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Scottish Sun
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Top stand-up comic slams Edinburgh Council over anti-Oasis snobbery after fans dubbed ‘fat' & ‘drunk
Scroll down to read what the comic made of the row POLITICAL mimic Matt Forde has blasted Edinburgh councillors for making a rotten impression with Oasis fans. The stand-up comic was left spitting mad when city chiefs branded the supergroup's followers 'fat', 'old', 'drunk' and 'lairy' ahead of their three sell-out gigs at Murrayfield in August, as exclusively revealed by The Scottish Sun. 5 Matt Forde provides the voice of Boris Johnson for Spitting Image. 5 Matt brings his new stand-up show Defying Gravity to the Fringe. 5 Matt in full stand-up mode. 5 Matt doing his hosting duties. And Matt - who does pitch perfect impressions of both Noel and Liam Gallagher - blasted back at 'snobby' officials for their attacks on Oasis fans like himself. He says: 'I just think a lot of people don't get Oasis. They basically think it's just a load of yobs. 'But do you know what? They wouldn't say that about any other group of people. They would only say that about white working class people. The snobbery of it is unreal. 'I went to the first Oasis gig in Cardiff the other week and it was joyous. It was phenomenal. And yes people were drinking but it was all happy stuff. 'There was no aggro, no edge, it was just a really good celebration.' He adds: 'So it's heartbreaking to think that all these excited people are going to come to Edinburgh, after spending a fortune on their Airbnbs, only for the authorities to basically say, 'you're a load of losers' and 'brace yourself for these Neanderthals marauding through the city.' 'Is that really how you talk about tourists coming to your place?' Matt will return to the Edinburgh Festival next month with his new show Defying Gravity. It comes after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called chordoma at the end of his 2023 Fringe run which led to him having the bottom of his spine removed before learning to walk again. He has since had to have a stoma bag fitted for his bowel movements and has to 'self-catheterise' several times a day just to wee. Oasis kick off first Manchester homecoming gig after 16 years away But in the last year Norwich-born Matt has seen his party sweep to power with Sir Keir Starmer entering Downing Street while Scots Labour leader Anas Sarwar was heading for Bute House, until a run of disastrous policies, including axing the winter fuel allowance, saw their poll ratings tumble. Matt, 42, says: 'The show title is a pun on defying calamity which I guess in my own way I did by catching my cancer early. But as a result my body has changed, although I'm still mining that for material. 'But also politically, we are living in really perilous times where you've got a Labour government that is trying to sort things out but with Nigel Farage breathing down their necks with the reality of a Reform government. 'There are some people out there that believe that the Reform bubble will just sort of magically burst. I don't think that's how it works. 'I think there are certain things about Reform that may well prevent them becoming a government, but if all other options are exhausted - with the Tories basically dead at the moment along with Labour's self-inflicted calamities - you are sort of pushing the public towards an option that they may be uncomfortable with.' And Matt doesn't buy into the narrative churned out by SNP and Labour chiefs that the Reform party is full of right wing bigots. He maintains: 'Every party contains racists. I mean, the Labour Party went through a period where it was getting investigated by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Luckily those days are over. 'But the idea that one party has a monopoly on bigotry, is nonsense. I don't believe that most Reform voters are far right. A lot of them are ex-Labour and ex-SNP voters. 'It really makes me laugh when you get like the SNP saying, 'We'll have no nationalism in Scotland'. You're like, 'Have you read your own f***ing leaflets?' They have a cheek to attack Reform.' He adds: 'So I don't think all of a sudden Britain is full of fascists. 'There's a whole load of things that have led to their rise including, since the financial crash, life has been rubbish and people are skint and livid and they have every right to be.' During this year's run, Matt will also have a succession of big political hitters as special guests including former SNP MP Joanna Cherry - who claims she was sidelined by her party for her gender critical views - Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and controversial London mayor iSadiq Khan. He says: 'Joanna is still such a big deal in nationalist politics, and with everything that's happened with the Supreme Court ruling (that the word 'woman' means biological woman), she was just an irresistible figure to approach. 'Where the SNP went wrong was they tried to put things like self-ID through the constitutional debate, by saying 'if you are pro-independence then you must believe in self-ID at the age of 16.' 'But people were like, 'Hang on. That's mad - these are two completely different issues.' He adds: 'And I've known Ian Murray for years from when he used to be the lone Labour MP in Scotland, which shows you how quickly things can change in politics.' With that in mind, by the time Matt returns for next year's run, the Scottish elections will have been held next May. So does this political thinker believe we'll have a new First Minister in place of John Swinney? He says: 'I believe Anas Sarwar will be First Minister with a narrow Labour victory. He is a really charismatic individual. 