To think David Starkey was only on Question Time to test our commitment to free speech?

[drudgetrudy]

Just that. What an obnoxious sexist, racist arrogant man. Also his slow loud speech and over-entitlement to air time.
He expressed a view that life is short and brutal and human nature is pretty evil.
Perhaps he would be happier if he did us a favour and became a hermit.
( I know people are capable of evil-but surely they are capable of altruism and bravery too).

I've only seen part of it, but from what i saw, yanbu. What an arse.

Yeah? Check out Mike Buchanan mp on 'this morning' yesterday (thurs).

That was vile

I didn't watch it when I saw he was on - vile arrogant man, can't stand him!

I thought the whole point of DS was to test free speech

I saw him, his stumbling over the issue of teenage sexuality was so awkward! He just didn't get it.

David Starkey is an intelligent man honestly

I rather like to view him as an offensive uncle. I cannot help but allow myself a mischieveous smile whenever he's on. The things he says are actually (in my opinion) correct - he just has an uncanny knack of saying them in the most offensive and controversial manner - which seems to be pretty effective in raising his profile.

I rather like to view him as an offensive uncle.

Not one that I would allow around my children after his comments about the girl who was accused of grooming her teacher.

He came across as an entitled wanker. Telling the female panelist to "shut up" because that's how women deserve to be treated so he could continue waffling on in a pretentious 'only my opinion has worth' manner really annoyed me.

It did make me laugh when Mendhi Hasan pointed out that his name wasn't actually Ahmed so why would he give any credence to anything the old duffer said

I was really shocked I like his history documentaries but had no idea of his personal views. To call someone Ahmed simply for his race/creed was like the BBC had rewound time back to the 1970s.

Yes but Mendhi was bloody rude at one point and nobody seemed impressed. I hated the panel all deciding Davis was annoying and to be talked down to, esp conservative woman, who was seemed so keen to win points woth Mendhi it was silly.

OP you may be right!

They always have one tosspot on every week, he was this week's.

I only watched the first half.
What did he say about the teacher being groomed?

I think nerf has a good point there.

But still... i was watching with an actual face palm

He said that the 16 yr old girl seduced him, because seduction is the same thing as grooming in his mind.
He's a vile awful man.

ihatethecold

"I have seen 13, 14, 15, 16 year old boys and girls that were highly mature sexually that were profoundly manipulative and knew exactly what they wanted."

Pressed by host David Dimbleby to make clear whether he thought a 14-year-old girl could "groom" a 44 year old teacher, Starkey retorted,"Yes is the answer," before adding: "Can we replace the word groomed by seduced?"

I need to go and watch this now... I love his work but has no idea he could be like this

I don't want to misquote him, but on his last qt appearance he said that he understood rape better then most because as a gay man he was often in precarious sexual situations.

The crux of what he was saying was that rape wasn't that bad and there are degrees of being violated.

Enoch Powell was an extraordinarily intelligent man. Didn't stop him being any less of a racist, bigotted idiot.

If he has freedom of speech, do I have the freedom to gag him? He may have brains but he can come out with such shit, it's a shame really.

Dr Starkey is a very clever man.

David Starkey Off The Telly is a twat. A clever one, like.

No coincidence that a clever man knows how to get more telly work.

he's been on quite a few times.
I agreed with quite a lot of the points he was making about Islam but he was an absolute tosser when addressing the issue of sexual abuse / sexualisation.

Still prefer him to Mehdi Hasan who I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw

I agree that Mehdi wasn't exactly a shining star either (though nowhere as bad as DavidS imo) but he did make me laugh with his 'farting in a lift' analogy

Mehdi is such a fake leftie. only started leaning in that direction when his begging letters to the Mail and Telegraph didn't lead to anything.

I agree with Nancy. Didn't warn to any of them, and DS' views are very old fashioned and I think part of his age - he isn't an expert on teenage sexuality or grooming but he is an historical expert iyswim