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news
Jacob Rees-MoggJacob Rees-Mogg used racist term in House of Commons during swipe at “lunatic” cycle lane plans
Leader of the House of Commons Jacob-Rees Mogg yesterday hit out at what he said must be “lunatic” cycle lane plans set out by a “terrible socialist council” in Merseyside that are being opposed by the local Conservative MP and Liberal Democrat councillors. It was that alliance that led Rees-Mogg to describe the Liberal Democrats as “the yellow peril,” which saw the North East Somerset MP accused of racism on social media.
Rees-Mogg was asked to apologise to the House of Commons due to the phrase’s 19th century roots which grew out of anti-East Asian backlash in Western Europe and the United States.
Rees-Mogg was taking questions related to the business of the House of Commons when Damien Moore, the Tory MP for Southport, said that the seaside town “is under attack from the vindictive policies of Labour-controlled Sefton Council, which is trying to impose a cycle network on my constituency.
“Residents, businesses, disability groups and safety campaigners are against it,” he claimed, without specifying which organisations in particular opposed it.
“Revenues are already down because of an existing scheme, and the inaccurate data used to support this scheme is truly shameful,” he added, asking if Rees-Mogg would “make time available to debate these schemes, which I know concern many across the House?”
The council is currently running consultations, which close this Sunday 25 July, on two walking and cycling routes – one from Hesketh Park to the Plough Roundabout, the other from Birkdale to the Ainsdale Roundabout.
Consultations, of course, are aimed at gathering views for and against proposals, enabling local authorities to take informed decisions and, if necessary, amend original plans, although from the phrasing of Moore’s question, he already seems to have made his mind up on the issue.
It’s unclear how well-briefed Rees-Mogg was on the specific situation in Southport, although his use of the word “lunatic” suggests that he, too, holds preconceptions – and at a time when the government in which he is a senior figure is encouraging councils to implement active travel schemes and is providing funding for him.
He said: “I hear gossip that [Moore] is actually working in collaboration – whisper it quietly – with the Liberal Democrats in his area against these schemes.
“It shows how completely lunatic they must be that they have created an alliance between [him] and the yellow peril. I congratulate him on his broadmindedness.
“We have to remember the convenience of motorists and the need to have capacity on the roads for motorists, and cycle lanes need to be safe and take into account the views of locals,” Rees-Mogg added.
Noting that the consultation period had been extended to 25 July, Rees-Mogg added: “I am sure that many people will want to send in their views to this terrible socialist council.”
The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Thangam Debbonaire asked him to apologise for his “yellow peril” reference, without specifically mentioning it.
She said that he had used “an extremely offensive racist term” and hoped he had done so “unintentionally.”
She added: “I find it really difficult to understand but I am sure it may be possible that he was not aware that it was, in relation to the Liberal Democrats.”
In response Rees-Mogg said: “If I have used a term that is offensive I apologise profoundly.
“I had absolutely no intention of using a term that was offensive.”
“I don’t actually know what term I used that was offensive, so if out of ignorance I have, I apologise,” he added.
In its FAQ on the consultation page, the council said: “The walking and cycling routes are for everyone, for young people getting to school or college, for people getting to work at Smedley or in Southport town centre, for people wanting to get out and about to visit places such as the park.
“We have used the latest government guidance and national best practice to create walking and cycling routes which are of high quality that people will feel safe using them and will be able to use them with all their family members.
“55 per cent of people in Southport live within 200 meters of the routes,” it continued. “The whole route including the part through town will connect people to lots of places they want to go to such as schools, colleges, parks, sports and fitness clubs, Village centres and Southport Town Centre.
“This corridor was shown in the Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan as a walking and cycling route,” it added.
> Andrew Adonis slaps down Jacob Rees-Mogg with penny-farthing joke
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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52 comments
It's actually called "Ye Olde Black Boy".
WOT NO CAPS LOCK??
If the pub is old it's probably actually named after Charles 2nd.
https://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/stuart_3.htm
Originally Pickaninnie wasn't a racist term it was a west indian term for a small child also pickney.
Both are derived from the Portuguese word for small "pequeno".
Yellow peril was used as a slur when I was a child to refer to the anticipated expansion of Communist China into the wester hemisphere, a simple Google search confirms this.
JRM knew exaxtly what he was saying, linking the Sefton council to communism
By the way, can you explain how calling someone a "tool" is being a little grown up.
Flah Gordon originally dates back to the nineteen thirties, IIRC, and the film your talking about was nineteen eighty. In the thirties, a lot of very racist attitudes were perfectly acceptable, and even by the eighties the memo about it hadn't been very well circulated...
I think we should just call in War Rocket Ajax...
Hawkmen DIIIIVE!
Yep, Ming was coincidently shared a name with a Chinese Emporer in the same way he coincidently also looked like a dude from the orient with his moustache, facial features and clothing style.
Next he will be saying FuManChu was also coincidently Chinese.
And just to add to that, IIRC Fu Manchu was described as the Yellow Peril.
That doesn't make sense though as he was referring to working with the yellow peril (lib dems) rather than fighting against the yellow peril (communist council).
I think there was no racial context when he used the term and people are looking for one, has it been used in a racists manner in the past? yes, but it is not commonly in usage like that now.
I would much rather the complainst against this buffoon were about his damaging policy positions, than some coincidence of word use.
Might as well take cycling clubs to task for organising chain gangs as being slavery supporters.
Whether or not he intended it as a racist term, it's still something that needs to be addressed so that he can learn why it's an offensive term and also to avoid needlessly offending asian people. He could just as easily have used the phrase "yellow stain" or even "yellow fever" to convey his message.
Personally, I think cyclists should also stop using the term "chain gangs" although it's more related to American prison-slavery than being necessarily racist (though the whole American prison system is arguably racist in itself).
He backed up his point with a source. He's correct and you're wrong, which is why you reacted with personal abuse.
Hmmm. Just guessing - that AT LEAST half your family think you're an insufferable, blustering, blowbag idiot.
Just because you have not yet learned of it, does not preclude it from being historical fact. A man who claims to be as well read as Mr Rees Mogg would almost certainly know of the term, and the combination of words are so unusual that's it's close to impossible to use them together by mistake.
I recently had a similar experience to your current one, when I learned that "oriental" is considered offensive in the US. It isn't something I've ever used outside of perfume descriptions but it's written on nearly every Chinese restaurant sign here in the U.K. so it's strange to discover a word as seemingly innocuous and ubiquitous to be deeply offensive to so many and I would be stupid to try telling them otherwise
didn’t Jacob famously go canvassing during his first election in a Rolls Royce driven by his nanny? I wish I was making that up...
Lies, absolute lies! It was his chauffeur.
Nanny didn't actually drive the Roller, but yes, he took her along and was really perplexed that anyone should think it was a bit weird...
Wasn't JRM famously hidden from all public appearances and interviews during the last Election because they knew he couldn't keep up the appearance of actually caring for poor people unlike the others?
Absolute vomit inducing is his appearance on tv as a ten year old talking about his investments.
Someone with the best education money can buy and a History degree from Oxford has never heard of the phrase "yellow peril" and uses it completely accidentally and unintentionally? They really do think they can lie about anything, don't they?
To be fair to Jacob, when he thinks of cyclists...
Fair point, he probably wonders why cyclists make such a fuss about the danger from cars when they're clearly identified by the chappie walking in front with a red flag.
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