Nigel Farage Taken Apart in Landmark LBC Radio Interview with James O’Brien

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UKIP leader Nigel Farage must now regret his decision to challenge LBC Radio’s James O’Brien to a debate today over the broadcaster’s criticisms of the party . In a dazzling example of gloves-off political interview technique, O’Brien came armed to the teeth with awkward questions that left Farage floundering. We need more of this.

www.scriptonitedaily.com/2014/05/16/nigel-farage-taken-apart-in-landmark-lbc-radio-interview-with-james-obrien/

H0w James O'Brien views London politics is nothing to do with how racist/ trustworthy Farrage is. I get fed up with this "well he/she (person questioning/opposition) is no angel therefore I am totally justified to support this politician" as a flimsy cover for supporting fascism. It's totally irrelevant.
In this case Farage hung himself out to dry and James O'Brian's views/background are neither here nor there. Unless you want to do the metaphorical "la-la-la-i-can't-hear-you"

I would have enjoyed Farage being roasted more if it had not been done by the most self-regarding presenter on LBC.

This is a man who wears his left wing credentials like a badge of honour but had no compunction working for that right wing rag the Daily Express (editor of their William Hickey gossip column).

How about having Corbyn on, James, and asking him e.g. about some of his dubious actions over housing when he was a member of Haringey Council in the 1970s, why he wanted former Marxist Tariq Ali in the party although Labour's National Executive deemed him unsuitable, why he opposed expulsion of Militant Tendency, what was behind his volte face on EU membership when he wanted to leave it in 1975 and voted against the Maastrict and Lisbon treaties etc.?

That's not meant to be an attack on Corbyn, just to point out that James O'Brien's journalistic brilliance might be a little more believable if he took apart someone whose political beliefs he supported in the same way he took apart someone he despises. It's a real test of journalistic objectivity for the listener/reader not to be able to guess the interviewer's own political position. Epic fail there James.

It's very easy to do a hatchet job on someone you despise. Would he find it so easy to do a hatchet job on someone who aligns with his own beliefs? Would his journalism stand up to that test of objectivity?

As a Farage hater myself I remain unconvinced of the journalistic 'brilliance' displayed by smug, smarmy holier than thou James O'Brien.

Whoputthecatout - you are likely not a regular listener of James O'Brien - he barely has a good word to say about Jeremy Corbyn. He considers him weak, vague and a poor communicator.

He also rebuked him for lying about the train being so overcrowded Corbyn had to sit on the floor.

O"Brien is pretty left wing and would LIKE to like Corbyn. Listen to him struggle with it:

You've not got the measure of O'Brien. He is smug, patronising, and overdoes the self-deprecation, but he is fair, clever as hell and has an integrity and values that don't change in order to win our good opinion.

James O'Brien is rude and obnoxious to anyone who disagrees with him. His style is to belittle and intimidate people who are less well educated than him. Didn't he also say he goes for a daily massage that probably costs more than most working class people earn a week.

Sounds like he was being honest, Lillillil. He is free to go for a massage with money he earns, as long as he pays his taxes...

Wonder why we're talking about O'Brien though?

Shouldn't the focus be on critiquing a racist, lying coward, like Farage? Odd the way people will tolerate anything from those who legitimise xenophobia.

No wonder Trump once said:

"I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters."

He was right. And Farage seems afforded the same, curiously selective, blindness by his UK followers.

He must really, really be giving you something you want very much.

Doesn't matter that he lied about Brexit.
Doesn't matter that it won't reduce immigration.
Doesn't matter that the NHS won't get all that lovely money.
Doesn't matter that you'll be poorer because of Brexit.
Doesn't matter that we can't negotiate good trade deals with Europe since we have to be made an example of.
Doesn't matter that Theresa May still doesn't have a plan.
Doesn't matter that it is increasingly likely that an EU army will form - and we won't be in it (good luck to us in taking on Europe)
Doesn't matter that we can't rely on the US as allies, as Trump's aides tell other European countries to take advantage of our weakened negotiating position.
Doesn't matter that the pound has ALREADY dropped, with just the idea of our exit, and will drop still further when Brexit comes (in 10 years?!).

And why? Because we don't need a rational reason to follow right wing fascists during times of economic hardship.

Even if they helped create the hardship.

We never have needed a good reason to follow fascists (see Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, etc).

We never learn from history.

We get the politicians we deserve.

Just got to feel sorry for all the children who didn't vote for the world that is unfolding before us.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

So we should follow the likes of Blair who took us into a totally illegal war?
The cost of living, the housing crisis, schools, hospitals being oversubscribed have been going on a lot longer than brexit where have you been since 2008.

With regard to the EU army isn't that similar to what Hitler tried to do. It is always the British Army that plays the main part and other EU countries play a much smaller role in any war engaged in recently.

How on earth does acknowledging that Farage is a lying, sleazy, money grubbing hypocrite equate to saying we should follow Blair? That's completely illogical.

