ANDREW Neil’s imminent launch of GB News will be presented by his team as appealing to parts of Britain that feel unrepresented yet the channel’s headquarters appears to be based in London, centre of the power of the establishment.
The narcissistic and pompous Mr Neil, ironically a French resident, is transparently attempting to influence the political narrative of Britain by offering his own version of Fox News, which will seek to reinforce the ingrained xenophobia and intolerance of right-wing philosophies at the expense of open and inclusive democratic discussion.
Any prospective viewer of the new channel can expect a heady mixture of The Spectator and The Sun, populist rhetoric disguised as earnest political debate. The presenters include former Sun editor Dan Wooton, former Brexit Party candidate Michelle Dewberry, Brexit cheerleader and jingoistic journalist Tom Harwood and, of course, TV archaeologist and tub-thumping British patriot Neil Oliver.
READ MORE: GB News: What Andrew Neil's new channel means for Scotland
Judging by the political leanings and blinkered zealotry of those involved, it would be a major surprise if GB News provides anything of genuine substance or gravitas to the major social, economic or political questions of the day. Like Fox News in the USA, it will almost certainly act as an apologist for the actions of right-wing groups and encourage narrow-minded and chauvinistic views amongst the British population. We can already hazard a guess that the subject of Scottish independence will be met with scorn, derision and visceral hostility.
I sincerely hope that GB News is rejected by all those who value open democratic debate and that Mr Neil and his merry band of Brexiters and journalistic outcasts return to airing their views in the myriad right-wing British rags that disingenuously pose as newspapers.
Owen Kelly
Stirling
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