Labour accused of using Jimmy Savile's name to ‘bait' Nigel Farage

The Guardian

a day ago

Labour's use of Jimmy Savile's 'toxic' name appeared to be an attempt to 'deliberately bait' Nigel Farage and would distress survivors of child sexual abuse, a lawyer for victims of the late TV presenter has said.
Alan Collins, the head of the abuse team at Hugh James solicitors, said it was 'concerning' to see Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, and others use Savile's name to try to 'score points over political opponents'.
Labour has accused Farage and Reform UK of being 'on the side of predators like Savile' by opposing the Online Safety Act.
Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, was the first minister to make the comparison when he told Sky News last week: 'I see that Nigel Farage is already saying that he's going to overturn these laws. So you know, we have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. Nigel Farage is on their side.
'Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he'd be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side.'
Kyle defended the remark, which was criticised as 'one of the most disgusting things a politician had ever said' by Reform's chair, Zia Yusuf.
Phillips, who has spent years supporting abuse survivors, later said she would like to speak to Farage about 'one of those modern-day Saviles', referring to Alexander McCartney, who abused at least 70 children online, and 'just needed a computer', she said.
Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, also refused to distance the party from the Savile comparison, telling Sky News that Farage was 'in effect saying that he is on their side because he's saying he's wanting to repeal the Online Safety Act'.
However, Collins said the comparison would have 'triggered' distress and trauma among any survivors of child sexual abuse, not just those who came into contact with the late Jim'll Fix It host.
'Lots of victims who were abused in whatever circumstances, often when they are seen by a psychiatrist or a therapist, they will mention the name Savile, even though they weren't his victim, they get triggered by it,' he said. 'So when it comes up on TV or radio it's a common refrain that they get triggered by it.'
Collins said Labour's use of the name 'demonstrates the lack of understanding' of its effect on survivors. He added: 'One doesn't want to think along these lines but one could think it was an attempt to deliberate bait [Farage], so to speak.
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'His name is so toxic I struggle to understand why the government would throw his name out there. It's really concerning. There is nothing constructive in it,' he added.
Collins said he was not seeking an apology from Labour but would urge Phillips and Kyle to stop reprising Savile's name: 'They should stop using it and concentrate on the day job which is safeguarding vulnerable people and kids.'
Hundreds of people targeted by Savile came forward after his death in 2011, forcing a reckoning for the BBC and other institutions that had lauded one of Britain's most famous light entertainment figures despite repeat concerns about his conduct.
Richard Scorer, another solicitor who represented Savile's victims, said it was 'completely wrong for any politician of any party to seek to score points using the suffering of Savile victims'.