The trade union Unison is seeking “urgent legal advice” about what to do regarding Jeremy Clarkson’s comments about strikers being “executed in front of their families. The press release — the words are put to the mouth of Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary — is worth reading carefully.
Clarkson’s comments on the One Show were totally outrageous, and they cannot be tolerated. We are seeking urgent legal advice about what further action we can take against him and the BBC, and whether or not his comments should be referred to the police.
In fact, the comments were the sort of thing one expects from Jeremy Clarkson. In their way, they are neither more nor less outrageous than, say, the Scottish comedian Limmy wishing Margaret Thatcher dead. In neither case were the comments particularly funny.
And complaints to the BBC or Ofcom are one thing, but the possible referring to the police is quite another. Should someone — even Clarkson — face arrest, charging, prosecution, and even conviction, in these circumstances? Is it not clear that Clarkson’s comments were at least intended to be a joke?
Anyway, the press release continues.
Public sector workers and their families are utterly shocked by Jeremy Clarkson’s revolting comments. We know that many other licence fee payers share our concerns about his outrageous views. The One Show is broadcast at a time when children are watching — they could have been scared and upset by his aggressive statements. An apology is not enough — we are calling on the BBC to sack Jeremy Clarkson immediately. Such disgusting statements have no place on our TV screens.
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So, won’t somebody, please, think of the children?
More seriously, here we have a trade union calling for someone to be summarily sacked. No disciplinary procedure, no due process, no contract rights: the man should be fired immediately.
And there’s more.
Jeremy Clarkson clearly needs a reminder of just who he is talking about when he calls for public sector workers to be shot in front of their families. Whilst he is driving round in fast cars for a living, public sector workers are busy holding our society together — they save others’ lives on a daily basis, they care for the sick, the vulnerable, the elderly. They wipe bottoms, noses, they help children to learn, and empty bins — they deserve all our thanks — certainly not the unbelievable level of abuse he threw at them.
There is no doubt that this sentiment is correct.
But it avoids the question of whether public sector workers are well served by their trade union using scarce resources to pay lawyers for advice on getting Clarkson arrested or sacked on the spot. It is also odd that Unison is risking its credibility – which is vitally important for all its members – in deploying such a misconceived and illiberal PR move. And it is sad that all this has achieved is to make Clarkson the story, and not Unison’s members and their demands.
So I put many of these concerns to Unison:
1. How much money is Unison proposing to spend on this “urgent legal advice”?
2. Is this a good use of Unison ‘s scarce resources?
3. Which law firm is supplying the advice?
4. Is it illiberal to call for police involvement? Should someone really face arrest, prosecution, and conviction in these circumstances?
5. Has Unison scored an own goal with this press release?
Their reply to these detailed queries?
All we can say at the moment is that “We are standing up for our members, it is an outrageous comment to make on early evening programme.
And then they just referred me back to their press release.
David Allen Green is legal correspondent of the New Statesman.
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