Kicking myself for a bad decision. I declined invite from @BBCr4today to discuss Prince Andrew’s #Epstein interview before seeing the interview. But there’s so much to say about the culture of impunity Andrew embodies in this clip alone. A few thoughts...
theguardian.com/uk-news/video/…
theguardian.com/uk-news/video/…
@BBCr4today The reason I declined, as I say, is that I hadn't seen the interview. The problem with much discussion of the royals is that it takes place in a vacuum. They are protected by layers of secrecy that don't apply to other institutions. They can't be scrutinised or called to account
@BBCr4today Journalism too often responds to this by operating its own culture of impunity, inventing stuff to fill the vacuum, secure in the knowledge--well, at least until Harry and Meghan broke with tradition--that the royals would not take action
@BBCr4today Royal reporting also too often ignores the cultural & political influence of monarchy to focus on the trivial--& the private. Royals are entitled to private life, as are other public figures. That right disappears, however, if what they do in private is consort with paedophiles
@BBCr4today Andrew says he "let the side down". It's a revealing phrase. He cares about the reputational damage to the monarchy, to himself. What sign is there of any contrition or even recognition of the damage wrought by Epstein and his circle of participants and enablers of sexual abuse?
@BBCr4today He did let the monarchy down. It plays a much greater (& more problematic) part in UK life than widely recognised (which is why I wrote a political biography of Prince Charles) but it also has a symbolic role, as an idealised family, exemplars to the nation, avatars of probity
@BBCr4today It's astonishing yet utterly unsurprising how ill-equipped Andrew is to be an exemplar to the nations of the UK. An odd mixture of indulgence & deprivation--of purpose or freedom to choose--shapes the royals and was particularly toxic for the Queen's children
@BBCr4today I spent a lot of time on Planet Windsor and quite often felt sorry for its inhabitants. I travelled through China with Prince Andrew, the only journalist on his "trade mission" and saw a man out of his depth. Some of what I saw explains what we know. None of it begins to excuse
@BBCr4today Andrew couldn't have led the life he's led, made the choices he's made, without people enabling him every step of the way, without institutions covering for him whenever needed. This is the culture of impunity. A culture that reflexively protects its own & hang the rest
@BBCr4today So yes, Andrew has let the side down, many sides. Primarily Epstein's victims and every woman, every victim of sexual abuse, every boy--because what kind of example has he set? but also taxpayers & the many organisations dependent on royal patronage
@BBCr4today A lesser consideration: If I were a monarchist, I'd be seething. As it is, I have concerns. The UK, already struggling with Brexit and break-up of the union and witnessing a surging hard right, isn't exactly in the best place to transition to a republic just now
@BBCr4today But oh this culture of impunity. It pervades the UK. The MPs who faced allegations of harassment & abuse: not one of them lost his job. The Recall Act means voters can sack an MP for fiddling expenses but not for sexual assault unless it leads to a custodial sentence
@BBCr4today The culture of impunity. The big old political parties responding to complaints, whether of harassment or racism, by closing ranks, often demonising the complainants and those who support them and pointing at each other saying "it's worse over there"
@BBCr4today I am so fucking angry
@BBCr4today So maybe it's just as well that I didn't agree to go on the Today programme. I don't know that there would have been room for this discussion, with its nuance and complexity and its real importance.
@BBCr4today But this is a discussion we need to have. Desperately. And I salute @maitlis for securing the interview without, as I understand it, the palace exercising editorial control. I can't say I look forward to watching tonight but I will certainly watch tonight
@BBCr4today @maitlis And if there are broadcasters who are ready for the serious kind of analysis this needs, then I might be prepared to participate. But no, don't bother ringing me for silly little soundbite stuff or pitching me against some idiot controversialist. This is far too important
@BBCr4today @maitlis And frankly I'm too bored with the frequency with which media is part of the problem rather than part of the solution. (Wrote a nuanced piece this week in part about the need for nuance in political coverage. Editor offered to punch it up "for more impact". I declined.)
@BBCr4today @maitlis The media should puncture the culture of impunity. Instead it too often functions as an integral part of its whitewashing mechanisms. This is also structural and systemic and I do not exculpate myself from having sometimes fed rather than challenged this beast in my past life
@BBCr4today @maitlis No more.
I’ll say one more thing before getting on with my day: there may be people better qualified than me to discuss both Prince Andrew/monarchy *and* the culture of impunity but I can’t think of any. Curious to see whether @AndrewMarr9 @RidgeOnSunday agree but I won’t hold my breath
