BBC presenter Chris Packham is not, shall we say, famed for his diplomacy skills. Far from it, you might say. There are numerous examples of Chris verbally attacking people he disagrees with online (usually on Twitter), but also in print and in person.
In his latest outburst, he crows about how we “we will really miss” the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association “when you’re gone”.
Below this, he linked to a story about a gamekeeper who has been convicted for running a dog fighting ring. Both the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association – and any other shooting organisation – would always condemn any behaviour like this and any type of dog baiting. Indeed, the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association put out a statement when raids were first carried out and some details of investigation were first reported. Speaking to The Times, they said that “this type of abhorrent organised activity will not be condoned by anyone associated with gamekeeping.” The SGA have, then, already condemned this behaviour. But the facts don’t seem to matter to Chris. Despite the SGA’s statement, he still feels fit to publicly crow about his fantasy of closing down the association.
Of course, it’s not just the association he is referring to, but the whole Scottish gamekeeping community that he would like closed down. So when Packham Tweets publicly about his dreamland with no gamekeepers, he is hoping for people’s livelihoods to be destroyed; their jobs taken away ; their homes removed; people left without jobs and incomes – and, what’s more, the countryside left with no one to manage it.
Packham has said before that he prefers animals to people. But is that justification for praying for the destruction of a whole sector of the rural community?
But Packham's attacks are par for the course really; the presenter is well acquainted with online spats and distorting the truth; in February this year for example, he wrote in The Sun newspaper that ‘hen harriers are down 39% in 12 years’, In actual fact, hen harriers have enjoyed an 800% increase in the numbers of chicks fledged in the last four years. This, of course, would not suit Chris’s agenda.
When the gates were burned at his New Forest home, Chris was quick to point the finger of blame. “If you think that by burning down those gates, I’m suddenly going to become a supporter of unsustainable illegal shooting, the unwarranted savagery wrought upon foxes in our countryside when they’re torn to pieces by dogs, then you’re wrong”, he said in a video posted on Twitter.
In November of last year, one of Packham's most outrageous moments came when he threatened to glue the Prime Minster’s then-spokeswoman, Allegra Stratton, to a motorway during a discussion on ITV with Stratton and ITV presenter Robert Peston.
"If you come outside, I'll superglue you to the motorway", he offered; with Stratton looking stunned, but having the good manners to reply, "thanks Chris". Peston laughs in shock. Would any other presenter get away with such threatening language, either online or in person?