CSM STAFF WRITER

Our Editor Dominic Wightman was on BBC Radio 4 this afternoon for an hour before World at One. He was invited onto a show hosted by Adam Fleming called Antisocial, described as:

‘Peace talks for the culture wars. In an era of polarisation, propaganda and pile-ons, Adam Fleming helps you work out what the arguments are really about’

Today’s debate was focused on the topic ‘The British Countryside is racist’ and, unsurprisingly, Dom was batting for the Countryside, claiming that ‘the British Countryside is not systemically racist. To say so is more than a lie – it is an anti-Truth’.

Dom was up against ‘Nature Allied Psychotherapist and ethnographer’ Beth Collier, founder of Wild in the City, an organisation supporting the wellbeing of urban residents offering experiences in woodland living skills, natural history and ecotherapy.

The show can be heard via BBC Sounds by clicking on the image below:

Dom had this to say after the show:

‘I enjoyed that. Beth made some good points. A year after going head-to-head with a BBC-built presenter/contractor in the High Court, it was good to be called up by the national broadcaster to bat for the British Countryside and its hard-working, rightful custodians. Adam Fleming was refreshingly professional, decent and fair. I pointed out that ethnic minorities – who, like Countrysiders, represent just under a fifth of the UK population – should, if anything, feel empathy towards the marginalised and barracked British Countryside. A sticky wicket but hopefully I got the points across which needed conveying.’