Marc Wadsworth And James McGrath Make Boris Johnson Look Decisive
JAMES McGrath is London Mayor Boris Johnson’s deputy chief of staff. Or he was until he met with Marc Wadsworth “a confident, British-born Black activist and news media operator with a reasonable track record”.
Or as the self-aggrandising and ubiquitous Tory blogger Iain Dale calls him “someone called Marc Wadsworth”.
Writes Wadsworth:
McGrath was far from politically correct, David-Cameron-new- cuddly-Conservative Party, when I pointed out to him a critical comment of Voice columnist Darcus Howe that the election of “Boris Johnson, a right-wing Conservative, might just trigger off a mass exodus of older Caribbean migrants back to our homelands”.
He retorted: “Well, let them go if they don’t like it here.” McGrath dismissed influential race commentator Howe as ‘shrill’.
Very soon Boris releases a statement:
“It is with great regret this evening that I have accepted the resignation of my political adviser, James McGrath. James has been a loyal, committed and highly professional colleague. I will always be grateful to him for his skills, advice and support in helping elect me as Mayor of London.
Unfortunately, his remarks in a conversation with an Internet journalist, published this weekend, made it impossible for him to continue in that role. James is not a racist. I know that. He shares my passionate belief that racism is vile, repulsive and has no place in modern Britain. But his response to a silly and hostile suggestion put to him by Marc Wadsworth, allowed doubts to be raised about that commitment…
James’s remark was taken out of context and distorted, but he recognises the need for crystal clarity on a vital issue like this. We both agree that he could not stay on as my political adviser without providing ammunition for those who wish to deliberately misrepresent our clear and unambiguous opposition to any racist tendencies…”
McGrath replies:
“The columnist suggested that older people from the Caribbean might migrate back to their homelands if Boris Johnson became Mayor. I felt that this suggestion was ridiculous and intended as a slur and responded by saying with words to effect of ‘let people go if they don’t like it here’. To imply that I meant that all black people who didn’t support Boris Johnson should leave the country is utterly absurd and incorrect. And I would ask please that this insinuation is immediately retracted.”
Anorak wonders if McGrath, an Australian is how heading to his homeland? And offers a jolly good hats off to Mr McGrath and Mr Wadsworth for making Mr Johnson look decisive…
Posted: 23rd, June 2008 | In: Politicians Comments (3) | TrackBack | Permalink
