The knives are out for Laurence Fox and GB News, which makes what I have to say all the more difficult because I don’t want to give the impression I think he should be ‘cancelled’. For the record: Fox can be snarky and boorish, but I don’t think he should lose his job at GB News. He has an audience who clearly adore him, even if they might concede he’s been a bit of a pillock at times. An ‘interview without coffee’, and an acknowledgement that he should have dialled it down a bit, would seem to be sufficient.
But the problem is that when it comes to free speech, Laurence Fox is, in my opinion, a bit of a hypocrite. My reasons are as follows.
Back in May, I wrote a piece condemning Laurence’s friend Calvin Robinson and his prayer for peace, which I felt was merely an opportunity to demonise Ukraine. Instead of ‘turning the other cheek’ or issuing a coherent response, Calvin took a bizarre pop at the FSU; but then in a strange and misguided attempt at solidarity, Laurence Fox pulled out of Toby Young and Isabel Oakeshott’s Lockdown Files Live event. That’s water under the bridge, but it’s why I threw down the gauntlet to Laurence (and, separately, Calvin and James Delingpole) for a debate on the topic of Ukraine. James and Calvin both instantly declared me an uppity non-entity, entirely unworthy of sharing a platform with their majesties, but Laurence appeared to accept the challenge.
Skip forward a few months, and after some difficulty pinning Laurence down, the venue was set for Reclaim Party HQ this Wednesday, September 27th at 10.30am. So I took the train down to London and saw the Kyiv City Ballet (which I’m sure is very good if you like that kind of thing), before toddling off to my sister’s place for an impromptu Ulez strategy meeting. Then, at 8.52pm, Laurence’s PA informed me that he was cancelling due to vague “unforeseen circumstances”. He couldn’t quite manage a personal phone call or text. Note, this was before he’d made his inflammatory remarks about Ava Evans, let alone been suspended by GB News, so that can’t be an excuse.
This was very irritating, given I’d spent several days researching and preparing for the debate, including a two-hour tutorial with a friend, also of this parish, while at the same time giving Toby increasingly vague timelines for when I’d finish the IT work I was meant to be doing for the FSU. Given what had happened in the week prior, with a former member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier SS Division getting a round of applause from the Canadian Parliament during Zelenskyy’s visit, and a possible case of a war crime by a Ukrainian drone operator – both of which Laurence had tweeted about, and which I think some of the below-the-line commenters here would have enjoyed seeing me having to tackle – I had my work cut out for me, and I confess I was quite on edge. I’m a bit of an introvert, and have never wanted to put myself forward for public speaking before.
It was therefore quite a relief when Laurence cancelled, but extremely annoying nevertheless. Just a few minutes later, he was on GB News doing his best to cancel himself, too. And if we count his throwing of Dan Wootton under the cancel bus, that’s three in the space of 24 hours. In tweeting as in life, Lozza is nothing if not prolific, but I couldn’t help but think yesterday’s tweets about the preciousness of free speech and his attack on Mark Dolan as a “cos play freedom fighter” rang a little hollow (if not self-parodic), since whatever “unforeseen circumstances” had prevented him from debating me clearly hadn’t stopped him from a vigorous round of morning tweeting.
Freedom of speech is indeed precious, but talk is also cheap.
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With all due respect Ian I am not sure what this adds, if anything, to the GB News debacle.
Lost on me.
It’s not even about the GB News debacle. It’s merely something that happened at the same time, but it illustrates the contradiction between his stated values and his own behaviour. Do you think I should have shut up and simply accepted it? It used to be the case that if someone failed to turn up for a duel, they would be regarded as a coward and to have lost. I like those old-fashioned principles.
“Do you think I should have shut up and simply accepted it?”
How you deal with personal spats is your business. Am I interested in how you dealt with this matter – no, it’s business between you and Laurence Fox?
“Calvin took a bizarre pop at the FSU; but then in a strange and misguided attempt at solidarity, Laurence Fox pulled out of Toby Young and Isabel Oakeshott’s Lockdown Files Live event.”
And the evidence for the assertion that the Robinson business was linked to the Lockdown Files event is?
Laurence Fox released his tweet exchange with Dan Wootton after Dan Wootton had set to saving his own skin by offering an apology to that potty-mouthed girl from Politics Joe. It works both ways.
Mark Dolan is a “cosplay freedom fighter,” well it’s a wonderful turn of phrase and I wholly agree with Laurence Fox. I had Dolan as a kite in the wind when I came across him on Talk News. Perhaps it has something to do with Jeremy Vine being Godfather to his children. Either way he’s a man with a plastic sword.
So, thanks for your commentary but I still do not believe it adds anything.
People like Aby Roberts on Substack were criticising Fox for going along with Oakshot’s play as distasteful, given her friendship with Hancock who has serious allegations of Medazolan & Morphine mass democide of the elderly in care homes to bump up the Covid numbers. So it could be those reasons why Fox pulled out of that event.
With all due respect to Mr Rons (and IMO anyone who works for the FSU and DS is due plenty of that) I agree with you. Fox may or may not be a bit rude, but that doesn’t change whether his views make sense or not.