'You can never write the SNP off as they are a formidable election winning machine in Scotland and given how the first year of Labour has been in Westminster, that obviously has helped the SNP to some extent. 'But I do think that having a Labour government still helps Scottish Labour because you can actually do stuff. And if Labour has a good year, I think Scottish Labour will win.' And Matt, who lives with his Glasgow-born wife Laura, will also be bringing with him some of his favourite impressions to Edinburgh including Boris Johnson, who he voices for TV's Spitting Image. But he also plans to have 'Noel and Liam' make a surprise appearance too. He says: 'I impersonated them for years but it started to feel slightly crowbarred in. But now they're back and everyone's talking about Oasis again, it means I can dust off the old stuff. 'Unfortunately it means hundreds of thousands of fans have been forced to choose between seeing Oasis at Murrayfield or coming to see me do them at the Edinburgh Festival.' *Matt Forde new stand-up show Defying Gravity is on at the Pleasance Beyond from July 30 - August 24. While his four Edinburgh Fringe Political Party Specials take place at the Gilded Balloon. For more info visit:
Metro
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Metro
His opinions 'were miles away from objective reality', readers talk about Tebbit
In MetroTalk: Readers discuss takes on Tebbit, Mexican wave's of humanity and puppet power (Picture: Getty Images) Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments. Were they truths or just Tebbit's takes? Your report into the death of Tory grandee Norman Tebbit at 94 said 'he spoke his truth' (Metro, Wed). He did not 'speak his truth'. We don't all have our own individual 'truths'. Norman Tebbit spoke his opinion. Like anyone's opinion, including yours or mine, it was a product of a flawed personality, intellectual shortcomings and limited life experience. Tebbit's opinion was certainly not any kind of truth. In many areas his views were miles away from objective reality. Take unemployment as an example – you can't, as he put it, just 'get on your bike and look for work' if you can't work or don't have the means to get to work or there are no jobs that pay the rent. Impressions, views, opinions, feelings – these are not facts. I know I'm stating the obvious but it's far too easy to lose sight of that. I don't mean to sound disrespectful – on the contrary, I can think of no greater tribute to anyone's memory than to learn from their mistakes. I very much hope that when I die, other people will learn from mine. Helen Shaw, Liverpool 'Increasingly unhinged', 'bigoted and angry', reader shares their take on Tebbit Tebbit was a fairly brutal ethno-nationalist who became more bigoted and angry as he aged. This state of mind was no doubt aggravated by the effects of the 1984 IRA bomb attack of the Grand Hotel in Brighton in which his wife, Margaret, was paralysed. This was understandable but it meant his contributions to a discussion on, for example, Northern Ireland or the EU, became increasingly unhinged. He was treated with great respect by the right-wing media but it could be argued that one of his legacies was the disgraceful race riots after the Southport murders. Robert O'Mahony, Lewisham No 'cheap political points' here, reader praises Mexico's response to the Texas floods With more than 160 people missing, the Mexican government have 'done the right thing' in sending 'emergency manpower and essential supplies', says reader (Picture:) After all of Donald Trump's racist smears, insults and threats toward Mexico, you could forgive the Mexican people for holding a grudge against the US president's supporters. So now that floods have hit Texas, deep in the heartlands of Trump country, do Mexicans stand by and watch? No. They've sent emergency manpower and essential supplies and are on the ground saving lives. Instead of scoring cheap political points, the Mexican government is doing the right thing, regardless of the past. I can think of many richer countries that would do well to learn from this example. JWA Caley, St Pancras Spitting image returns, but who's the puppet master of politics? I agree with Dennis in Australia (MetroTalk, Wed) that the return of satirical puppet show Spitting Image on YouTube is good timing. However, it missed out on US president Joe Biden – he was already a puppet who believed in the great American dream, so was always asleep. As for Sir Keir Starmer, well, Donald Trump is always pulling the strings. Henry, London This reader thinks that Donald Trump is the puppet master of Sir Keir Starmer (Picture:) Take the 'thugs' first, reader comments on the Horizon computer scandal Bob Readman (MetroTalk, Thu) asks how much longer must we wait until the top Post Office executives responsible for trying to cover up the Horizon computer scandal are arrested? The first Post Office 'cover-up' employees to be arrested and tried should be the thugs who visited and threatened the sub-postmasters and lied to them individually, saying they were the only people who had faulty accounts. Martin J Phillips, Leeds Are e-bikes motor vehicles? This reader thinks that e-bike riders should require a licence (Picture: Getty