Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit (PbP) is in a dark mood this sunny morning. He’s been called ‘A Brit’ by Sinn Féin councillor Ciaran Beattie, who has since withdrawn the comment. But Gerry is still deeply upset. This is “A pathetic slander, and outrageous slander” and is “gutter politics at its worst.”
Now as a general principle, calling your political opponent names isn’t desirable – in fact it’s a bit juvenile. On the other hand, if being called a Brit is Gerry Carroll’s idea of “gutter politics at its worst”, he has led a truly sheltered life. But the name does raise wider issues.
For example, the other day I heard a leading EU figure – I think it might have been Michel Barnier – refer in passing to ‘the Brits’, and no one, as far as I know, called for smelling salts. On the contrary: I’m sure there are people in our NE Nest who’d pride themselves on being Brits or British. I seem to remember Sammy Wilson, years ago, declaring that there wasn’t a drop of Irish blood in his body, and I’ve always assumed he meant the space was filled with British blood.
It also raises the question – again – of the stance of PbP on the constitutional question. Yes, yes, Virginia, I know some people claim that’s going-backwards politics, but it is an inescapable fact that Irish reunification and its desirability or non-desirability is the central question in Irish politics. Judging from Gerry Carroll’s indignant reaction, I’m assuming he’s declaring himself Irish and in favour of Irish reunification. Or have I got that wrong? Does his party sees the border as an irrelevance?
But actually, I think this spat is an attempt at distraction. This election is very largely about Brexit – whether we think it’s good or bad, how it will be implemented, its implications for the border. Gerry’s loud outrage over the Brit thing is an attempt to send people haring after a distraction, so the fact that PbP were originally Brexiteers and are now miraculously Remainers won’t come under scrutiny.
Finally and maybe most important for the victim of this attack, if Gerry is sincere in his claim that being called a Brit is gutter politics at its worst, maybe he should pursue another profession where people are more delicate and deferential in their dealings.
And you can hear Gerry and me discussing this topic on Nolan this morning by going clickety-click on this link:
And if shinners are upset about being called crocodiles or blondes: “maybe they (sic) should pursue another profession where people are more delicate and deferential in their dealings”.
You can’t really have it both ways.
Brendan
Agreed.
The term Brit is not in itself offensive just as blonde is not in itself an offensive term.
It is the connotations they carry in context that lead to the offence.
In both cases it is likely that they were intended to be insulting.
I would say the connotations of ‘Brit’ in West Belfast are worse than the connotations of ‘blonde’.
are all posts on here riddled with hypocrisy? The seems to be at sociopathic levels at times.
All a load of distraction from the main issues, people are not idiots.
correct..people trying to tell us this election is about brexit.brexit was done and dusted over a year ago when the majority voted on it.this is an british general election,lets keep things straight.
Well I supposed Gerry Carroll has eventually admitted that PBP are in favour of a United Ireland which in past interviews he has been at pains to avoid answering.
I think it was inappropriate for Ciaran Beattie to call Gerry Carroll a Brit and it is good that Mr Beattie has admitted this. I suppose it would be much worse calling people ‘Loyalists’ if that is the correct term for those who sign an oath of allegiance to the British monarchy (or are prepared to).
Lucky enough Gerry won’t have to make the decision to hold his nose. After listening to this citizen of the world business since the 70s, I really don’t hear it any more.
Haven’t listened to Nolan or the recording yet. Why did Ciaran Beattie call him a “Brit” ?
Gerry walked into a trap. He and the party keep spoofing about the border so why is Brit such an issue. Christopher Stalford summed it up well in the Belfast Telegraph. If PBP are non tribal then whats wrong with being British. Of course we know PBP want to have their cake and eat it on this issue when in reality they cant and it wont be long until there is a border poll and they cant fudge the issue any longer.
I find these comments from SF to be childish. PBP should be critised in my view because the party supported brexit ( a strange position for internationalists given how the EU allowed citizens to work all over Europe). Gerry Carroll will of course continue to claim his EU citizenship despite his pro brexit stance.
They’ve now nuanced their position to say they’re not in favour of a Tory hard brexit, so they were at best extremely short sighted in their support for brexit.
I mean, what type of brexit did Gerry think would follow a brexit vote under a Tory government ?
I remember McCann on the debates before the vote dismissing a hard border as being impossible- the people would march on the border or words to that effect. PBP should be criticised for their unworkable, rhetorical and dogmatic political policies which do nothing in terms of real politik.
SF would do well to leave the insults alone and stick to policy. Because it’s on policy that PBP fall short, by a distance.
Agreed 100% Cal.
Can’t understand why some people interpret ‘Brits’ as an insult, when Jeff Spelling and Gary Lineker say it, are they being insulting?
I don’t believe so and I think this whole thing is a nonsense and simply a distraction.
I don’t think there’s much doubt that it was meant as an insult. It was definitely aimed personally at Gerry Carroll which isn’t on in my view.
and isn’t there a tv programme called “Brits Abroad”
Possibly what Gerry Carroll is afraid of is a Brit Brexit!
What’s Gerry’s opinion on the IRA’s armed struggle? Thousands of ex-POWs in W Bfast, are they criminals Gerry?
THe SWP which controls PBP supported the hunger strikers and gave “conditional” support to “the armed struggle””
Michael C. , the SWP phrase I read was ‘unconditional but not uncritical” ( support fot the armed struggle. In the past the SWP were not above using fairly uncomplimentary terms about their opponents. That said the term “Brit” has a very negative resonance in nationalist areas of the north and should not have been used. It is really not enough to withdraw it. A full apology should be tendered. Strangely though, I don’t remember Nolan getting worked up about an English politician making reference to “Irish gypsies”. A hierarchy of insults?
I’m intrigued by the difference between withdrawing a statement (essentially saying ‘I shouldn’t have said it’ and an apology (‘I’m sorry I said it’). I’ve always felt the second is virtually asking the person who used the term to be a liar and a hypocrite. A liar, in that, since they used the term, they presumably thought they were right’; a hypocrite, in that they’re being encouraged to say they’re sorry when – is this too cynical? – they’re not one bit. Maybe sorry for saying it because it’s provoked the reaction it has, or – much less likely – sorry for having hurt the feelings of the other person.
Jude,
There is a good rule of thumb, would Martin McGuinness have said it?
If he wouldn’t have said it then Mr Beattie has to ask himself would any decent Republican say it.
We all make mistakes and say things we perhaps shouldn’t have said when we are annoyed or vexed by another person and yes Mr Beattie has accepted that it was inappropriate but it would be a good lesson in humility to look Gerry Carroll in the eye and apologise to him. It would be the decent thing to do and it would allow voters to see that politicians are decent human beings like the majority of the rest of the population.
So how is this Unity to come about? Who will pick up the tab for fully 50% of public spending in NI (a third of the entire economy) that the South East England taxpayer is stumping up at the moment?
Britain will have to pay several billion pounds in compensation to the Irish people, for the centuries of oppression it inflicted. None of this just sailing away nonsense.
When the slogan was “Gerry Fitt is a Brit” ,not a word of criticism eminated from the SWP. “Brit” in that context meant a lackey of British imperialism which Fitt clearly was.PBP are in danger of filling Fitts shoes as they become the darlings of the anti Republican media.