Thank tof.
I greatly respect ALL those working for the FSU and have managed to attend the last two Manchester events. DS and FSU are our beacons in these febrile times.
100%
…..if I remember rightly Calvin’s ‘Bizarre Pop’ was questioning why somebody from the FSU was proscribing how words should be spelt and why it was considered pro-Russian to write The Ukraine and Kiev..something I think all of us agreed was bizarre…but on Ian’s side..not Calvin’s…
Thanks Mrs Gums.
I was expressing my opinion, which is entirely my own, and it just appals me that Calvin chose to go after the FSU because I helped bring it into existence.
Calm down dear…
He didn’t ‘go after’ anyone..he just mentioned that telling people how to say and spell a word is an odd thing for someone to do..if they claim to be ‘for’ free speech…and it is..whatever you say..
Because Laurence said so. Toby wrote a Spectator article about it. Give me some credit, mate.
Realistically you could have made this clear in your article.
On reflection this is looking like an insiders tiff. DS comments section is no place for such matters.
As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said:“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.”
One instance with no specific information about why, just an assumption.
Swallow. Summer. One. Make a. Doesn’t.
You have 60 seconds to make a well-known phrase or saying.
Man arranges meeting with another man who cancels meeting.
The end.
GB News is targeted for extinction by TPTB. Ofcom et al don’t apply the same standards to the Fake News and Lamebrain media. Free speech and free thinking is the enemy. If Fox is popular he should have his show. If you don’t like what he says, don’t watch. Simples.
They were salivating on ITV GMB this morning, (not that i watch, just flicking through) that Dan & Fox has been suspended — “OFCOM are sharpening their teeth” said Nick Ferrari. Next thing they were telling people to get their flu jab!
If only it was that simple. As you correctly state TPTB want to destroy GB News so it has to try and maintain a squeaky clean image, in order to attract advertising revenue if nothing else.
Because of this I think they had to throw Fox and Dan Wotton under the bus, even though in an ideal world they wouldn’t need to do this and could permit robust opinions that occasionally overstep the mark.
They threw themselves under the bus.
I think they will settle for emasculation where if broadcasts approved nursery rhyme repeated on a loop.
I normally take exception to Ian’s comments over Ukraine, however in this case it does highlight shortcomings if Fox’ position.
I have agreed with many things that Fox has said, but have difficulty with his manner of presentation. Indeed, his criticism of this journalist over her stance on male suicide seems perfectly valid, but the way he presented his view meant that he became the focus, not her odious position. A more measured response might have helped his cause far more.
It’s very decent of you to say some supportive words. We’ll probably continue to disagree about Ukraine, and we’ve had one or two run-ins on that topic in the past, but I appreciate your fair-mindedness here.
You can’t be wrong all of the time! (Said with a smile – I don’t believe in emoticons).
I hope you now believe that I am not a Russian troll.
Yes, I did have to accept that fact. I can’t be right all the time!
He probably just forgot..I know I would…
His opinion probably hasn’t changed much from June when he was clearly baffled why you had targeted him anyway…
Laurence Fox
Why does he want to debate me on Ukraine? I can’t remember making many pronouncements on the subject other than what is the stated military objective and is it a potentially risky strategy to partake in a proxy war against a country with 8,000 nuclear weapons. I’m not sure that fits into conspiracy theory territory. All seems fairly rational to me. The. $130 billion Ukraine has been given in money and weapons makes it the third largest military budget on earth. But hey, I’ll debate anyone. I’d rather debate something that I have strong views about though. The Ukrainian conflict is utterly tragic, but I am not and never would pretend to be an expert on the matter, other than to say I don’t think it’s going to end well for either side. Which is usually the case in war….
He’s right..what else is there to say….?
We have over the years been over-exposed to Fox . His insistence that in all scenes in Lewis , he must have a fag in his gob was rather an indicator of a messed up child in the body of a grown up . Read his Wikipedia and be sad for him.
Er, was anyone forced to watch him or pay his wages? I don’t think he ever appeared on the BBC did he?
The “famous” Question Time” incident but maybe not to act in a part?
Ah how could I forget Question Time?!?!?
I don’t think they get appearance money – just expenses.
A collection of Ian Rons recent pieces on the DS
‘Ian Rons denies being a pro-Ukrainian’
Can you see it yet?
Appreciate the effort….LOL!
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/20258
A Large Majority of Ukrainians Think Zelensky Responsible for Corruption….
Some 77 percent of polled Ukrainians believe that the President Zelensky is directly responsible for corruption in the government and military administrations, according to a new poll conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF) and
reported by Interfax…..
He has also banned all other political parties and cancelled free and democratic election in October….??
Just saying…..
When did I ever deny being pro-Ukraine? That’s a made-up quote, and you’re lying. I’m 100% behind Ukraine, and always have been. Criticise me for my views, if you want, but don’t make stuff up.
He’s only lying if he knows it isn’t true. Lying isn’t simply saying something that isn’t true.
Not true. The understood meaning has changed over the years, but in common parlance a lie is something untrue that someone says. Doesn’t require intent to deceive. And anyway, he’s clearly invented that “quote”.