Images) It is getting more difficult to relax in London's parks these days. I put this down to what I call 'fake' or 'pretend' cyclists. By that, I mean e-bike riders. They're buzzing all over the place in parks, travelling along paths that are signposted as 'No cycling'. They don't even watch where they are going because they are staring into their phones. The pathways are not safe. The proper cyclists aren't so bad, by which I mean those who use leg power to move bikes. As e-bikes are effectively motor vehicles, e-bike riders should require a licence. Alfie Mullin, West London To the lady on Brewer Street… To the lady walking up Brewer Street in Maidstone on Friday. I pointed out that your child had dropped its bottle. I would like to say thank you for berating me for this fact, especially when you were still calling me names after I was walking up the street (yes, I could still hear you). Paul, Maidstone A suggestion for Steve Steve (MetroTalk, Fri) asks whether it's worth sacrificing his peace of mind to stay informed about current affairs, no matter how angry it makes him. Reading the news and being well-informed is so important. It broadens your horizons and you get to understand how the world works – and much more. I suggest spending as little as 15 minutes discussing the news with a loved one after reading the newspaper. That will help release the tension and make sense of the world together. Mike, Manchester Arrow MORE: The Metro daily cartoon by Guy Venables Arrow MORE: Angry Trump fans burn their MAGA hats over Epstein files mystery
Scotsman
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
'I just thought, oh, f***king hell, he's going to batter me': comedian Matt Forde on political impressions
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... "On the whole, they're not flattered. In fact, I would say they are entirely not flattered.' The political comedian and impressionist Matt Forde is addressing whether he ever gets feedback from those he impersonates. Do politicians take offence, or are they flattered? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "I think all of them feel like it doesn't really sound like them,' he says. 'I think some of them are slightly freaked out, almost like you've hit upon something, that you've noticed something about them that they didn't realise they did; that you've picked up on a mannerism and somehow you've gazed into their soul, do you know what I mean? I think there's something quite creepy about it for them." Matt Forde | David Monteith-Hodge Lee Anderson, the outspoken Reform MP for Ashfield, messaged him recently after learning he was the target of a routine. "He said, 'I heard you've been impersonating me'. I just thought, 'Oh, f**king hell, he's going to batter me if he gets his hands on me,'' Forde jokes. "I think in a way they're slightly flattered. I think they'd rather be impersonated than not, until they see the impersonation." The 42-year-old, who regularly appears on TV and radio and has provided voices for the rebooted Spitting Image, will return to the Fringe this year with a new stand-up show, Defying Calamity, as well as four live performances of his Political Party podcast. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The latter will feature interviews with Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, former SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and broadcaster Kirsty Wark. His stand-up, meanwhile, promises "a take on where we are at the moment, filled with impressions'. Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Keir Starmer will all feature, as will First Minister John Swinney. "I start with the body language and then try and find hooks within the voice,' Forde explains. 'Obviously, with Swinney, he's got a very pleasant voice, very softly-spoken, nice voice to listen to, compared to Trump who is far more explosive and will range from a real rasp and yell to that very softly spoken whisper. There's more texture there. 'But you have to try and chuck as many of these people in, because you want to play all the instruments. You want that whole range of characters." The show will also touch on more personal matters. Forde was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in August 2023, the day after the end of his Fringe run, and later underwent a 13-hour operation in which the base of his spine was removed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It sounds traumatic, but he is astonishingly upbeat about it. "For comedy purposes, it's left my body with a number of issues, a lot of them sort of below the beltline, which make for just different types of dick jokes, I guess,' he says. 'Having erectile dysfunction and being incontinent and whatnot - they're good areas for comedy, I think, and they're areas that as far as I'm aware no other comedians are talking about, so it gives me free rein.' The experience changed his perspective on life. "It is quite handy a thing to have, when you're going to anything that you're stressed about, to think, 'This isn't as bad as when I'd just had the base of my spine removed in hospital and was in crippling pain for 10 weeks'." He adds: "It just puts any sort of crisis into perspective, makes me really value life, and I just feel so lucky." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Keir Starmer, voiced by Matt Forde on Spitting Image | Avalon / BritBox / Mark Harrison When it comes to impressions, Forde says Trump is 'just so much fun to do, because he's so big and silly'. But his favourite British politician to impersonate is Anderson, Reform's chief whip. "His sense of humour is very dry, and he's from the same part of the world as me, Nottinghamshire,' he says. "I think a lot of people don't realise when he's joking. I do, because I grew up going to pubs with people like Lee. I go to football matches where people like Lee are there, and he's got a very dry, Nottinghamshire sense of humour, that I think isn't always cottoned on to. "I enjoy doing him, because his accent is so specific that I think a lot of people can't quite place it. In a way, maybe there's an element of just local pride, that someone from Nottingham is operating at a national level." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Forde, who previously worked for Labour, says he understands the disillusionment voters feel with the mainstream parties. People are skint and "p***ed off", he says. "Politics is about life and about people's lives, and it's been rubbish. You look around at the country, there's potholes everywhere, the rivers are full of s***, public services are nowhere near where they should be. "We could all be better off, better educated, having better lives, and because of political choices, we're not. And that drives people mad." He adds: "I totally understand why people are angry. I'm actually amazed people aren't more livid at the state of things." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, Forde rejects the idea that there are less 'characters' in public life nowadays, with proper life experience. "The idea that Angela Rayner is an automaton - she is a colourful character with incredible life experience,' he says. "Keir Starmer is a different character, but he's led a fascinating life, so has Bridget Phillipson and Peter Kyle and Pat McFadden and Wes Streeting. There is a really diverse range of talent." He adds: "We periodically go through these phases where people say, 'Oh, there's no characters around'. Well, look at parliament now. You've got Farage, Anderson, Rayner. You've got different types of characters in there, no question. You've got Lindsay Hoyle as Speaker of the House of Commons. 'There are big characters in there, it's just there's a whole load of other new characters that we just haven't become familiar with yet." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Matt Forde announces Sadiq Khan, Kirsty Wark, Ian Murray and Joanna Cherry for his Fringe political party specials
It was announced today, 8th July, that leading political comedian and satirist Matt Forde (Spitting Image, HIGNFY, British Scandal) is set to interview Sadiq Khan, Kirsty Wark, Ian Murray and Joanna Cherry, over four live Edinburgh Festival Fringe Political Party podcast specials. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... On 7th August, Ian Murray, the Secretary of State for Scotland, will join Matt to discuss Labour's first year in government and its fortunes in Scotland ahead of the 2026 Holyrood elections. On 13th August, Joanna Cherry KC returns to the podcast for a candid conversation about her relationship with her own party, the SNP's position on women's rights following the Supreme Court ruling and what her future ambitions are. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad On 15th August, Sadiq Khan speaks to Matt following his historic re-election last year for a third term as Mayor of London. For most of his time as Mayor, he had to deal with a Conservative government. Now that Labour are in charge, how has that impacted what he can do? What can Labour nationally learn from his success in London? What's his assessment of how Labour is doing? Matt Forde returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with new stand-up show Defying Gravity at the Pleasance Beyond from 30th July - 24th August at 8pm, and 4 Edinburgh Fringe Political Party Specials at the Gilded Balloon on 7th (Ian Murray), 13th (Joanna Cherry), 21st August (Kirsty Wark) at 2.45pm and Sadiq Khan at McEwan Hall at 5.30pm. Tickets at On 21st August, broadcasting icon Kirsty Wark - recently honoured with the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship for her outstanding 40-year career in television - joins Matt for a wide-ranging conversation. Together, they will reflect on her decades presenting Newsnight, the changing political journalism landscape, the challenges posed by misinformation and social media, debates about press freedom, and the key stories and politicians that have defined her career. Fresh from delivering the best-reviewed show of last year's Fringe - topping 1,638 others per the British Comedy Guide - and completing his biggest tour to date, Matt will also return to the festival with his new stand-up show Defying Calamity. Running from 30th July to 24th August at 8pm at Pleasance Beyond, Matt searches for positivity in life despite the rising tide of populism in the UK, the actions of Donald Trump, and his own ongoing health battles. Political Party and Defying Calamity tickets are available to buy now at Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Since launching in 2013, Matt's Political Party podcast has brought Parliament to life through stand-up and lively debate with some of politics' most powerful figures, including Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon, Tony Blair, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Angela Rayner, Michael Heseltine, Anthony Scaramucci, Alastair Campbell, Gordon Brown and Gary Neville. Following