What a shocking display of racism on the BBC’s Daily Politics programme today (January 23)!

George Freeman’s outrageous claim that it isn’t racist to call black people “piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles” went unchallenged by host Jo Coburn.

He made his comments in defence of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, while attacking the Labour Party, alleging that it tolerates anti-Semites in its ranks.

The outburst was condemned by Jackie Walker, a Labour member and former vice-chair of Momentum who, like This Writer, is facing disciplinary action by party authorities over alleged – and allegedly vexatious – allegations of anti-Semitism.

Here’s the exchange:

“There is anti-Semitic language, there is racist language” @Freeman_George on Labour under Corbyn with "nasty misogynistic intolerant strain" “That is outrageous coming from a party who has a for'n sec who has made racist statements about ex-president Barack Obama” Jackie Walker pic.twitter.com/TM37gl3Vt6 — BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) January 23, 2018

As you can see, Mr Freeman hypocritically attacked the Labour Party for abuses while claiming that obviously racist remarks by Mr Johnson were simply “inappropriate language”. And he tried to dismiss counter-claims that right-wingers on the social media had made equally shocking attacks.

If I were to claim that the anti-Semitism alleged against me was merely “inappropriate language”, my accusers would have a field day – and rightly so. My case is much stronger than that.

Interestingly:

I can't help but notice that those screaming about alleged .@UKLabour anti-Semitism have nothing to say about @Freeman_George racism #bbcdp — Mike Sivier (@MidWalesMike) January 23, 2018

Apparently some prejudice is more objectionable than others in their opinion.

Fortunately there were others who did take offence at Mr Freeman’s behaviour. Here’s a selection of their (and my) comments:

https://twitter.com/Daniel_Grigg/status/955787930177597440

“piccaninny with water melon smiles” is not racist according to George Freeman – uninformed bigotry from the Tories again. #bbcdp — charliesnow (@CharlieSnow) January 23, 2018

George Freeman – biggest hypocrite ever. I can't believe he defended Boris Johnson's racist statements. Brazen. — ritchie (@r1tch2e) January 23, 2018

You let George Freeman smear without once being challenged. Worse, you allowed him to claim that Johnson's "picanninnies with watermelon smiles" wasn't racist. How dare he tell me what is and isn't racist. Would you allow him to spout the same stuff about Jews? No, you wouldn't. https://t.co/X77h9MVj2j — Buddy Hell (@buddy_hell) January 23, 2018

George Freeman Tory MP @BBCDailypolitics (and grandee) claims Boris Johnson's comments on black people "picaninnies" and "melon lips" weren't racist. "It's just the way Boris sometimes talks." Which means we're looking at two racist bastards. — terence kenyon (@laserleft) January 23, 2018

My interpretation of that is, we’re looking at Mr Freeman and Mr Johnson.

A disgusting exhibition from George Freeman . The responsibility for the generating of racial hatred and bigotry in the UK belongs with the Nasty Party and UKIP. — Derick McGauley (@mcgauleyxmo) January 23, 2018

George freeman DPS Boris isn't a racist its Boris really,this idiot with He's mouth has done untold damage around the world, he's an adult and should take accountability for he's action, this it's Boris doesn't wash anymore ppl are not stupid. He IS a RACIST !! — Sue Gray 1 💚🌹NHS ❤️ (@suegray834) January 23, 2018

According to George Freeman , Boris Johnson’s comments were not racist . Perhaps he should got to certain areas of America and quote them on a street corner . — Derick McGauley (@mcgauleyxmo) January 23, 2018

@daily_politics George Freeman''s reply when asked if he believes that calling black people 'pickaninnies with watermelon smiles ' is racist….. "it's not racist".

surprised and v disappointed he was not challenged about this view — Daffa Daffer (@Daffa_Daffer) January 23, 2018

It’s definitely worth a complaint via the BBC website.

@Freeman_George you must be kicking yourself at what you said. It’s menacing how you stand up for Boris Johnson’s clear racism and claim that you are in fact against racism? Or do you only care when it’s antisemitic? Now the public eye sees all — Rain (@Progress_Unity) January 23, 2018

He doesn’t care when it’s anti-Semitic – the accusations against Labour members like Ms Walker are without basis.

https://twitter.com/Mathewdcx/status/955800700012974080

This seems more likely.

Emma Picken, to whom Janice Barnes was responding, is one of the anti-Semitism trolls on Twitter – they gang up to accuse people of anti-Semitism, posting their version of evidence, which isn’t evidence at all. If you look at the image she included in her tweet above, you’ll see it’s by another person, alleging that the Church of England has capitulated to the pro-Israel/Zionist lobby. Personally, I don’t know anything about the issue in particular, but it is very clear that the matter is political, to do with the nation of Israel and the policy of Zionism – and has nothing to do with anti-Semitism at all. But Ms Picken quotes it in support of her claim that Ms Walker is an anti-Semite.

You see how these people work?

Ms Walker is currently under suspension from the Labour Party after attending a so-called “training” session run by the Jewish Labour Movement in which, discussing Holocaust Memorial Day, she asked why the event did not commemorate all holocausts, including that against Native Americans. The event had been advertised as a “safe space”, in which people could air their concerns without fear of reprisal, so the appropriate response would be to discuss the event, perhaps visit its website and see whether Ms Walker was mistaken and the event that concerned her is commemorated after all, and discuss asking for it to be added if it isn’t.

Instead, the JLM either recorded her comments, or allowed them to be recorded and released to the mainstream media (I think it was the Huffington Post as an example of her vile anti-Semitism.

Can you see any hatred of Jews there? It seems to me that Ms Walker was advocating for another ethnic group, rather than denigrating Jews.

Of course, the definition of anti-Semitism seems to be highly subjective, as the discussion on Daily Politics made clear:

“I like to stick to the nice simple definition of anti-Semitism used by Prof Klug – which is hatred against Jews because they are Jews” says Jackie Walker, who she was suspended by Labour in 2016 #bbcdp pic.twitter.com/CXM3fRv7rv — BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) January 23, 2018

I agreed with her:

Jackie Walker is right. Hatred against Jews because they are Jews is anti-Semitism. #bbcdp — Mike Sivier (@MidWalesMike) January 23, 2018

I also agree that further definition does indeed draw people into very “murky water” – and the definition recognised by Labour, against which Ms Walker will be judged, won’t stand up in a court of law.

Labour’s disputes panel isn’t a court of law, of course, but the smirk Ms Coburn sent towards George Freeman when she suggested Ms Walker take these issues up with Labour may soon be permanently wiped off her face because, like me, Ms Walker’s case is that, like mine, her actions do not conform to any of the definitions of anti-Semitism that have been adopted by the Labour Party.

Most particularly, we do not express hatred towards Jews, simply because they are Jews.

George Freeman, on the other hand, is very clearly a racist.

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