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Guardian Journalist admits to being IRA sympathiser.

(123 Posts)
GrannyGravy13 Tue 02-Mar-21 21:10:46

Roy Greenslade has resigned from his position at a London University after admitting to being on the side of IRA. The Guardian has been very quiet on this subject.

It was apparently known he was a unionist?

As the Guardian is often quoted in GN political threads, I would be interested in other’s opinions.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Mar-21 09:53:08

MaizieD I in no way support Claire Fox.

This thread is in News and Politics and Mr.Greenslade has been featured in the news this week for his support of the IRA bombings.

Are you not appalled by this? So far your posts have been whataboutery and deflection

nadateturbe Wed 03-Mar-21 10:08:42

I know its not the main topic of the thread but trisher and growstuff I can assure you that atrocities committed by IRA are rarely mentioned here in NI. Much more publicity is given to loyalist crimes.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/academic-says-republicans-responsible-for-60-of-troubles-deaths-1.3983227%3fmode=amp

tickingbird Wed 03-Mar-21 10:37:30

MaizieD I don't care for hypocrisy

Wow.

timetogo2016 Wed 03-Mar-21 10:40:57

My thoughts exactly Maddyone.

trisher Wed 03-Mar-21 10:45:47

That link is interesting nadateturbe but I do question the time parameters set. It is of course easier to set the whole of the Irish problem in the time frame of "The Troubles" being the period from the 1960s when things escalated. Should the time frame be extended I think there would certainly be more deaths associated particularly with the RUC who were the only militarised police force in the UK.

Gwyneth Wed 03-Mar-21 10:53:16

Where are all our Guardian readers who usually make an appearance on anything political? Maybe they’re beavering away trying to find evidence that Greenslade wrote for the Mail at some point?

Ilovecheese Wed 03-Mar-21 11:24:58

I am a Guardian reader who has just seen this thread.
How it appears to me is:
A columnist who wrote for several different publications on both sides of the political divide is an IRA sympathiser.
The Daily Mail has only mentioned the Guardian, not the other papers that he wrote for.
The OP heard this version on the news and has taken that to mean that The Guardian supports the IRA , and therefore so perhaps does anyone who reads it.

The right winger ClairecFox was also an IRA sympathiser, but that didn't count.

MaizieD Wed 03-Mar-21 11:27:21

tickingbird

MaizieD I don't care for hypocrisy

Wow.

Sorry?

Where am I being hypocritical?

I haven't made any comment about Greenslade or the IRA. I don't actually intend to, either. I am perfectly entitled to keep my thoughts private if I want to.

I think I very rarely resort to whataboutery (or can you dredge up numerous examples?) but in this case the comparisons stick out like a sore thumb.

MaizieD Wed 03-Mar-21 11:28:31

Gwyneth

Where are all our Guardian readers who usually make an appearance on anything political? Maybe they’re beavering away trying to find evidence that Greenslade wrote for the Mail at some point?

It's about the only paper he didn't write for, it seems...

tickingbird Wed 03-Mar-21 11:34:25

Many have sympathy with the IRA but he, himself, has stated he supported their use of violence. It must have been quite common knowledge amongst a certain journalistic circle for Boris Johnson to write a piece regarding The Guardian’s core of IRA supporters for The Spectator. The, then editor, of the G, responded with outrage and demanded an apology which wasn’t forthcoming. It now turns out BJ was correct and still no word from the G. Much like it’s supporters on here. Normally they’d be out in force.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Mar-21 11:34:55

Ilovecheese

I am a Guardian reader who has just seen this thread.
How it appears to me is:
A columnist who wrote for several different publications on both sides of the political divide is an IRA sympathiser.
The Daily Mail has only mentioned the Guardian, not the other papers that he wrote for.
The OP heard this version on the news and has taken that to mean that The Guardian supports the IRA , and therefore so perhaps does anyone who reads it.

The right winger ClairecFox was also an IRA sympathiser, but that didn't count.

I have never posted that The Guardian supports the IRA.

I have never posted that Guardian readers support the IRA.

The journalists who I saw discussing this on the news came from both sides of the political divide.

I have already posted that I do not support Claire Fox.

Ilovecheese your interpretation of my OP is in my opinion incorrect.

Ilovecheese Wed 03-Mar-21 11:40:18

O.k. That was just how it appeared to me after a quick read. I am sorry that I got it wrong. I was eager to respond to your "where are the Guardian readers?" Post.

