welcomed the media in on this, he could have issued a statement and left it at that but no. I bet there was even media either tv or press reporters right there on the end of the phone with him. The whole thing is a disgrace and if Paul Bigley had not gone along with the hysteria the media obviously wanted to stir up then I suspect none of this would have happened
and there would not have been this stupid furore over this and no one would have been forced to apologise for anything.
I have every sympathy for the Bigley’s loss, but I
have no sympathy for the what has come after.
How you can say Paul Bigley is having an understandable reaction to his loss, how many people who lose a relative in tragic circumstances have tv crews and reporters coming round every day
the whole thing is a media farce and a disgrace.
If Paul Bigley thought eveyone was going to walk around crying over his loss then he is not living in the real world.
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Boris, You put your foot in it at the wrong time and over a very delicate subject. I believe Everybody has done this at some stage or another. As a scouser, I and others in my family accept your appology and hope you don’t resign from your post.
Question time just would not be the same without you and your input.
Best wishes
A scouser.
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Fat cotroller, Self pity is monopolised by people like youself.Scousers play a big part in trade unions this is why the Tories attack them. Remember militant, then again you come across as a person who wouldn’t study & familiarise with a subject, questioning an fully before opening your big fat poisonous GOB you low life of nowhere to be proud of (A non person ) you probably dislike Irish scots etc etc
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Oh dear ! Is Michael Howard going to lose the next general election and deny us the joy of having a Government with Boris in it?
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If this knee jerk reaction from Howard is typical of the man then maybe Howard is not the sort of prime minister we need.
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“Paul Bigley tells Johnson to quit”
“Boris Johnson has been told to quit public life by Ken Bigley’s brother Paul during a visit to Liverpool.”
Excuse me? Who the hell is Paul Bigley to say that? Why is he so special? He is nothing – the sole reason why he is in the spotlight is because his brother was executed by Iraqi terrorists. What gives him the right to act as if he is some key political figure?
Boris Johnson is a democratically elected MP. Paul Bigley’s brother died. Spot the difference
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Stefan, you are truly an imbecile.
So a person who hasn’t been elected can’t call for the resignation of someone who has been ‘democratically elected’?
You [Ed: let's keep the dialogue free from abusive terms]if you think I’m gonna stop calling for Blair’s resignation. I haven’t been elected to anything and I don’t even have a brother that just died, but I am allowed to say whatever I want in this country, you moronic oaf.
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As soon as people start talking about ‘Tory fascist personna’s’ then I’m of the mind that the thread has been taken over by extremist left wing nutters. Afterall, only a member of the SWP or some other Trot would call the conservatives a fascist party.
Laura
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Boris – great work in Liverpool. Mr Bigley’s comments made him look a fool. Chin up – us normal people are rooting for you.
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Boris Johnson reveals his soul
Boris Johnson, Shadow Arts Minister, Conservative MP and editor of The Spectator (London, not Stockholm) helped remind people in Britain last week just what some Middle England Tories really feel about the regions. In a leader criticising the amount of…
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Well Mr B J. What happened to free speech in this country ?. You are an editor of a periodical and have the right publish as you see fit, within the law of course. You also as a private citizen have the right to your own views. Even if your views offend people, you still have the right to express them.
I really don’t particularly ‘enjoy’ Scousers in any case. Almost all those i’ve met seem to have a chip on their shoulder and hang themselves as ‘life and soul, salt of the earth’ types. The problem with scousers in general is that somebody has told them they’re funny – and they’ve believed it !
Ken Bigley didn’t deserve his fate. Who’s to blame?. Blair, him, islamic fundamentalists? – the Mayor of Liverpool is the most likely candidate
.
Let’s just get outta the mess that is Iraq. I’m voting for the LibDems!(sorry Boris)
Good Luck Boris…. and my heartfelt condolences to Ken Bigley’s family , for their sad loss.
What about ALL the 1000′s of innocent Iraqis – no different to Ken Bigley who have been blown to bits. Do we hear about their lives and hear about their family taking editors to task – no we don’t. They STILL don’t have a voice and free speech. How Fxxxing lucky we are to be able to indulge in such things…
Regards,
Andy Cynic -London
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Boris,
Don’t do anything stupid like resigning.
A party that’s desparate to be liked isn’t worth voting for.
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spot on as uasual Boris, please consider moving closer to leadership – I have heard many people around the country saying they would vote for you, including many who’ve never voted tory before.
Boris for PM
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Boris,
There can be no excuse for your wrong factual information – however there is no doubt that there is a substantial amount of truth in your article. (which so many people have commented on above). I admire you as a politician a vast amount of the public always have and will continue to do so. Please continue to work on your texts which have been so interesting down the years.
Regards.
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So Jim Pearson’s “sick of so many people’s self-enforced victim status”!
Ken Bigley chose to go to Iraq, but did he choose to act the victim? Would you not, when facing imminent death?
Were the families, friends and fellows of the 96 people crushed to death at Hillsbourgh
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I hope you’ve been able to get some sleep Jeremy, it’s a bit early for hyperbole. It was a blundering piece of journalism, a good point obscured by badly chosen examples, Boris no doubt, with his multiple jobs, did not give enough time to think it over.
But I believe Boris enjoys support because, unlike many, one cannot see any signs of hate in him, he might be mistaken, but it is not through malice. Add to that being hounded by unsympathetic media coverage and hordes of unforgiving Liverpudlians and you could perhaps see why some might feel sorry for him.
