Mary Beard &Brexit

I can't recall another time when No 10 attempted to block the appointment of a hugely respected academic from one of the top universities in the world to a similar post for expressing a view shared by almost 50% of the electorate - but perhaps I'm mistaken.

As varian says - this extreme right wing influence is hugely concerning and should be robustly challenged. It's vital for democracy that all voices are heard in order to ensure that all views (providing they're legal, obviously) are represented.

The extent of it is new lemongrove.

One of the signals was the shameful "enemies of the people" headlines in the Daily Mail, accompanied by photos of the judges who ruled against the unlawful prerogation of parliament.

There are so many worrying signs that this government wants to ape Trump who aims to replace liberal judges with ultra-right wing hard liners.

The good sensible moderate people in this country who have any positions of influence will, if BJ (or rather Cummings) have their way, be gradually edged out to be replaced by right wing yes men (and women).

We are as a nation on a very dangerous path.

It wasn’t this government, it was T May and government if you believe the article anyway.
I should think all governments of any political colour have always blocked the appointments of those they either don’t like or have strident views they don’t like.
There’s nothing new under the sun.

Absolutely agree. Appointments to Boards such as the BM should not be blocked on the basis of identify politics and individual leanings. The dismantling of democracy does not happen as the result of a coup - it takes place gradually over many months or years by politicians chipping away at it slowly.

If it had been the other way round, with a non-Brexit government blocking an appointment of a leading historian at the museum because the proposed person had been for Brexit, it would have been just as dictatorial. "XXXX being a trustee for The British Museum has/would have no impact on either the government or the man in the street" applies equally in either direction.

Anyone who tries to block someones appointment, no platform them, etc because they hold a different point of view needs to be challenged. This is particularly an issue for women at the moment. Anyone who thinks it is just the conservative party playing this game are sadly mistaken, the labour party leadership contenders have just signed a pledge to expel women they consider guilty of wrong think. We need to fight to allow people whose view we disagree with to speak.

Another example of how this Government is driven by ideology and determined to stifle any opposing voices. Not good. She's an excellent historian and an intelligent female voice in the public domain.

Great news that the BM has stuck two fingers up to number 10 and appointed Beard. Anyone defending this really needs to wake up and fully understand the rot that is seeping through the corridors of WM.

Sorry just seen this thread - yes it is an attempt to stifle any opposing way of thinking. Which some on here seem to agree with.

I think the point Maizie was making is that this was an attempt by Theresa May’s government to block an appointment because of her views which are in opposition to the government- which is a tactic used by dictatorial regimes.

Well 3 out of 4 candidates at the beginning wasn’t a bad average was it? And as the BM have the overriding decision and Mary Beard has been accepted (I like her on tv) then all’s good surely?

But it does have an effect on the British Museum. So I'm pleased we have another intelligent and forward thinking woman appointed.
That may have an influence on the "man on the street" in future. And maybe the girl on the street too.

Read the article, and you'll find a typical Guardian left-wing slant - waste of time. The BM are entitled to appoint five members to the Board without consultation - Beard is one of them. As lemongrove says, it really is not going to have any impact on the vast majority of us. You really must be scraping the bottom of the barrel now MaizieD, trying to find anti-Government propaganda.

Oh well, if this factoid was reported in a newspaper, it must be gospel.?
Mary Beard being a trustee for The British Museum has/would have no impact on either the government or the man in the street ( or the one on the Clapham omnibus.)

Sorry, forgot to link:

www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/01/british-museum-put-mary-beard-on-the-board-despite-downing-st-veto