The cost of living, the housing crisis, schools, hospitals being oversubscribed have been going on a lot longer than brexit where have you been since 2008.

What did any of that have to do with the EU?

2008 recession was caused by bankers here and in the US.

Housing crisis caused by selling off huge amounts of social housing stock, not building replacements and giving non-don landlords massive tax breaks to buy properties here. I.e., not the EU.

Schools and hospitals have been better funded by EU migrants than British citizens. So that argument fails too.

You're not very good on reality, are you?

And let see not forget the UK govt's underfunding of medical training and teacher training. Also nothing to do with the EU.

I loathe James O'Brien. He's an obnoxious bully who doesn't listen to half of his callers - he talks over them, shuts them down and is so rude.

Vanessa Feltz puts him to shame. She can have a lively debate and remain polite, impartial and measured.

Ah...Lillillil, that is deflection. Why are you suddenly talking about Blair and his illegal war?

As you infer, that has nothing to do with Farage.

And I am talking about Farage.

If the only way Farage can be defended is by changing the topic to other reprehensible beings, then he's in trouble isn't he?

(Funny thing happens when I talk about Trump also - people start talking about Bill Clinton! Bizarre...!!!)

You say that the costs of living, housing crisis, etc, have been going on a long time.

You are completely right, and I don't deny it.

Not sure why we'd want to make our situation worse though?

I mean if you lose an arm, would you hack off your own leg to make things better?

A few facts - to counter Farage's depiction of immigrants:

On average (and certainly since 2000) EU immigrants pay £1.34 in taxes for every £1 they receive in state assistance. We're bloody lucky to have them.

Especially as the NHS would fall apart without immigrants - yes they're propping it up for us as we have a skills shortage in the UK.

Housing crisis - because we're not building enough houses. Why? Partly because...of a skills shortage in the UK. We should probably get some more immigrants in to help us.

Hospitals and schools are oversubscribed...because funding for the NHS has been cut repeatedly since 2010, and schools are oversubscribed for the same reason.

Wage compression is everywhere - not specifically in areas where immigrants work. (With the one slight exception of unskilled labour, where there is a minor impact.)

So, why are the idiotic Farage and Trump blaming the immigrants?

I'll tell you why.

Because they want to distract you.

From what? From who they are.

Farage is an independently educated city boy who traded commodities. Part of the SAME establishment that caused the global economic crisis.

I mention this purely because he is trading on being a "man of the people" who is not part of the establishment.

A cursory look at the facts removes this misconception.

Trump was born into a billionaire family, and given millions to start his own business. He still went bankrupt. He still lost almost a billion - in last year alone.

But he's another "man of the people" right? He's not a member of the establishment!! (Wonder why he has APPOINTED the establishment for his cabinet. Confusing that, eh?)

He's a bit rough round the edges cos he's "real" - that's why it's totally okay that he admitted to grabbing women by the pussy, and had 13 allegations of sexual abuse.

He hasn't had a longstanding media career and learnt to play the game. Nope. Course not.

With Farage and Trump the truth is the polar opposite of their carefully created images (sorry, brands) that they must be chuckling their heads off to think how easily they've fooled us all.

You want higher wages, better schools, a funded NHS?

The solution is simple. Campaign for the elite establishment (men like Trump and Farage) to damn well pay their taxes.

Ask yourself how Farage - a man who opened an offshore trust fund AND refuses to publish his tax return - has to hide?

Trump at least admits to not paying his taxes.

It is bloody disgusting that men who have SO MUCH, won't contribute to the good of society - and then have the gall to blame immigrants - who DO contribute to society.

I cannot express too strongly my utter disgust at this huge con of the public's trust by these two racist thugs.

Lying sleazy money grabbing hypocrite doesn't equate to Blair Mehatherium. We were in the Eu during the banking crisis. Have you no compassion for the people of Greece, Italy, Spain or Ireland who have suffered and are suffering enormously economically and financially whilst being members of the EU Sedgwick. I don't think your arguments bare scrutiny. What about the unemployment rate for young educated Spanish people.

x 100

lilli It's a post fact world after all.
sedgewick awesome post. Run for parliament!!

'It's a post fact world after all'

No, it's a "post spin" world where Blair and Cameron and the Establishment spinners all lost to the people.

'sedgewick awesome post. Run for parliament!'

She would stand no chance as she is swimming against the tide of history and the tide of the people. The old days, the old ways of calling Farage a "fascist" and of calling voters thick bigots for supporting Farage or wanting controls on immigration are over. The spin no longer works. And James O'Brien won't be able to help the Establishment stem the tide of history.

"James O'Brien is rude and obnoxious to anyone who disagrees with him. His style is to belittle and intimidate people who are less well educated than him."

That probably explains why the BBC hired him. I suspect that the Establishment's teams watched in consternation as Farage was trouncing them and their well-paid hangers-on in election after election and were clueless about how to stop the people and Farage, so when they saw James O'Brien grill Farage, they thought they had seen their saviour and hired him pronto (even though he is not Oxbridge, because when they are desperate, they are desperate and Oxbridge is no longer a necessary requirement). But O'Brien, with his smarmy, smug, aggressive air of condescension cannot sway the good people of the country over to the Establishment's side.