an 18-month hiatus due to his bone cancer diagnosis, Matt has resumed his four-time extended West End residency, with Michael Gove set to appear as his next guest on 14th July. The podcast has amassed over 11 million downloads, earned multiple nominations from award bodies including the British Podcast Awards and Chortle Awards, and is regularly featured as a top podcast pick in the press. The news arrives shortly after it was announced that Spitting Image will return to screens this autumn with a brand-new YouTube series, Spitting Image: The Rest Is Bulls*!t, with an initial one-off teaser episode released last week and available to view on the official Spitting Image YouTube channel. The new series is led creatively by two of the writers of the critically acclaimed stage show Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical, Al Murray and Matt Forde. The live show was praised by the Evening Standard for being 'shockingly funny… I wasn't expecting this to be so outrageously entertaining', in a five-star review from the Daily Telegraph the show was applauded for being 'a barrel-load of offence-giving fun and a salty dash of rebellion' with The Mail on Sunday celebrating the writer's 'healthy disrespect for the Establishment'. The BAFTA and Emmy award-winning satirical Spitting Image television series originally ran for 18 series between 1984 and 1996 and was watched by over 15 million viewers. In 2020 it made a return to TV to (since disbanded UK streaming service) BritBox, with Matt writing and voicing characters, including portrayals of Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer, and Donald Trump, achieving critical praise across the political divide. On official social media channels, Spitting Image content was massively popular with over 200 million views globally and three number 1 trending videos on YouTube. Three new one-off specials for ITV (alongside BritBox) also saw huge success on terrestrial television: with a 4.4 million audience in 2020 achieving ITV's highest Saturday night ratings at that time in four years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After enduring what he thought was sciatica during the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Matt was diagnosed with cancer. A few weeks later he was having the base of his spine removed and has since relearned to walk. Despite these challenges, he returned to work - picking up where he left off with The Political Party, as well as his other acclaimed podcasts British Scandal and Down The Dog, and continuing to host Rock 'n' Roll Football on Absolute Radio. Elsewhere in the world of audio, Matt most recently completed his six-part political comedy series on BBC Radio 4, The Matt Forde Focus Group, featuring Forde in conversation with politicians, comedians and subject experts, discussing current issues and the ideas behind them. Matt hosted four series of Unspun with Matt Forde on Dave, receiving several nominations at the Broadcast Digital Awards, and has numerous other broadcast credits including: Have I Got News For You (BBC One), The Royal Variety Performance (ITV), Mock The Week (BBC Two), 8 out of 10 Cats (Channel 4), Hypothetical (Dave) Rory Bremner's Coalition Report and Rory Bremner's Election Report (BBC Two), Question Time (BBC One), This Week (BBC One), Newsnight (BBC Two) and Daily Politics (BBC Two).
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Remembering Norman Tebbit, working-class Tory, originator of the ‘cricket test'
In 1981, Norman Tebbit told a Conservative Party conference that his unemployed father didn't riot during the Great Depression. 'He got on his bike and looked for work, and he kept looking till he found it.' This soon passed into the popular imagination as the younger Tebbit's — Britain's newly minted employment secretary — panacea for unemployment, despite his clarifications. He would be greeted with shouts of 'onyerbike' for years to come. That's not the only Tebbitism to be mythologised; his 'cricket test' is perhaps the most famous internationally — a suggestion that the loyalties of Britain's Asian population could be judged by which side they cheered for in cricket matches. To top it all is his puppet from the satirical TV show Spitting Image: Margaret Thatcher's leather-clad, knuckle-duster-wielding enforcer (the real Tebbit later expressed his fondness for the puppet). To the younger generations, he was always more caricature than man, a ghost of the Thatcher years. As a young man, Tebbit, who died on Monday aged 94, developed the individualistic, pro-enterprise philosophy that would make him a natural fit for Thatcher's new conservatism — a marked departure from the post-War, Keynesian consensus until then: Nationalised industries, strong trade unions and welfare state. Thatcher's 1979 victory would see much of this demolished, leaving a legacy that remains deeply divisive. Tebbit played his part, weakening the powers of unions, driving privatisation and, as party chairman, leading a successful re-election campaign in 1987. He retired from frontline politics afterwards to care for his wife, who had been left disabled by an IRA bombing. A working-class Tory who died a baron, Tebbit's life was not without its paradoxes: He developed his animosity for certain union practices early on, but later served as a union official during his career as a pilot and even went on strike. Always a plain speaker and a caustic wit, he was once asked if God existed. 'He ought to,' he said.
