Daily Mail admits Mel Phillips got it wrong
In late September, the Daily Mail’s resident conspiracy theorist Melanie Phillips wrote an article titled: ‘Our language is being hijacked by the Left to muzzle rational debate‘
Soon after, she was emailed by blogger Kevin Arscott who pointed out inconsistencies in her article.
She eventually hit back with threats of libel
Your blog post about me is highly defamatory and contains false allegations for which you would stand to pay me significant damages in a libel action
Fancy that – talking of libel damages after an article complaining how the left was trying to ‘muzzle rational debate’!
Kevin had simply pointed out that the Winterval example she used was an urban myth.
Phillips had actually replied with these words:
Winterval buried ‘Christmas’ and replaced it in the public mind. Your message is therefore as arrogant and ignorant as it is offensive.
Guess what? The Daily Mail have now updated her article. It now states at the end:
A previous version of this article stated that Christmas has been renamed in various places Winterval. Winterval was the collective name for a season of public events, both religious and secular, which took place in Birmingham in 1997 and 1998. We are happy to make clear that Winterval did not rename or replace Christmas.
So…erm, it turns out Kevin Arscott was right all along.
How embarrassing – even her own paper admits she got it wrong. Pwned.
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Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments
It’s a shame she DIDN’T take that to court.
I suspect she always knew it though. Because she actually says to him something like “I would definitely win in court and you’d have to pay thousands and thousands of pounds, but I’m not going to actually sue you… but if I did, I’d definitely win. But I won’t.”
The last libel case involving Mad Mel did not end well for her, nor for the Spectator, which was left with a five figure legal bill.
I’m sure it was entirely coincidental that she parted company with the mag soon afterwards.
Melanie Phillips, my favorite nutter. I will hold her and the rag she writes for, responsible for the measles out breaks that we will have as a result of rational people being scared to death of a very good preventative treatment.
Winterval buried ‘Christmas’ and replaced it in the public mind. Your message is therefore as arrogant and ignorant as it is offensive.
If it did, it was because of her and her ilk constantly fucking going on about it.
@2 I must have missed that story, could do with reading about it to brighten up the morning. Supply a link pls…
Hang on, she said Winterval ‘buried’ Christmas, she didn’t say it replaced it.
“Winterval was the collective name for a season of public events, both religious and secular, which took place in Birmingham in 1997 and 1998″ – sounds like a burial to me, just one un-named element in a collection under a wider umbrella term that covers any number of seasonal secular and religious events.
A few years ago, she moaned about the rise of the BNP. This completely ignored the fact that the BNP thrived on the kind of Islamophobia she so regularly pumped out.
@6 Each event was trumpeted loudly when it came around, ie any posters or announcements to do with Christmas had “Christmas” in big-ass lettering at the top with a little “winterval” logo in the bottom corner at the end. Hardly ‘buried’. Course at the time the main outrage was that a city council was daring to use taxpayers cash to put on events for non-christian celebrations around the winter period! Heresy!
Now we just have the old war on Christmas, which given how early the shops stock Christmas tat, looks to be going quite well in Christmas’s favour.
Looking forward to Mel’s apology for her error here. But as massacred Norwegian kids and dead British measles kids haven’t yet brought out her humility, perhaps I’ll have a lengthy wait.
@ 6 Hanners
“Hang on, she said Winterval ‘buried’ Christmas, she didn’t say it replaced it.
“Winterval was the collective name for a season of public events, both religious and secular, which took place in Birmingham in 1997 and 1998? – sounds like a burial to me, just one un-named element in a collection under a wider umbrella term that covers any number of seasonal secular and religious events.”
You’re either getting bad information, or you’re misreading the information you’re getting. Here’s the (incidentally awesome) reaction to tabloid bleating about Winterval from Birmingham City Council:
“there was a banner saying Merry Christmas across the front of the council house, Christmas lights, Christmas trees in the main civil squares, regular carol-singing sessions by school choirs, and the Lord Mayor sent a Christmas card with a traditional Christmas scene wishing everyone a Merry Christmas”
Unnamed? Really? I honestly don’t know whether you’ve been mislead, or whether you’re one of those people who’ll grind their axe regardless of the evidence.