It’s not so common that I’ve ever met anybody who uses that definition.
But then, before the Russian invasion I’d never seen Kiev called Kyiv.
No it isn’t. A lie is a deliberate mistruth. Just because people misuse language doesn’t make it fact. It’s a mistruth used deliberately to mislead or deceive. That can only happen if you know it is not true. That’s why it is an imprisonable offence to lie. It is not illegal simply to say something that is not true.
Actually it does require intent to deceive. If you didn’t know it was a lie, you wouldn’t know you were deceiving anybody. Sociopaths like Tony Blair, pass lie detector tests because they (mostly) believe the nonsense they spout.
Seems your a bit twitchy Ian? Everything above is from your DS pieces? These are either your words or words of the editors of which I assume you approve? I have not made anything up. Care to correct the record?
You said (and fake-quoted) that I denied being pro-Ukraine. In fact, I’m notorious for being pro-Ukraine, and have said so at every opportunity. So you’re a liar.
I’ll wait.
“Ian Rons denies being a pro-Ukrainian” clearly can’t be a fake quote of yours.
“Ian Rons denies being a pro-Ukrainian,Establishment shill” is the quote. The abbreviation is the kind of bad faith trick I’d associate with the BBC.
I quoted off the DS, did you see the image?
Still, I suspect that if one is clearly for one side than another, their mind is rather closed to other positions which makes your pieces more propaganda selling points rather than discussion opportunities as for you, there is no debate to be had.
Say what you mean and mean what you say but you know the positions of the others you seek to talk to and you wont change your position so it’s probably not a debate you seek and more of an attempt to either indoctrinate, discriminate or degenerate…
Or are you open to the others being somewhat right and yourself, somewhat wrong?
The quote, which was written by Toby, does not say that. Get a life.
Care to adress the other points?
Seems you you missed it. What does the bit in the box say?
Anyone seen Iam Rons?
What about Chechnya?
Did you have a problem with that?
Pro Ukraine, Behind Ukraine….What’s the bloody difference?
Very diligent. Rather at odds with how UK Column see things though. I would love to know why there are such divergent views on the Ukraine war among what I would call the same side. It seems like the actual truth of what is really been happening ‘out there’ has indeed been the first victim. The never ending war between Eurasia and Oceania.
Must admit I don’t know why you posted this either, Ian Rons. It does provide an anecdotal picture of the man Fox but nothing more that I didn’t already suspect in terms of how he is. His commitment to the cause of freedom – especially in smoking fags – is not in question but perhaps his way of going about it is. He’s certainly scored an own goal for the truth movement and moved the precipice just a little closer to GB News and for that his ‘gung ho, bag me a jerry before breakfast’ swashbuckling ways haven’t done them any favours. However, it also makes me wonder something: how serious a politician is he? Or is he just ‘what you see is what you get’ in which case it’s kinda refreshing in a politician. Anyway…we’ll see.
…will we get a eulogy when his dentist cancels an appointment??
Ian Rons has lost every argument on here about Ukraine so Laurence Fox probably couldn’t be bothered to add to his discomfort.
Tell me what argument I’ve lost.
What is it about “every” that you don’t understand?
EVERY pro-Nato, pro-establishment Ukraine article of yours on The Daily Sceptic has been debunked and ridiculed by the paying members of The Daily Sceptic, and others, who can read exactly the same thing in the corrupt and biased Western main stream media.
That’s why we are here, NOT to read Nato lies, propaganda and omissions of the truth.
How did the discussion on here turn so quickly from being about Laurence Fox to being about Ukraine? I must say I do not like a pile on in this manner. It is distasteful. We may disagree with Ian Rons about Ukraine – and one day I would love to know why he supports the regime or is it the ordinary people of that country – but that is neither here nor there in this case. This was meant as an anecdote to highlight Fox’s foibles. Fox is no saint and doesn’t think he is either. He says pretty much what he wants and that is not helping any of us right now. We need all those who already have a platform to keep that platform at all costs. He has many fine qualities but he needs to stop acting like an idiot.
I think many of us thought that Ian Rons had quietly gone on his way, as he had been silent for many weeks. He is forever associated with Ukraine in the minds of many here.
That is one of the reasons why after they outed Steyn, I just saw them as controlled opposition, regardless of whether they were consciously aware of the matter. Their praise for Boris after going to Ukraine and to prolong the war — He has blood on his hands for that alone before looking into mandates that violated the Nuremberg code. They also hold the Royals ‘Build Back Better’ in high regard. No Royal Assent declined since 1700s. Totally F++up!
Not wanting to debate you has nothing to do with free speech. He’s not stopping you speaking.
I don’t understand why Ian Rons’ pro establishment narrative on Ukraine has received so much airtime here. The whole point of The Daily Sceptic is to challenge official narratives. Sure he can disagree with those who make the challenge, in the comments like everyone else.
Ian, I strongly disagree with you on Ukraine, but I do respect your willingness to debate the issue in the open. Let’s face it, the fantastic Mr Fox had possibly had a few in preparation for winding up Wooton with his thoroughly appropriate slagging off of that repulsive woman.