This afternoon, I took part in a live, hour-long (and, at times, fiery) debate on BBC Radio 4’s AntiSocial programme about the recent viral video in which football pundit and former Manchester United player Gary Neville attacked ‘angry middle-aged white men’ for dividing the country, and revealed that he had taken down a national flag that had been hoisted as part of the ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ campaign.
As I argued during the programme, if Gary Neville had claimed in the wake of the George Floyd protests that our country was being divided by ‘angry young black people’, his career would have been over and his reputation destroyed.
The debate went on to focus on the question of the wider political divides within British politics and society, specifically on the issues of immigration, globalisation and integration.
My opponent in the debate was the climate activist and social commentator Jim Dale.
The episode can be heard here.
A reminder that you can follow me on ‘X’: @PaulEmbery
I will watch it later, but its interesting that your opponent was climate grifter Noel "Jim" Dale. Maybe he realises that his current grift is coming to an end and he is looking for another bandwagon to jump on.
I find it fascinating that often those that climb out of the poorer classes often treat those from their backgrounds with disrespect. It’s I think a subconscious fear of falling back down. But mate they are not below you they are the ones that helped you climb out. Furthermore playing for England is not a badge of patriotic accomplishment. It’s those plebs he despises who put their lives on the line for the nation.