"So, why are the idiotic Farage and Trump blaming the immigrants?
I'll tell you why.
Because they want to distract you.
From what? From who they are."

Sedgewick has totally missed the point of what has happened in the world in 2016. It is not about "immigrants" and nobody blames "immigrants". The people blame the useless politicians, the useless elites.

Farage is not Establishment, all the luvvies hate his guts. Labour favourite luvvie and BBC regular, Alan Johnson, Establishment favourite, said on This Week that the one good thing he hopes comes out of 2016 is that Farage leaves the country and moves to America. The luvvies hate Farage because he is their nemesis.

Farage called Osborne a "pasty-faced bastard". Farage is not a favourite in Establishment circles or the BBC, but he does say what lots of the people think.

"2017: Europe's year of rage
Across the continent, the pro-EU establishment has reason to fear the coming year's elections"

www.spectator.co.uk/2016/12/2017-europes-year-of-rage/

We are in the midst of a people's revolt against the useless politicians and the Establishment and saying that Farage doesn't like "forriners" when his wife is foreign won't work for the BBC anymore.

2016 was a battle for democracy and a victory of the people over the useless elites. It wasn't about immigration. It was much more than that and that is why the elites and their teams are so scared of what 2017 may bring for them.

"The sneering response to Trump’s victory reveals exactly why he won
...
The anti-Brexit anti-democrats claimed they were merely opposed to using rough, simplistic referendums to decide on huge matters. That kind of democracy is too direct, they said. Yet now they’re raging over the election of Trump via a far more complicated, tempered democratic system. That’s because — and I know this is strong, but I’m sure it’s correct — it is democracy itself that they hate. Not referendums, not Ukip’s blather, not only direct democracy, but democracy as an idea. Against democracy — so many of them are now. It is the engagement of the throng in political life that they fear. It is the people — ordinary, working, non-PhD-holding people — whom they dread and disdain. It is what got Trump to the White House — the right of all adults, even the dumb ones, to decide about politics — that gives them sleepless nights

This nasty, reactionary turn against democracy by so many of the well-educated both explains the victory of Trump, which neatly doubles up as a slap in the face of the establishment, and confirms why democracy is more important today than it has ever been. Because it really would be folly, madness in fact, to let an elite that so little understands ordinary people, and in fact loathes them, to run society unilaterally. Now that would be dangerous, more dangerous than Trump."

2016 was the elite's worst nightmare and 2017 looks set to be just as bad. While the people celebrated New Year, the Establishment and all their teams were crying in their beer. Their worst nightmare had come true just as UKIP's Winston McKenzie foretold back in 2014 when teh people's revolution began

"The UKIP fox has struck again"

Vanessa Feltz puts him to shame. She can have a lively debate and remain polite, impartial and measured.

I can't stand the way Vanessa Feltz cannot ask a question without trailing on for ever with at least 20 sub-clauses - for her the interview is really only about her. She's also not bright. Before Christmas she was having a discussion about schools not letting people take photos during things like school nativity plays, and was heavily pushing the line that it was all namby-pamby political correctness. Then a couple of people phoned in to point out that frequently it was for the safety of children who need to be protected from abusive parents or relatives who might find out where they are from a school photo, and she was still incredulous and suggesting strongly that that isn't a serious danger. She only began to acknowledge it was a genuine concern when someone phoned with personal experience of looking after a child in this situation, and pointed out that there are websites where abusive parents get together to help each other track down the children in question. But really, for someone who professes to be a journalist, the degree of ignorance and prejudice that she showed were quite astonishing.

Lying sleazy money grabbing hypocrite doesn't equate to Blair Mehatherium

So, Lillillill, because Blair is so much worse, it's fine with you that Farage is a lying sleazy money-grubbing hypocrite?

And could you answer the question about how you make out that disliking Farage automatically makes you a Blair supporter?

"James O'Brien is rude and obnoxious to anyone who disagrees with him. His style is to belittle and intimidate people who are less well educated than him."

That probably explains why the BBC hired him.

Errm, they didn't, claig. I think you're letting your prejudices show.

'Errm, they didn't, claig'

Soon after that interview, he began appearing on BBC Newsnight, though not in a regular capacity, thanks Goodness. Evan Davies is much better than the aggressive, hostile O'Brien who seems to act like some apparatchik out of Orwell's 1984 working for Big Brother interrogating guests from America and elsewhere who agree to come on the show.

The Establishment desperately need left wingers like O'Brien to grill populist politicians like Farage.

Which reminds me, isn't there an O'Brien in Orwell's 1984? But if there had been a Farage or Trump in 1984, then Big Brother would never have won, however many O'Briens and Inner Party Blairites Big Brother could muster.

Agree with everything you have said Sedgwick