@9
“Looking forward to Mel’s apology for her error here. But as massacred Norwegian kids and dead British measles kids haven’t yet brought out her humility, perhaps I’ll have a lengthy wait.”
There’s nothing there to be brought out, as far as I can figure. Mel wants to believe that she’s a brave crusader against the enemies that only exist within her own head. Rationality be damned.
Ex-labour voter:
Dud you use the comedy non-term “Islamophobia” and then wished to be taken seriously?
Fucking appeasing dullard!
Sunny,
Yet another article dedicated to Melanie Phillips.
Have you become her Internet stalker?
Isn’t it time to play with the big boys and try to take on Peter Hitchens?
Christmas—-The Christ Mass, a Christian festival which they are free to celebrate openly. The Christian message is all about inclusiveness and tolerance, so why shouldn’t non-Christians join in the fun. Surely that’s the basis of the faith, to welcome others into the fold, regardless of their personal belief. Melanie Philips is quite simply a poisonous bigot, no doubt enjoying the attention, hearing her name being discussed by the masses. No such thing as bad publicity, eh Mel. Christmas will and should always be known by that name, the celebrating of it, for deep religious reasons, or for the simple fact that the message behind it tends to bring out a better side of the general population, should never be tampered with. I’m no believer in God, but the message of Christ is something that the most die-hard atheist can agree with. Be nicer to each other, be tolerant of each other, help each other. You don’t have to believe in any particular religion to understand that.
I wonder if Anders Breivik swallowed it like he did with so much of Phillips other guff
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Liberal Conspiracy
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- Quarries & Corridors
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- MyDavidCameron
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/h61n2wfd (via @libcon) < just the once?
- MerseyMal
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- Lambeth NUT
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- Paul Hunter
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- David Carter
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- AktionMan
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- ST
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Dan Waites
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Katie J-G
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- PoliticsUK
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong – Liberal Conspiracy… http://t.co/MnhgG9hE
- Richard
Even Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips is full of shit. http://t.co/ypwIwsZO
- Janet Graham
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Jonathan Davis
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- Karl Marx
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- Joseph Burnett
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Padbrit
RT @sunny_hundal: Hilarious/embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/zOVMRoyC threatened @uponnothing over it
- worldenron
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Sid Griffin
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Richard
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Teflon Dave
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Bharat
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Nicolas Chinardet
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Chris Connolly
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- Dario Llinares
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- Scott Flashheart
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- jude
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/J6gaw1Y7 via @libcon
- Colin Warriner
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- jasdeep phull
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Mark Casci
Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/F2QkZoKT < she threatened @uponnothing over it too
- Stacey Smith
Ace RT @uponnothing: RT @sunny_hundal: Hilarious and embarrassing: Daily Mail admits. CvMelanie Phillips was wrong http://t.co/grrI9hJd
- James Hepplestone
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong | Liberal Conspiracy: http://t.co/VUEfnnkc
- Michael Bater
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/PPE9FsNT via @libcon
- Homaira Sofia Khan
RT @libcon: Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/5wpUYGYA
fancy that..daily mail got it wrong hahahaha - Juan Voet
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/h61n2wfd (via @libcon) < just the once?
- My truth my lies
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/h61n2wfd (via @libcon) < just the once?
- Louis Sidwell
Daily Mail admits Mel Phillips got it wrong after she threatens libel action against blogger who pointed out her myth http://t.co/eGUL7n7G
- Tony Gallichan
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/NRMjnd6i
- Simon Watkins
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/PPE9FsNT via @libcon
- Jeremy B
Daily Fail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong: http://t.co/6GomRISK
- Eileen Cowen
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/5GwoetsR via @zite
- Brian Carroll
Embarrassing: Daily Mail admits Melanie Phillips got it wrong http://t.co/h61n2wfd (via @libcon) < just the once?
- Paul Robert Wright
Daily Mail admits Mel Phillips got it wrong | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/CfutJcHL via @libcon
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