Alexei Sayle
 Alexei Sayle    (actor, author, comedian, political activist) | |
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| Born | 7 August 1952 |
Comedy legend Alexei Sayle could stand against Keir Starmer in Holborn St Pancras | |
Alexei David Sayle is an English actor, author, stand-up comedian, television presenter and former recording artist.[1]
In November 2019, along with other public figures, Alexei Sayle signed a letter supporting Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him in the UK/2019 General Election.[2]
In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, he signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 General Election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few."[3]
In February 2023, a group called Organise Corbyn Inspired Socialist Alliance (OCISA) began drawing up plans to stand a high-profile candidate against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in his Holborn St Pancras constituency at the next General Election. One name that is being touted by many as a possible candidate is comedy legend Alexei Sayle, who lives in Starmer's constituency.
Contents
Wide-ranging career
Alexei Sayle's career ranges from stand-up comedy and theatre; to radio, television and film performances; to music, with a dozen records, some in the Top Twenty; to books including two short story collections, five novels and an autobiography entitled "Thatcher Stole My Trousers" published in 2016.
Political views
Around the age of 15, Alexei Sayle decided to join the Young Communist League, but only went to a few meetings. In 1968, he joined a Maoist organisation, the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist). In 2009, he said that, while no longer active in left politics,
- "I still would adhere to those philosophical and economic ideas of Marxism that I got when I was sixteen. ... it's seemed to me as true now as it did then".
Sayle is a critic of fox hunting and was among more than 20 high-profile people who signed a letter to Members of Parliament in 2015 to oppose Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron's plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004.
In February 2016, Sayle said of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn:
- "He's ascetic and morally incorruptible. The propaganda that's thrown against him is disgraceful.
- Until he appeared, you had to vote for one kind of Oxbridge twat or another, people who all go to the same dinner parties, people like the Ed Ballses and George Osbornes. Jeremy has shown that, within a democratic tradition, other things are possible."
In 2016, Alexei Sayle wrote a comment piece for The Guardian saying that he was happy to mock New Labour in his act but now that Corbyn was about to "reform the party in his own image – ascetic, socialist, kindly and ethical" he would stop making jokes about Labour.
In May 2018, regarding the expulsion of Marc Wadsworth from the Labour Party, Sayle commented:
- "The Party should walk over broken glass to beg people of Marc's calibre to work with them – they are very few and Marc is one of the best. There is a battle going on to destroy and reverse the unexpected and amazing gains the left has made in the last three years. Marc is a casualty in that battle and I am joining the fight to see him re-instated to the front line."
Antisemitism controvery
In January 2020, he was condemned by some Jewish groups after being one of thousands to sign an open letter criticising Rebecca Long-Bailey and other Labour leadership candidates for saying they would sign a ten-point pledge by the Board of Deputies of British Jews intended to combat anti-semitism should they be elected. The letter was organised by Momentum activist, Jackie Walker and former Labour MP Chris Williamson, both of whom were expelled from Labour in relation to controversial allegations of anti-semitism.[4]
In May 2021, Conservative MP Matthew Offord wrote to the BBC's Director General urging, unsuccessfully, that the planned broadcast of Desert Island Discs on 23 May featuring Sayle be halted on the basis that every broadcaster "should be wary of giving a platform to anyone who is seen to be 'excusing' antisemitism". There was an outcry on social media in response, rejecting the claim that Sayle was doing this, with support for Sayle (who is Jewish) from across the board and the resulting hashtag #IStandWithAlexeiSayle trending on Twitter.[5]
2023 Christmas message
| "So let's keep Palestine in our hearts and minds this Christmas" |
In his alternative, alternative Christmas message on 25 December 2023, Alexei Sayle said:
"Hi there, you know I have generally fought shy of giving speeches or pronouncing directly on matters of politics or human rights or social justice.
"My feeling is that the comedian's job is to make comedy to find humour in even the darkest situations but there has been a trend in recent years for elderly Jewish comedians to bloviate without going through any artistic process on various topics. Now being the most elderly of all the Jewish comedians I want to get me some of that action.
"I've also dragged my cat Will into the proceedings in a blatant attempt to increase the clicks. 'Victory to Palestine'!
"Now the other elderly Jewish comedians have followed a line that entirely plays into the establishment ruling class narrative. They are an alternative to nothing.
"In the last few months we have seen something I thought I'd never witness in my lifetime. A genocide carried out in Gaza with the complete connivance of our government and our stinking spineless opposition.
"How many people know that Bethlehem is a Palestinian town in the territories illegally occupied by Israel. Palestinian Christians would normally be getting ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem: peace, love, hope etc. Not this year.
"Nothing has shown the hypocrisy of our political class and the gap between them and all decent people more than their silence in the face of mass murder.
"One of the elderly Jewish comedians has urged us all to stand with the Jewish people. No fair enough, the Jews I'm going to stand with are those of the Jewish bloc who I've marched with on all the pro Palestine demonstrations. Over a thousand Jews and we've always been greeted with love, kindness and support from all those around. I like what I heard from Young Jews in the Jewish bloc on one of the huge demos. We were marching with thousands of people: Muslim, Christian, atheist, black, white, brown, gay, straight, trans, you name it. Everyone was marching together wanting an end to war and slaughter there.
"The young Jews said instead of looking to Israel to make Jews safe we look instead to solidarity, freedom, justice and equality for Palestinians and Jews everywhere. If you want to stand with Jewish people stand with the Jewish bloc.
"One final thing if you see anybody advocating for Israel on the TV or radio, one of their repellent spokespeople say, then they will be lying because that's what they do.
"They lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie and they lie.
"So let's keep Palestine in our hearts and minds this Christmas.
"Wishing you all love and joy but especially wishing for lasting peace and justice for Palestine."[6]
References
- ↑ "Screen Online Biography"
- ↑ "Exclusive: New letter supporting Jeremy Corbyn signed by Roger Waters, Robert Del Naja and more"
- ↑ "Vote for hope and a decent future"
- ↑ "Hardliners attack Rebecca Long-Bailey for signing antisemitism pledge"
- ↑ "BBC 'should ban Alexei Sayle'"
- ↑ "Alexei Sayle's Alternative Alternative Christmas Message"
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