I’m glad to see some signs of forgiveness from Liverpudlians, I’ve only read them on this site, but no doubt it’s only the ones who want to put their dislike on display who care to make themselves heard elsewhere.
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Upon reflection, I feel that Boris honestly showed humility that I didn’t know he had as he sat through Paul Bigley’s personal attack, but I still think Bigley had every right to do it, for exactly the point Boris makes in the letter to the LDP “the point was valid, but that it was tasteless to make it in the context of Ken Bigley’s death.” He is referring specifically to the point about us being authors of our own fate but that really applies to the whole article. Holding Ken Bigley out as an example of anything this shortly after his death would be a personal attack on his family. I think all of the arguments in the article could have been made better with other examples that didn’t insult a family that was going through a personal tragedy.
But in my opinion, Paul Bigley’s public and stinging insults to Boris should put an end to this matter. I honestly think he was made to feel as bad as his article made the Bigley family feel.
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I can see why Paul R & others are not very enthusiastic about the Tory’s prospects at the next general election. Michael Howard’s behaviour in all of this wasn’t very clever, it’s true. But what choice do we have if we want to see Boris in Government. We just have to vote Tory.
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Makes me laugh, yesterday’s coverage, ITV news I think it was, a reporter asking a group of women if the apology was enough for them, were they happy with it, and in a scouse chorus, wailed Nooo!…I mean, for gods sake, talking about wallowing…opps sorry
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Dear mr Johnson.
You should not even consider resignation.
Jack Straw didn’t after he suggested that the people of Merseyside were rogues when he said, “those Scousers are always up to something”.
Keep up the good work to ensure Tony Tax does not get re elected.
Thankyou.
K. G. Kelly
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In a TV interview during the recent Labour Party conference, David Milliband said that ALL who failed the old style 11+ went on to “second class schools”. This insult – both to the children and to the schools (my secondary modern, for example, offered a good and happy education) was not picked up. He wasn’t reprimanded, as far as I know, and he certainly wasn’t asked to vist the length and breadth of the country in order to “apologise” to all those of us who learnt or worked in “second class” schools. My point? Double standards – which have already been pointed out here.
An unfortunate remark by DM but not the end of the world. If you make a daft generalisation, as long as it doesn’t incite to violence etc, then that’s all it is. Most people are grown up enough to shruck their shoulders and say “that’s his view, I’ll stick to mine”.
That said, I thought a lot about Boris’ article and largely agree. Not long ago my parents died. I can’t always sleep well and get up and cry – alone. The deep longing for a word with them, a glimpse of them is mine alone. I talk to my kids and other family members but the very personal stuff, I wouldn’t share. It would be an imposition too much. My parents’ friends miss them – but they’ve moved on – they have lives to lead. I think that the public displays that we’ve seen over the Ken Bigley death, vile and ghastly though it was, devalues the life lead and the death themselves.
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Go Boris, I hope you don’t get too badly damaged in the fallout from all of this.
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Laura,
Read some history, tories is tories, socialists r not lefties ,its about being social & not being me,me,me,& only me.
Boris is a thatcher babe ,silver spoon & all.
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Ewan (normal person ?? avin a laff arnt yeh) welsh thicko !!!
K G Kelly Jack Straw showed his ignorance also!!
Remember 2 wrongs don’t make a right Thicko !
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After reading c 50% of the above (and remain awake)I feel the thread has been lost/mis placed here. BORIS Keep going you know you will survive this issue, the majority of the country realise you are not a bad person,use this sad time as a springboard to push yourself into the forefront of politics where you belong.
Good luck & forgiveness to you.
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Boris, you need to have your people do some groundwork before you write.
For example you don’t realise that the Wales-Eng game was at old trafford,Manchester ? Mancs & Scousers have a history of confrontation.
Ken Bigley was a scouser…
If you need clarification have one of your staff earn his/her money & investigate such issues in this country, before you put pen to paper.
PS Maybe the people who disrupted the silence were MANCS. (Just a suggestion)
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I thought it was stupid how clearly many of the people who critisized the article hadn’t read it. Until I saw the video feed of Boris’s Radio Merseyside interview. All you need to see is that piece to realize that Boris shouldn’t have published the article, because he clearly had no idea of the emnity it would provoke. Also he clearly isn’t the sort of person who can brush that sort of abuse off as easy as many of his ‘fans’ tell him he should. So clearly he was wrong to write the piece if only because he does not have the stomach for the reaction he got. Boris is clearly a lover and not a fighter, as the expression goes, and while I’m sure his wife and kids wouldn’t have it any other way, that’s not the best way for a Tory MP or a writer of incendiary articles to be.
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Dear Boris:
I hope you’re now recovering!
IF the demands of these atrocious terrorists can only be put across by using the most dramatically terrible means – videos of hostages in real fear for their lives, followed by awful footage of brutal beheadings – then surely it cannot be beyond the House of Commons to collectively apply pressure to the media to deny these people any coverage of any kind anywhere. During or after a kidnapping.
It may not be feasible, but it might, just, be effective.
All good wishes.
Dr John Henderson.
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What should I say sorry for article.
V Good.
I believe a reason BJ is so good is lacks that.
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“blame YOURSELF! (Self acceptance) ”
If you blame yourself there is a danger you begin to self hate. How about not blaming anything and just accepting it?
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