{"id":384223,"date":"2018-11-08T12:55:54","date_gmt":"2018-11-08T11:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/outrage-at-govt-advisors-date-rape-comments-sees-right-wing-come-to-his-defense-rt-uk-news\/"},"modified":"2018-11-08T12:55:54","modified_gmt":"2018-11-08T11:55:54","slug":"outrage-at-govt-advisors-date-rape-comments-sees-right-wing-come-to-his-defense-rt-uk-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/outrage-at-govt-advisors-date-rape-comments-sees-right-wing-come-to-his-defense-rt-uk-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Outrage at govt. advisor\u2019s date rape comments sees right-wing come to his defense \u2014 RT UK News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Calls to sack philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, from an unpaid government role, have grown after quotes stating there was \u201cno such crime\u201d as date rape were attributed to him. <\/p>\n

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Buzzfeed News unearthed that in a 2005 lecture, Scruton dismissed both date rape and sexual harassment, saying the latter was just \u201cimpoliteness,\u201d claiming that there was a \u201chuge injustice\u201d<\/em> against those accused.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Moneybags Blair claimed \u00a31m in British taxpayers\u2019 money over last decade<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

During the lecture, titled: \u2018Sexual Morality for Heathens,\u2019 at Rice University in Houston, Texas, the philosopher said that women who made date rape allegations were withdrawing consent retrospectively, because \u201cthe whole thing went too quickly.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

On Saturday, Housing secretary James Brokenshire announced that Scruton was appointed on the government\u2019s new buildings commission.<\/p>\n

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Roger Scruton reckons Islamophobia and homophobia are “invented” and conservatives suffer from the “only ‘phobia’ permitted”. <\/p>\n

Excuse me while I fetch my tiny violin. Why have the Tories appointed him an adviser months after they promised to “stamp out” Islamophobia? https:\/\/t.co\/LK6yCJWff3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 6, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

After the latest revelations, Labour’s shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, Jon Trickett, joined in the calls for action, saying: \u201cTheresa May must step in and sack him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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Absolutely vile: Roger Scruton claims there\u2019s \u201cno such thing\u201d as date rape or sexual harassment – only \u201cadvances made by the unattractive\u201d. Completely beyond the pale: boot him out. https:\/\/t.co\/QEq10z8mnc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dawn Foster (@DawnHFoster) November 7, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Roger Scruton utterly unfit & unsuited to be a government housing adviser<\/p>\n

\u2014 Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis) November 8, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Downing Street has remained tight lipped on the story, leaving Scruton himself and prominent conservative figures to defend him.<\/p>\n

Scruton released a statement attacking the \u201chighly selective quotes,\u201d<\/em> adding that he was \u201cin no way suggesting that victims of date rape are not victims of a crime.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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Getting defended by Toby Young on the Today Programme is like getting the board\u2019s dreaded vote of confidence on Football Manager. The sign of an imminent sacking<\/p>\n

\u2014 Matt Zarb-Cousin (@mattzarb) November 8, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Fellow right winger Toby Young, who also was forced to resign from a similar role over various offensive comments, leapt to his defense. Appearing on BBC\u2019s Radio 4\u2019s Today Programme, Young stating that Scruton should not be \u2018excluded from public life\u2019 because his views don’t align with the \u201cprevailing progressive orthodoxy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Scruton was also supported by historians Niall Ferguson and Anne Applebaum, as well as journalist Tim Stanley.<\/p>\n

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If Roger Scruton is barred from the public sphere, then it will hardly be worth engaging with.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tim Stanley (@timothy_stanley) November 6, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Roger Scruton has long been one of the most interesting thinkers in Britain, bravely thinking through problems others won’t touch. https:\/\/t.co\/RAq8HwKlgW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) November 8, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

His quotes on date rape will heap pressure on Scruton who was already facing calls to be sacked over accusations of anti-semitism linked to comments he made about financier George Soros.<\/p>\n

In a 2014 lecture, Scruton stated: \u201cMany of the Budapest intelligentsia are Jewish, and form part of the extensive networks around the Soros empire.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As well as anti-semitism, Scruton has also faced accusations of homophobia \u2013 stating it as \u201cnot normal\u201d<\/em> \u2013 and saying Islamophobia is \u201cinvented.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0‘Islamophobia allegations politically motivated\u2019: Tory vice-chair slammed for remarks<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Scruton has known far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for decades. The philosopher has expressed both criticism and support for Orban over various policies. His Tory employers have also supported Orban \u2013 despite accusations of anti-semitism over his attacks on Soros \u2013 ordering them to vote against censuring the country over breaching the \u2018EU\u2019s democratic values.\u2019<\/p>\n

Scruton\u2019s troubles reflect those of Young, who\u2019s Twitter account was expunged of thousands of tweets when he was hired as a government advisor. The missing Tweets didn\u2019t help the Spectator columnist as journalists dug about many more of his quotes they deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, among other offenses, driving him from the position.<\/p>\n

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