The right-wing snowflake brigade is in full cry, after the latest campaign by self-promoting TalkRADIO host Julia Hartley Brewer progressed not necessarily to her advantage. She had been invited to address the annual conference of the Royal College of GPs, but after the Docs diagnosed a severe case of incurable bigotry, her appointment was cancelled, to the relief of those who thought she shouldn’t have been invited in the first place.
We know who you are, thanks
The RCGP spokesman spelled it out. “It has become clear that some of the views she has expressed are too much at odds with the core values of Royal College of GPs and our members, and our work to promote inclusivity within the profession and among patients … This person [Julia Hartley-Brewer] has expressed views that are highly controversial regarding immigration and expressed that she could not see anything in the ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech that he [Enoch Powell] had got wrong”.
No comment
And it wasn’t an isolated incident: Ms Hartley Dooda had recently had a racially tinged swipe at Channel 4 News host Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and she infamously mocked those with autism, resulting in her being banned from this year’s Labour Party Conference.
She isn’t known as the Waitrose Katie Hopkins for nothing. But that didn’t stop the outpouring of right-wing indignation, which made for excellent entertainment, kicked off by Ms Hartley Dooda herself: “The RCGPs has pathetically decided to no-platform me following a nasty online campaign against me speaking at their conference because of an old tweet which they wrongly claim is racist. My response via @spectator will be online in a few minutes”. How dare they do that to me? I shall write to the Times about this!
Cue supportive whining from some of those supporting her, not least that from failed former MEP Patrick “Lunchtime” O’Flynn. “No platforming the excellent @JuliaHB1 who has totally mainstream and common sense views just shows how the ‘woke’ Left is determined to forbid dissent. Of course anyone who posts many tweets will make the odd duff observation. This absolutely doesn't justify silencing them”. Yeah, right.
She’s got her own radio show. So she ain’t being silenced. Still, Mark Littlewood of the IEA was in her corner: “Julia can be pretty feisty woman. Sometimes even a tad scary. But I’m surprised that British GPs are such a meek & feeble bunch of people that they can’t even contemplate the concept of listening to her. Utterly, utterly pathetic”. Wow! Zap! Dull!
So was abuse merchant James “Saviour of Western civilisation” Delingpole. “This is insane. The Royal College of General Practitioners: yet another once respectable institution hijacked by woke fascists. Where will it end?” Gay marriage. Global warming.
Iain Dale wanted to make sure he chipped in, just so folks remember he’s still around. “I stand by my friend and colleague 100% in this. The only 'fascists' here are those who seek to deny freedom of speech on utterly spurious grounds. @HelenRCGP should perhaps decide whether she is a leader or a follower. She's given into a politically motivated mob”.
Who said “fascist”? Still, there was always the kiss of death from Whinging Dan Hodges: “This is getting beyond a joke now. Doctors are too sensitive to withstand a talk from @JuliaHB1. And they're meant to take decisions on life and death”. Non sequitur, much?
The parade of stupid went on, ably helped on its way by Dan, Dan The Oratory Man: “Always the same pattern. Left-wing activists dig up some old Tweet, fall about in feigned offence, and succeed in no-platforming someone. Disappointed to see doctors playing these silly games”. She’s got a platform. It’s called the TalkRADIO breakfast show.
No matter, the line to take had been established, and there is no more establishment voice than that of the serially dishonest Fraser Nelson, editor of the Spectator: “Julia Hartley-Brewer is one of the best-informed journalists around - and always superb on Question Time. It made sense for the Royal College of GPs to ask her on its own panel”. If she was so well-informed, she wouldn’t be so crashingly ignorant.
And of course Darren Crimes, sorry, Grimes, had to get a look-in. “It’s refreshing to see @JuliaHB1 admit that a tweet she made in 2016 was poorly researched, but it’s a sad reality that in 2019 folk are so desperate to extinguish voices that they obsessively tap into Twitter search to see if we have ever tripped up to shut us up. It’s pathetic”. Er, shouldn’t you be helping the Metropolitan Police with their enquiries, Daz?
But no festival of right-wing whinging would be complete without the loathsome Toby Young, and so it came to pass. “Extending an invitation to a speaker and then rescinding it after an outrage mob protests is explicitly contrary to the @EHRC’s guidance on free speech. @rcgp should be ashamed of themselves”. It’s got stuff all to do with free speech.
Julia Hartley Dooda already has freedom of speech, and a platform on which to dispense it. She is also given a platform all too regularly by broadcasters. The RCGP has done no more than exercise its freedom of decision making. For this, they have been subjected to a tsunami of mardy strop throwing by those willing to defend forthright bigotry.
And that tells you all you need to know about her defenders. I’ll just leave that one there.
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I'm sure there'll be a welcome on Question Time and Have I Got News For You still
ReplyDeleteForgive me if I'm missing something, but what the hell does JHB have to tell an audience of medical professionals?
ReplyDeleteHer mum was a GP. No, seriously, that was the reason for the invite!
DeleteWhy do organisations that one would think should know better even invite people like JHB in the first place?
ReplyDeleteFreedom of speech does not always mean you are always afforded an audience by some kind of automatic birthright. Just as a violent alcoholic can be barred from a pub, a bigot can be barred from a forum where their views on many topics can be seen as abhorrent.
ReplyDeleteWaitrose Katie Hopkins lol
ReplyDelete"Forgive me if I'm missing something, but what the hell does JHB have to tell an audience of medical professionals?"
ReplyDelete"How I had my mouth and rectum surgically switched"?