If you don’t know why Laurence Fox ranted about Ava Santina you need to see this
Andrew Neil, Ava Santina and Laurence Fox: if you want to know why Mr Neil is in this image, read on.
I wasn’t going to comment about this until it turned out there was a genuine public-interest side to it.
You may be aware that has-been actor and failed politician Laurence Fox has been suspended by right-wing channel GB News over comments he made about Politics Joe journalist Ava Santina (also known as Ava Evans).
What’s strange to me, as a reporter myself, is the media coyness about what she said to trigger his rant.
It was prompted by a discussion about comments she made about men’s mental health during an appearance on BBC Politics Live, discussing whether there should be a minister for men.
Here’s the relevant segment:
For clarity, Ms Santina said: “I think it feeds into the culture war a little bit, this minister for men argument. [Mental illness] is a crisis that’s endemic throughout the country, not specific to men. And I think a lot of ministers bandy this about to – I’m sorry – make an enemy out of women.”
Afterwards, she admitted: “I was a little rash on my anti-minister for men comments which I do regret and am actually very interested in a brief for a minister on young men’s mental health.”
I’m not convinced by this retraction. If she said it, she meant it. This afterthought suggests that she has realised she misjudged the national mood and wants to ingratiate herself with the public again.
Still, knowing the above, take a look at Fox’s outburst. I’ll use the link from Ms Santina’s ‘X’ account:
I feel physically sick
— Ava-Santina (@AvaSantina) September 26, 2023
What does a journalist’s physical attractiveness have to do with whether men’s mental ill-health might justify them having their own dedicated Cabinet minister?
It is entirely inappropriate to denigrate another’s personal characteristics during a discussion of such a topic, just because their politics and yours don’t correspond.
To make a similar – and appropriate – comparison, we might refer to the original chairman of GB News itself, who left the BBC to set up the channel that provided a platform for this rant, and who therefore seems more likely to be up Mr Fox’s political alley.
Would Laurence Fox shag Andrew Neil?
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Sadly men for a long time men have been told to “suck it up” asked “are you a man or a mouse?” “Boys don’t cry” and things like that as they’re growing up. I was told I shouldn’t cry at a relatives funeral, by another relative. I grew up with in the same house with the relative that died for nearly 28 years…but I shouldn’t grieve! I remember being taunted and teased for crying when my mother died when I was 9 even in 1987…still remember the words exactly as if it were yesterday. If mummy died if mummy died if mummy died, she did she did she did. You would cry you would cry you would cry, you did you did you did.
Yes a minister for mental health is long overdue IMHO as they should look at the knock on effects as well…drinking, drug abuse, other illnesses linked in. Then there’s the arrests, costs to police, courts prisons, NHS and so on. Putting money into tackling the issues could prevent the later costs as well so a small spend early could prevent greater spending later if that makes sense
Santina used to be James No’Brain’s producer at LBC Radio. That’s an association that doesn’t help her credibility.