Comments on: Boris right to sack race row advisor http://www.stephennewton.com/boris-johnson-james-mcgrath/ ...stuff I've seen, stuff I've heard and stuff I've read Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:12:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Stephen Newtonhttp://www.stephennewton.com/boris-johnson-james-mcgrath/comment-page-1/#comment-32159 Stephen Newton Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:24:17 +0000 http://www.stephennewton.com/?p=1360#comment-32159 Bob: In retrospect, I was wrong to describe you as cowed. That was over the top and I apologise. Loaded questions are difficult to answer, but a trap like this should be easy to spot. McGrath should have known better than to take the bate. Bob: In retrospect, I was wrong to describe you as cowed. That was over the top and I apologise.

Loaded questions are difficult to answer, but a trap like this should be easy to spot. McGrath should have known better than to take the bate.

]]> By: Bob Piperhttp://www.stephennewton.com/boris-johnson-james-mcgrath/comment-page-1/#comment-31993 Bob Piper Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:08:34 +0000 http://www.stephennewton.com/?p=1360#comment-31993 Stephen, I have not been 'cowed' as you put it. It was Howe who referred to these people going back to their 'homeland', not McGrath. If you want to direct your bile anywhere, he is the person you should do it to. So, what homeland, eh? Brixton? Handsworth?I'm struggling to understand how McGrath could answer that without causing offence. If he had said no, they shouldn't be allowed to go he would have looked stupid, if he had said what you have said, that this is their home, he would have been accused of denying their cultural heritage.Howe asked a stupid question (which I note you did not include in your piece) and the most sensible thing McGrath could have done was to tell him he was talking bollocks. Stephen, I have not been ‘cowed’ as you put it. It was Howe who referred to these people going back to their ‘homeland’, not McGrath. If you want to direct your bile anywhere, he is the person you should do it to. So, what homeland, eh? Brixton? Handsworth?

I’m struggling to understand how McGrath could answer that without causing offence. If he had said no, they shouldn’t be allowed to go he would have looked stupid, if he had said what you have said, that this is their home, he would have been accused of denying their cultural heritage.

Howe asked a stupid question (which I note you did not include in your piece) and the most sensible thing McGrath could have done was to tell him he was talking bollocks.

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