Jeremy Vine’s show on Channel 5 has been hit with 383 Ofcom complaints after Mike Parry’s remark about “minorities”.
On last Friday’s broadcast, host Vine, radio host Parry and journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown discussed the Insulate Britain protests on the M25.
Alibhai-Brown said the UK can’t call itself a free nation if people can’t protest. Parry said the UK is “too tolerant” and that protesters should go to China “and see what the Chinese authorities do”.
Speaking of how some protesters have been gluing themselves to the road, Vine remarked: “If they’re going to get superglue and glue themselves to the road, you’ve got to think about ripping them off.”
Alibhai-Brown said: “I think if we are a free society, and I’m very glad to be living in a free society, then we have to put up with some of this. When the farmers took to the roads none of the traditional right-wing papers objected the way they’re objecting” before Parry interjected with “not to the detriment of millions of others”.
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He continued: "The problem in this country in all areas is that minorities always get the upper hand because we’re so tolerant.
“And minorities have to be squashed like that,” he said as he slammed his hand on the table.
As the camera pans out, Alibhai-Brown is seen sitting with her arms crossed as she quipped: “Oh my God, I think you should go and live in China, they could do with you over there.”
Ignoring Alibhai-Brown’s comment, Parry continued: “So that the rest of society can operate normally.”
Looking down at his notes, Vine said: “I don’t think we want to do too much squashing of minorities on a Friday.”
Vine quickly moved the conversation forward and read out viewers’ comments about the M25 protests.
People took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the segment:
Disturbing stuff from Mike Parry, even without his weirdly enthusiastic gesture at the end pic.twitter.com/XqZH9E60p4
— Luxmy Gopal📺 (@luxmy_g) October 1, 2021
@JeremyVineOn5 I will £100,000 to a charity of Storms choice, if you fire Mike Parry live on air today and never have him on show again. #jeremyvine
— Richard - Entrepreneur & progressive 🇨🇦 🇵🇸 (@Montrealbloke) October 1, 2021
Mike Parry saying ‘minorities have to be squashed’ live on national television is pretty fucking terrible, but what’s more terrible is that it won’t affect his career in the slightest because many of those in the majority will have instinctively nodded.pic.twitter.com/IEqJwRAdgl
— Max Morgan 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@SpillerOfTea) October 1, 2021
Mike Parry needs to be squashed 🥾 https://t.co/GdDYHqgOLb
— gem (@Project_Coup) October 1, 2021
Parry posted a series of tweets clarifying his comments, claiming he meant the M25 protestors and “other minority groups who’ve had a disproportionate effect on life.”
He added: “To link my ‘minorities’ comment to ethnicity is just silly… I don’t think like that.”
1. Can I explain please the context of my comment on the @JeremyVineOn5 show this morning: "Minorities have to be squashed" It sounds brutal in isolation but it was directly aimed at the M25 protestors and OTHER minority groups who've had a disproportionate effect on life ..
— Mike Parry (@mikeparry8) October 1, 2021
2. Before today's show we were discussing wind power/energy sources .. a story we covered .. and I expressed the view: "Fracking could have saved this country from relying on overseas energy .. but once again a tiny minority of protestors stopped it happening. Why? It's mad"
— Mike Parry (@mikeparry8) October 1, 2021
3. I do not regard anybody who is not my religion, creed or colour as a person in a minority group. I'm not even aware that I live in a mixed race society. I just live in our society. To link my "minorities" comment to ethnicity is just silly .. I don't think like that ..
— Mike Parry (@mikeparry8) October 1, 2021
Jeremy Vine has engaged with several people on Twitter when it comes to the matter. Vine said he wished he intervened to get Parry to clarify that he was talking about the M25 protesters.
I would never accept a racist comment. Ever. I do not believe he was referring to ethnic minorities. The discussion was about the M25 protesters.
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) October 4, 2021
Doubtless Ofcom will adjudicate having seen the context. Let's wait for that before piling on.
I very much regret the phrase that was used, of course I do! Because it has been taken to mean something I do not think, in a month of Sundays, he meant. And I certainly wish I had intervened to get him to clarify he was talking about the M25 people. Yes to all that.
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) October 4, 2021
Ofcom lists programmes that garner more than 50 complaints on its weekly audience complaints’ bulletin.
In a note on the bulletin, Ofcom writes that complaints to the regulator are assessed against the Broadcasting Code.
Indy100 has reached out to Channel 5 for comment.
