Downing Street: execution is not government policy

Full marks to David Cameron for making light of Jeremy Clarkson's comments about striking public sector workers.

Interviewed on The One Show last night, Clarkson joked that they should be shot. Inevitably there has been a manufactured storm of protest from the illiberal left.

According to Ed Miliband, who admitted he had not heard the comments, they were "absolutely disgraceful and disgusting".

Number Ten however took a rather different line:

"Execution is not government policy and we have no plans to make it government policy."

Thank God someone in power has a sense of humour. The prime minister just went up in my estimation. Miliband? He couldn't get any lower.

Full story: Jeremy Clarkson apologises as 'execution' rant sparks complaints (Daily Telegraph)

See also: Clarkson's critics should be taken out and shot (James Delingpole)

PS. I wonder if Ed Miliband finds these comments - Snipers could soon snuff out smoking - equally "disgusting". Perhaps he'd like to comment.

See also: More thoughts on sniping and smoking.

Comments

[Joyce]

"According to Ed Miliband, who admitted he had not heard the comments, they were "absolutely disgraceful and disgusting"."

Although, during NuLabour's Reign of Terror, the lovely Nurse Consultant, Jane De'Ville-Almond said on radio that smokers who couldn't afford NHS treatment would just have to die.

Maybe manslaughter is OK but murder' isn't. Or maybe it's that the death of smokers is OK. Or maybe it's OK for a health professional but not Jeremy Clarkson to say that people ought to die. It's all too confusing....

Here's the caring Jane:

http://freedom-2-choose.blogspot.com/2009/08/jane-deville-almond-health-professional.html

[Dickie doubleday]

I'm not a great clarkson fan, he ranges from a pompous prat to a very funny bloke normally within 5 mins, his man in the pub style of straight talking catches out politically correct non descript one show presenters who sit there like dummies unable to deal with everyday pub chat style jokey comments

Worse still was Karen Jennings of unison who almost started to cry at how upsetting it all was ,BBC news decided to get all moody and serious too as if it was announcement of a royal death

I agree it was a smart move by Cameron to react like that, it's a real shame political correctness has taken the place of religion as a badge to wear with pride

[Lyn]

Must admit, I like Clarkson, mainly because he has the balls to say what many people are thinking but are too scared to say!

I did not see the One Show or hear his comments first hand, but from comments on DP's blog it seems that Clarkson was having a go at the BBC more than the strikers as he firstly said how easy it was to drive around London with all these people on strike and then followed up with a comment along the lines of '..this is the BBC so we have to be balanced ...' and made his comment about shooting the strikers.

It is typical of some people and the press in particular that they do not give a balanced view; to only mention the latter part of his comment in isolation, thereby inflaming most of the people who did not hear it in its entirety is shameful.

Give people all the facts and then let the people decide for themselves!