I’ve written an op ed piece for today’s Mail on Sunday about the British Council. Sad to say, but an organisation that was once an effective instrument of soft British power has succumbed to the anti-patriotic self-loathing of the metropolitan elite. Here’s how the piece begins:
Few will be surprised to learn that an organisation funded by the British taxpayer once issued a ‘non-discriminatory’ language guide that urged its staff not to refer to ‘Brits’, or use the phrase ‘the Queen’s English’. The reason the latter was “problematic”, we were told, was that “it implies that these varieties of English are more correct or of greater importance than others”.
What may have come as a shock, though, is that the document – which could be called ‘How To Speak Woke-ish’ – was produced by the British Council, whose purpose is to promote Britain’s values and culture across the world.
Not only does it have a budget of £1.2 billion a year and employ 7,000 people, but it received a Royal Charter in 1940 – and its patron is Her Majesty the Queen.
It seems this public body, like so many others, has succumbed to the anti-patriotic self-loathing that is so prevalent among the Brexit-hating metropolitan elite.
Once a vehicle for the projection of soft power, celebrating the pinnacles of British culture like the plays of Shakespeare and the music of Elgar, it has become infected by what the late philosopher Roger Scruton called ‘oikophobia’ – the repudiation of one’s own culture and the glorification of others.
Now the British Council has published a ‘diversity and inclusion’ policy that says the UK’s record on “ethnic conflicts, civil disturbances and genocides” puts it on the same footing as Syria, South Sudan and Darfur.
Notably missing from its list of shameful countries is China, for that is one part of the world where the British Council does take its commitment to ‘decolonisation’ very seriously. It is extremely careful never to breathe a word of criticism about the Chinese Communist Party’s brutal suppression of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong – that well-known victim of British colonial oppression – lest it jeopardise the £219 million a year it receives from the People’s Republic of China.
“Imagine the BBC, but without the talent,” is how one disillusioned ex-staffer described the organisation.
Worth reading in full.
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Employs 7000 people , costs the taxpayer 1.2 billion and take funny money from China..!!!!
This organisation sums up whats wrong with the UK at the moment .
The headcount needs reducing significantly .Start at say 75%.Budget similarly and make it illegal to take money from any organisation outside the UK .
Oh and set fire to all the woke w$nk they spout.
Madness !!!
I wouldn’t say that every organisation has been captured by the woke cult, but I think it might be more worthy of a headline to name a few that had not been. As someone pointed out the other day, name a member of the senior leadership team in any organisation who has openly expressed conservative views.
It tells you all you need to know about the values of the Conservative Party when you reflect they have provided the PM and most Ministers for 12 years and this sort of thing has become widespread whereas the CP members would have wanted it eliminated. If not after 12 years I think we can say that CP leaders approved and approve still.
As there is something afoot called a reset I think the British Council is a worthy contender as a pathfinder organisation.
Shut this damned lunatic waste of taxpayers money down.
Sorted.
Mr Young seems to be insufficiently postmodern. Nothing exists independently of the language used to describe it, hence, the planet keeps getting hotter despite it doesn’t, Imperial modelling is always spot on and numbers indicating the contrary are not acceptable, Great Britain is a brutal oppressor and China the beacon of rationally organized society, as a certain government adviser whose name begins with Susan and ends with Mitchie told the world not that long ago. Taking Britain out of the EU in order to ensure that London-based hedgefonds are safe from EU taxation fits nicely into this. After all, it’s about the souvereignity of re-introducing loads of red tape to hinder international commerce and turning legal, tax-paying residents into principally illegal aliens who have to apply for permission to keep paying taxes and surrendering democracy and the rule of law to China as soon as the experts from the WHO come calling.
I’m personally very much inclined to consider Brexit a done deal with status of Nothing is as outdated as yesterday’s news but as people keep bringing up this vainglorious non-revolution, mentioning some of its not-so-great properties seems appropriate. You got it. Now, be happy about it and move on to something more pressing.
“£1.2 billion a year and 7,000 people”!! Bl**dy Nora!! Well, there’s a £1.2bn saving for a start.