TalkRadio's Mike Graham chaired what was billed as the 'Great Lockdown Debate' on Thursday, albeit there were only two participants. Lockdown sceptic Peter Hitchens went up against his Mail on Sunday colleague Dan Hodges, a lockdown enthusiast and former Labour member. There's clearly no love lost between them, but the virtual debate was largely devoid of excitement and while neither scored a knockout blow, Hitchens spoke last and delivered a scorcher that Hodges could only nod helplessly in acknowledgment. It was perhaps well-deserved, seeing as Hodges had repeatedly goaded Hitchens throughout by using the word 'denier' as opposed to 'sceptic', a tactic used by journalists to smear lockdown opponents and conflate them with Covid conspiracy theorists.
The full 53 minute debate can be seen below (contains ads).
A couple of months ago Owen Jones tried to get the better of Hitchens on lockdown and ended up being schooled. For Hodges to hold his own against the same opponent is yet another humiliation for the wee lad. Jones and his pal Ash Sarkar despise Hodges, who they regard as a Blarite scab who left the party after Corbyn took over. The truth is that Jones is an amateur who remains a small boy in a man's world.
