28 June 2016

The Editor
Daily Express

Dear Sir / Madam

COMPLAINT ABOUT ONLINE COMMENTS RELATED TO ARTICLE ABOUT DAVID LAMMY MP

I read the article by Cyrus Engineer in yesterday’s online edition entitled: “'Sore loser' David Lammy continues desperate attempts to defy Brexit vote” (http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/683770/Brexit-david-lammy-second-referendum). 

I then read the reader comments and was concerned to see many racist and insulting comments about Mr Lammy.  At the time of writing this letter, this comments remained online and further similar ones had also appeared.  These are the comments I am most concerned about:

“that evolutionary failure”

“He’s not even British…. Let him go back to the land of his fathers or mothers.”

“Time to send him back to the land of his parents.”

“We do things right in a democracy, far from the jungles of South America where your ancestes (sic) came from.”

“Or better still, go back home to Africa.”

“Get back to Africa Lammy, that is your homeland.”

“Doubly annoying as he isn’t an indigenous English person.”

“He is the same price as Diane Abbot and the bighead Chuka Umunna.”

“Bitter blacks…”

“He’s not even English so shy does he not just shut up?”

“Hear hear, he doesn’t look very English to me.”

“There is another one who should be grateful we let his ancestors into the Country, wherever they came from.”

“Sack the b*****d and vote for a true British person who will represent you and your country.  Vote UKIP.”

“Lammy was never going to play the white man, was he?”

My requests

1.       Although there is a button “Report this comment”, the fact that so many offensive comments are still visible today indicates that your moderating and monitoring procedures are not effective enough to ensure that offensive comments are deleted promptly.  Could you look into this?

2.       Although the article itself was not offensive, it cited inflammatory views which I believe would have encouraged many of the offensive commenters. Specifically, the article included the following:

“Reacting to his BBC interview one viewer tweeted: "Ask David Lammy if the remain vote had won, would he still be saying it was advisory? This man a total imbecile and no nothing politician."

Another said: "You’ve lost all credibility as an MP. You’re a disgrace."

A third branded the 43-year-old: "So anti-democratic it’s shameful. This isn’t best two out of three."

These were just views of selected Leave voters with little news value.  I question the value of them being included in a serious political article. 

3.    As a matter of honour, I believe that the Express should apologise to Mr Lammy for quoting offensive views about him, and more seriously, for tolerating racist comments about him.  The Express’s position on the referendum was clear, but just like everyone else, Mr Lammy remains entitled to his good name and not to be insulted.

4.    Generally, I would like to see the Express adopt a more considered and conciliatory tone on the referendum issues, given the very close result.  There have been many recent reports of racist insults against foreigners living in the UK, which some are attributing to the referendum result.  Whatever the rights and wrongs of the issues, in my view, the nation is in a fragile political situation and would benefit from journalism which sought to build bridges between people by listening to their concerns and reporting on issues in a balanced way. I ask the Express to really reflect on this seriously at this time.

I have copied this letter to Mr Lammy and my local MP, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely