I have defended Jeremy Clarkson when he has been attacked unfairly – for instance when he made a series of factually accurate comments about the workshy semi feral population of the welfare safari that is the slum Liverpool. I cannot think that I have ever written a pleasant word about the politically correct nest of paedophile friendly vipers that is the BBC – I would privatise it at once. But for once I stand firm with the waste of taxpayer's cash that is the Beeb.
Clarkson is alleged to have thrown a punch at an employee of top gear. In every single workplace in the country such conduct would see anyone – even a CEO – suspended pending an investigation and, if found guilty, fired. Simply being a celebrity does not buy you an exemption. O it should not buy you an exemption.
I see that Noel Edmonds is arguing that the BBC should accept that “stars” have to be treated differently. Rubbish. One of the facets of the sad decline of Britain is our lamentable worship of the cult of celebrity. Folks want to be famous just to be famous. And when you are famous somehow you get to live by different rules.
Maybe that is the way our nation is going. Maybe simply by being famous you can be allowed to hit your staff. What else are you allowed to do as a celeb which we plebs cannot do? Steal, cheat, murder? I don’t know but where exactly do the celeb-worshippers draw the line?
It was, arguably, this cult of celebrity that allowed Saville, Hall, Harris and the other monsters to get away with what they did.
Call me old fashioned but I rather believe that all should be equal in the eyes of the law and the law should include acts in the workplace. And that means that Clarkson should be suspended pending an investigation and if guilty he should be fired.
Whilst I suspect that the BBC would not have taken this action had the punch thrower been Kirsty Wark, James Naughty or some other harridan of the left, while I suspect the motives of the BBC, every busted clock is right twice a day and on this occasion the loathsome Beeb gets my backing.