Chris Bryant MP gets a shoeing off James Blunt

**Chris** · 19-01-2015, 13:21

http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...rivileged-arts

Quote:

Singer James Blunt has accused shadow culture minister Chris Bryant of being a “classist gimp” after the politician cited him as one of the performers from a privileged background dominating the arts.

The 40-year-old Brit award-winning artist has written a letter arguing that his private education and background worked against his success in the British music industry, where he was thought to be “too posh” and received a request to modify his accent.

Follow the link on that page to find the full letter, which is hilarious.

Ignitionnet · 19-01-2015, 13:22

So Chris Bryant, shadow culture whatever, complains about a lack of diversity in the arts and specifically names James Blunt.

Blunt promptly responds back calling him a 'classist gimp'.

James Blunt 1 - 0 Chris Bryant

Moral: success should be celebrated wherever it comes from, and those who aren't so fortunate raised up to the heights, not the more fortunate brought down to a homogenised medium.

**Chris** · 19-01-2015, 13:26

Merged ...

Ignitionnet · 19-01-2015, 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Merged ...

Good call!

**Damien** · 19-01-2015, 14:07

It seems unfair he was named but it's probably not true to say private education holds you back in music. Quite a lot of performers went to a private school. For example here is the Alumni for just one such school: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor...f_Theatre_Arts (although that list seems to favor actors). This isn't a new issue either, it was noted a few years ago: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today...00/9373158.stm

I believe privately educated students make up 7% of the student base and are disproportionately represented in the arts and some sports. I don't think we need to 'bring down' those who've achieved that success after coming from a private school but ask why there is such an imbalance. Part of it is probably just a fact of life, parents who are investing that much in their children's education are probably more involved and may well have more income to help them achieve outside of school as well (such as music lessons and instruments).

However another part might be that arts lessons are much better at private schools and other children don't have the same opportunities. If that's the case then it's right to look into it. We shouldn't halt the progress of those from private school or resent their success but we should be trying to ensure equality of opportunity as best we can.

Kursk · 19-01-2015, 14:11

That letter is a scream

Ignitionnet · 19-01-2015, 14:12

I guess we have to get used to this stuff as we've gone from slow-burn campaign mode into full-on silly season now.

alanbjames · 19-01-2015, 14:37

i always find it ammusing when a politition says someone is to posh when most of them are born into upperclass families and recieve private educations themselves.

Osem · 19-01-2015, 15:07

Or they do what Dianne Abbot did and condemn private education whilst choosing to educate her own son privately.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3229453.stm

dave6x · 19-01-2015, 15:11

Haha, I suppose that his own education had nothing to do with his current postition:

He was educated at Cheltenham College, an independent school for boys in the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where he was captain of the school swimming team, and Mansfield College at the University of Oxford. He graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English. This was later promoted to a Master of Arts degree (MA (Oxon)), as per tradition.

Extracted from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Bryant

Sirius · 19-01-2015, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave6x

Haha, I suppose that his own education had nothing to do with his current postition:

He was educated at Cheltenham College, an independent school for boys in the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where he was captain of the school swimming team, and Mansfield College at the University of Oxford. He graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English. This was later promoted to a Master of Arts degree (MA (Oxon)), as per tradition.

Extracted from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Bryant

He's a complete idiot and typical of our champagne Labour MP's. Remember people Labour expect you to do as they say not as they do.

Osem · 19-01-2015, 19:36

They're amongst the very worst hypocrites IMHO and almost invariably wind up with their greedy self serving snouts in some very rich troughs just like all those 'evil fat cats', 'Tory toffs' and 'unscrupulous baby eating capitalists' they say they despise but evidently can't wait to join the ranks of. For as long as I can remember, Labour have practiced and perfected the black art of saying one thing and doing the opposite whenever it suits...

**Damien** · 19-01-2015, 19:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirius

He's a complete idiot and typical of our champagne Labour MP's. Remember people Labour expect you to do as they say not as they do.

Well I don't think he had a choice of where he went to school. I also don't think that you need to be from a state school to call for more diversity in the media. Should only poor people care about poverty? Only minorities care about minorities?

Also where is he saying that people shouldn't go to private school? I don't see that in the article?

TheDaddy · 19-01-2015, 21:00

James blunt and Gordon brown both saved the world, kind of, well one did at any rate, the other just says he did

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11753050

admars · 19-01-2015, 22:16

Bryan't reply is also quite good.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...-blunt-in-full

I think they both make good point, but Blunt seems funnier

I don't care for his music, but when he's been on Top Gear etc, he usually seems a nice enough bloke who doesn't take himself too seriously, and is fully aware that many ppl seem to hate him for no good reason