Oldwoman70 Wed 03-Mar-21 11:41:12

There seems to be a lot of attempted deflection going on here. The thread concerns someone who wrote for several newspapers and was also a university lecturer who has admitted he agreed with the violence used by the IRA. That admission is what people are upset about

nanna8 Wed 03-Mar-21 11:43:10

The IRA had a lot of supporters at one time. In the 1970s I was teaching at a Catholic school in The midlands. Most of the staff were Irish born IRA sympathisers. At the time there was a lot of talk about the evil loyalist police and their violence. It depends which way you look at things. My old Dad used to say that all is fair in love and war. We certainly heard about the violence and horror of the IRA but there were others that were violent on the opposing side too.

Alegrias1 Wed 03-Mar-21 11:52:18

With respect to the point of this thread:

The name of one of the newspapers this man wrote for appears once in the thread title and twice in the OP. Even the Daily Mail Online didn't try to associate Greenslade with the Guardian, at least in the article I just read.

The OP asked specifically what people's views were, given the Guardian is often quoted in the Political threads. So the concern was specifically about Guardian readers' opinions.

The thread has been used again and again to ask "where are the Guardian readers?"

So let's not pretend that this thread is born out of a concern for a University lecturer's support of the IRA.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Mar-21 11:52:45

Ilovecheese it wasn’t me who posted where are the Guardian readers

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Mar-21 12:02:49

The news item I watched particularly highlighted Mr Greenslades time at the Guardian, how this was alleged several years ago and how the Guardian had remained silent on this issue then and now.

He has resigned from his position at the University.

tickingbird Wed 03-Mar-21 12:15:49

He was at The Guardian for a long time. He worked for The Sun and The Mirror several times for both. He became editor of The Mirror and admits fixing a Spot the Ball competition to ensure nobody won! What a man. He was a professor of journalism and lectured on ethics in the profession. I believe he was at The Guardian for 12 years. How this piece of work could lecture aspiring journalists on ethics is shocking but sadly, not surprising.

trisher Wed 03-Mar-21 12:25:34

It does make me wonder what is the point of a peace process when serious offenders on all sides were asked to lay down their arms and progress onto peace and reconciliation, if many years after some who actually only spoke in favour of those organisations are expected to fall on their sword? Did he commit any of these atrocities? Let's keep the spirit of the Good Friday agreement and forgive him

vegansrock Wed 03-Mar-21 12:30:31

I read the Guardian and the Independent and the Times. Never heard of this journalist, but I don’t notice the names of many journalists to be fair. No truck with terrorism from whichever side. I don’t support this man and his views , you don’t have to be far left to say that.

tickingbird Wed 03-Mar-21 12:38:56

I’d agree with you trisher if only you were willing to be so magnanimous towards others who, perhaps, don’t share your political views.

growstuff Wed 03-Mar-21 13:53:20

nadateturbe

I know its not the main topic of the thread but trisher and growstuff I can assure you that atrocities committed by IRA are rarely mentioned here in NI. Much more publicity is given to loyalist crimes.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/academic-says-republicans-responsible-for-60-of-troubles-deaths-1.3983227%3fmode=amp

Thank you for that link. The point I was making is that the "troubles" weren't all one-sided. I know that they had been going on for years before everything kicked off in the 1960s, but the discrimination which Catholics suffered in NI wasn't well publicised, nor was the treatment of IRA sympathisers.

I abhorred the violence and IRA bullies, as much as I abhorred the loyalist bullies. However, that's not really the point.

The condemnation of Greenslade now, after it was known for years about his sympathies, has another agenda.

growstuff Wed 03-Mar-21 13:54:21

vegansrock

I read the Guardian and the Independent and the Times. Never heard of this journalist, but I don’t notice the names of many journalists to be fair. No truck with terrorism from whichever side. I don’t support this man and his views , you don’t have to be far left to say that.

He was the media critic. I recognise the name, but can't say he made much of an impression on me.

growstuff Wed 03-Mar-21 13:54:58

And, yes, I'm a Guardian reader - along with dozens of other media sources.

growstuff Wed 03-Mar-21 13:56:28

GrannyGravy13

The news item I watched particularly highlighted Mr Greenslades time at the Guardian, how this was alleged several years ago and how the Guardian had remained silent on this issue then and now.

He has resigned from his position at the University.

If it was on GMB, that's hardly a surprise. GMB is one of the main players in the culture war which is going on.