Fox: The tide is turning on PC nonsense
Actor’s rejection of racism and sexism accusations on Question Time provokes backlash on social media
‘I can’t help what I am. I was born like this. To call me a white privileged male is to be racist. You’re being racist’
LAURENCE FOX, the actor, last night said the “tide is turning” after he attacked politically correct “nonsense” while appearing on BBC Question Time.
On air he was labelled a “privileged white male” for suggesting that the Duchess of Sussex was not a victim of racism, and rebuked for endorsing Sir Keir Starmer rather than a woman as a potential Labour leader.
He said accusations of racism and talk of privilege were “really starting to get boring”, that celebrities were continually “preaching to everyone about how they should change their lives”, and that policies were more important than gender when it came to choosing the next Labour leader.
The performer accused his accusers of racism for stigmatising his skin colour, and sarcastically mocked the suggestion that “any” female politician would be the best leader for Labour simply by virtue of her sex.
Facing an online backlash for his views, Fox appeared to enjoy the rage of his “Leftist” critics, and compared his own views to those of Martin Luther King, the US civil rights leader. He added that the “tide is turning” against the politically correct.
Appearing as part of the Question Time panel in Liverpool, the actor and musician sat next to Baroness Chakrabarti and responded to claims from an audience member that the Duchess of Sussex was a victim of racism.
Fox, the son of the actor James Fox, said: “We’re the most tolerant, lovely country in Europe. It’s so easy to throw the charge of racism at everybody and it’s really starting to get boring.” He was then called a “white privileged male” by the same audience member, Rachel Boyle, a university lecturer who has previously appeared on the BBC as a commentator.
Fox, with an eyeroll of exasperation, said: “I can’t help what I am, I was born like this, it’s an immutable characteristic. To call me a white privileged male is to be racist. You’re being racist.” The actor was later asked for his views on the successor to Jeremy Corbyn. He suggested Sir Keir would be the best candidate.
Lady Chakrabarti rebuked him for not selecting any of the four women running for the role, to which he responded: “Oh God, it’s not about women, jeepers creepers.”
With irony, he added: “Sorry, let me rewind. Any of the women. Is that better? Any woman. Because it’s really important what your gender is or what your sexuality is rather than what your policies are.”
Fox received a warm reception from the Liverpool audience during the show, but faced criticism on Twitter for his views. He wrote online that this vilification was “water off a duck’s back” and stated he was speaking “truth to nonsense”. The actor added that he rejoiced in the “Leftist tears” he had provoked, and said he would “genuinely rather eat a light bulb” than read a book on the subject of “white privilege”.
Fox said his world view was inspired by King, in that he judged people on the “content of their character” and not “the colour of their skin”.
He said of King’s views: “This is the position I took last night and I live by in life. If you can improve on it, I’m all ears. Or you can keep screeching ‘racist!’ at me and I can carry on having a jolly good giggle at your expense.”
His critics called him a “posh white actor” who had the privilege never to have been in contact with racism.