Yorkshire Cricket Club Hearing

[JohnC6]

Just started on the Parliament channel the Culture,Media and Sport Committe are taking evidence from Azeem Rafiq. From what I heard on Five Live just before the hearing started it sounds appalling.

Infact, it's being broadcast on Five Live but for how long I don't know so I've gone to the TV.

 

[LCPete]

Yes we was watching it this morning and agree absolutely appalling

 

[JohnC6]

Yes we was watching it this morning and agree absolutely appalling

What struck me was..as one of the eleven-member committee drew attention to.. there were only two women on the committee but failed to draw attention to the more important failure of inclusivity. No non-whites. That was part of Azeem's Rafiq's evidence when he said that of the 36% of Asian youth ,in Yorkshire,I think...who were playing cricket only 4% made it into the top clubs. Contrast to football. There are 650 MPs and 65 are non-white. Most select committees are appointed after a general election for the whole period up to the calling of the next general election. So, even if a non-white MP wanted to become a member it would appear that applying is not an option.

Current committee members. https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/378/digital-culture-media-and-sport-committee/membership/

By the way, what annoyed me was how Five Live presenter, Nicky Campbell, during his phone-in, was beside himself to apologise...told to by the producer,I assume, when some Asian callers said it was almost a daily occurrence in some cities to be called a Paki. The BBC and others refer to it as 'The P word'. They're really sorry if anyone was offended by the P-word.. Really ? Not half as offended as the British-Asian callers and Azeem Rafiq who used the term during his evidence. Maybe they had complaints,I felt like complaining myself, because when the BBC covered the hearing in the TV news bulletins they ran the evidence given in full ..no bleeps and gave a warning...that "some viewers may find some of the language used offensive" For me, it's saying.."what was said to you was so offensive that we're not going to let our listeners/viewers hear exactly what you had to suffer in the event that they may be offended" It's sanitising it and worse, diminishing the impact of it on those at whom it's directed.