Mick Lynch hates Christmas. He hates you, he hates your family and he hates the idea of you spending the festive period with them.
Small businesses? Don’t even get him started on them. He hopes they all go bust thanks to loss of trade, leaving their owners with no money to spend on the trains that, thanks to his anti-Christmas agenda, won’t be running anyway.
That’s the position we’ve all been assigned as members of the British media, and few have stuck to it quite so steadfastly as Richard Madeley did on Tuesday morning.
Who?
Good Morning Britain host. Once asked a member of the Birmingham Six: “What do you notice most has changed during your 18 years in jail? Cars have five gears now, for example.” Apparently endured a prolonged stay in Linton Travel Tavern during the late ‘90s.
READ MORE: Richard Madeley makes polarising Good Morning Britain return
What’s he done now?
Traditionally, an interview involves one person (the ‘interviewer’) asking questions, before shutting up in order to let the other (the ‘interviewee’) answer them.
Not Richard ‘maverick’ Madeley. Always one to think outside the box, the 66-year-old spent Tuesday morning ranting at Mick Lynch, and speaking over the Rail, Maritime and Transport union’s general secretary when he tried to respond.
How did Madeley toe the Mick Lynch line?
Suggesting that many were “appalled” by the RMT’s decision to strike during the festive period, Madeley said: “they feel that it’s an act of almost sadism and unkindness”
He added: “Whatever happened to Christmas kindness?”, in the style of a Twitter troll who subjects you to racist abuse and then says ‘Whatever happened to ‘be kind’?’ when you tell them to f*** off.
“Why couldn’t you put all of these strikes into January?” he asked, referring to all the famous victories secured by workers who coordinated their strikes for times that caused the least possible disruption and were therefore easy to ignore.
READ MORE: RMT strikes: Mick Lynch urges UK Government to follow Scotland's lead
How did Lyn…
Hold on, Madeley’s not finished. “You’ll be putting people out of business who run hotels, who run restaurants, who run bars and retail”, he claimed, to which Lynch replied: “It isn’t Christmas yet, Richard. I don’t know when your Christmas starts, but mine starts on Christmas Eve.”
That prompted another Madeley rant, in which he called Lynch “disingenuous” and said: “Will you answer the question Mr Lynch? I won’t let you get away with nonsense.”
Madeley not letting someone else get away with nonsense? Isn’t that…
Like being accused of ruining Twitter by Elon Musk? Pretty much.
Taking advantage of a brief, golden moment of Madeley silence, Lynch said: “You're just ranting now. You’re just talking to yourself now, Richard. Why don’t you just interview yourself?”
How did Lynch come across?
As he has done so often during media appearances, he maintained his dignity and composure while being confronted with an unhinged rant, effortlessly maintaining the high ground and refusing to be goaded into losing his cool.
He’s aware that he represents a vast number of workers, and won’t allow himself to be dragged into a shouting match designed to undermine him. By putting his point across in a calm, articulate manner, he reminded viewers that those in power are the ones to blame, not workers demanding fair compensation for their labour.
But what about the position you’ve been assigned as a member of the British media?
Oh, sorry. Mick Lynch? More like Mick GRINCH!!!
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