Rachel Riley - You’re A Troll, Too

While her pal Tracy Ann Oberman protests that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has had the audacity to visit the local theatre where he sits on the advisory board, and which he helped to set up (and which, whisper it quietly, is now giving Ms Oberman the opportunity to advertise her acting talents to the world), Countdown numbers person Rachel Riley is engaged in her own low-level trolling of the politician she so reviles.

Jezza has been supporting Show Racism The Red Card, and to this effect he appeared at the Emirates Stadium alongside Christine Blower, who is Vice Chair of Unite Against Fascism, to support SRTRC’s Arsenal event. The charity duly told its followers “Thanks to [Jeremy Corbyn] and Christine Blower for their support for our [Arsenal] event”.

This was not some one-off promotion: Corbyn has backed SRTRC for some years. Back in 2016, he was “joined by John McDonnell MP, Dianne Abbott MP, Kate Osamor MP, Jon Trickett MP and Richard Burgon MP in taking a stand against racism … Show Racism the Red Card are incredibly grateful for the support received in recognition of 20 years of anti-racism educational delivery and will continue to campaign for greater funding to facilitate the vital work to educate young people about issues of racism, identity and equality”.

There was more: Jezza gave SRTRC an interview last year, and on the subject of racism, he was unequivocal when Joe Co UK interviewed him last week, telling afterwards “I wholeheartedly support England captain [Harry Kane] when he says the whole team will walk off the pitch if racist abuse is thrown at any player”.

This counts as nothing with Ms Riley, though. “Hosting the man at the helm of a party under investigation for institutionalised racism. Have you no awareness or no shame [SRTRC England]?” she snapped, including an image of a red card with ANTISEMITE on it, just in case anyone missed the inference she was trying to make.

And there was more. “A reminder of a tiny number of reasons I can legitimately make this claim. Utterly laughable, irresponsible and downright insulting for a so-called anti-racist charity to be hand in hand with this man”. So let’s look at some of those reasons.

“He laid a wreath at the graves of terrorists who murdered innocent Jews”. No he didn’t (he was in Tunisia - the Black September terrorists’ graves are in Libya). “He protested the removal of an anti-Semitic mural”. No he didn’t. “He called the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah his friends”. No he didn’t. “David Duke, the KKK Grand Wizard, endorsed Corbyn”. Which means what? He also called Jezza “Marxist filth”.

There is also “He was a member of a secret Facebook group full of anti-Semitism”. One, it can’t have been very secret, and Two, being a member of a group doesn’t enable that member to exercise control over the content others post there.

But Ms Riley had another card to play. “And here’s a thread on the persecution of Muslims he chooses to ignore/apologise for/condone when it doesn’t suit his upside down world view and dangerous ideologies”. Article cited in the Spectator. A magazine that hosts known Islamophobes. And, whisper it quietly, at least one anti-Semite.

Rachel Riley needs to up her game a little. Because the trolling ain’t making it.

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