Who is your greatest living Englishman?

The ironic thing is that those who say things like "without him we'd be speaking German" are apparently (and predictably) unable to read English!

It would be sad for him to be brought up in a list that included dead people, for him to be brought up here is beyond parody really.

 

Mmm....well there is quite a difference between reading and speaking.

 

I clearly mentioned the faults of Royalty in my first comment and the issues with racism need addressing but preferably not in some woke cancel culture led manner. Racism (and any form of discrimination) has been an issue for the world for far too long

 

It’s never going away; particularly whilst people who consider themselves against it get more angry about ‘woke culture’ than they do about hate crimes.

 

I personally don't get angry about woke culture. I am far more concerned that the cancel culture will become just what it is trying to highlight in that it is close to becoming another form of discrimination, just from the polar opposite view. The polarisation of opinions in all fields in the world today is a huge problem for a fair just world

 

You do know that ‘cancel culture’ is largely a media construct don’t you?

But as a proper old fashioned leftie; I grew up with the mantra ‘I may not like what you say, but I’ll defend your right to say it’ and the modern body politic doesn’t really allow for that.

Largely though, I do blame the right for this, (but then I would wouldn’t I?)

 

I do appreciate that cancel culture is something that is being led by the media, and that is fuelling the polarisation of life at present. I see a world that is being carved up by placing people into disparate "groups" and the mostly right wing mainstream media is using this as a way to keep power for their personal interest by implying these "groups" are at each others throats.

As a student of history i can see huge issues with the re-writing of history. It always happens but there needs to be voices heard from all sides. That is seriously lacking at the moment. We need discussion to improve the lot of the many not what we are seeing in the world today.

 

In my Twitter feed yesterday someone posted a clip of Wogan interviewing Ian McKellan re S28. Wogan asks questions that allow Sir Ian to explain complex issues, and gives him the time and the space to do so. It’s a stark contrast to how the media works today.

 

In that case I'm going to nominate Valerien Ismael; at least he's not dead.

 

This is a very good framing of reference. I'd not thought of the perspective before. Gives leverage to external views.

 

Adam Hinchcliffe, more vision than Rediffusion ever had.
Turnstiles for dogs, genius!

 

I'm sh*t at quizzes but is Nicola Sturgeon the correct answer?

 

Sir Trevor McDonald.... , bloody brilliant.

 

Alan Partridge.

 

Inclined to agree.

 

Get your facts right It was the opposition who were with him , it was his own leader and party that were against him and for appeasement .
It was his finest period in the war and what the country needed at the time but the things he did to his fellow countrymen and abroad and the fact he’s dead negates him being considered greatest living Englishman and there were others willing to step up to the fight in ww2 probably not make as many speeches but who knows .

 

Fudge, if only for the entertainment value at matches and on the way to them. Great character.

 

Und warem ist das ein schlechte idee? Zwei sprachen sind immer besser als eine.

Et trois c'est encore mieux.

 

Churchill led the Conservative Party in 3 general elections and lost the popular vote every time. The election he won in 1951 saw (at the time) the largest ever vote for a political party in the UK - the Labour party - and it was only beaten by John Major in 1992. Unfortunately, FPTP saw the Tories win more seats.

Churchill is far more popular now, than he ever was in his own lifetime.

 

My Mum & Dad who both fought in the second world war & were absolutely staunch Labour loved the man, I have never heard them speak about anyone else with such respect & fondness & yet they would never had voted for him in a general election , it was him as an individual who they respected, not the party he represented.