The Scruton tapes: an anatomy of a modern hit job

Apr 25, 2019 by Jill

by Douglas Murray, Spectator:

How a character assassination unfolded on Twitter.

Sometimes a scandal is not just a scandal, but a biopsy of a society. So it is with the assault on Sir Roger Scruton, who in recent weeks has been smeared in the media, fired by the government and had his life’s work assailed. Scruton is the latest, though far from the first victim of the modern outrage mob.

[…] But what had the philosopher actually said — and had he been fairly represented? No one who called for his resignation tried to find out. Not Mercer, Tugendhat, Finkelstein, Osborne, Brokenshire or any of the rest of them. The story was too good. Scruton later asked for the tape of the interview that got him sacked to be released, so everyone could hear what he said (or did not say). Many others then joined this call, but Mr Eaton went very quiet. Having acquired a copy of the recording of the interview, I know why.

Read here (£)

(Article behind a paywall unfortunately, but needless to say Roger Scruton has been thoroughly vindicated, by the release (under much pressure from Douglas Murray and others) of the tapes from the actual interview, from each of the scurrilous accusations and insinuations made against him by the New Statesman Deputy Editor. Douglas Murray goes on to say ‘the philosopher had lost his job because government had cowered in front of the mob.’)

Read also: Scruton – and the gulf between Conservatives in Parliament and conservatives outside it by Paul Goodman, Conservative Home