Mike Pont, Getty Images With the news that former British Prime Minister…
Billy Bragg Faces Village Hate Mail Campaign
- Posted on Jan 6th 2011 6:45AM by Chris Mugan
Collin Erie for AOL
Up to 30 anonymous pieces of hate mail -- posted second class -- have been sent to residents of Burton Bradstock in Dorset, the Daily Telegraph reports, describing Bragg as anti-British and calling him a hypocrite for living a celebrity lifestyle despite his left-wing outlook.
The singer lives in a £1.5 million ($2.3 million) house with sea views, the paper adds. The letters attack his political campaigns, musical talent and end by calling on villagers to drive him out of the area.
Bragg reckons the missives are the work of a disgruntled British National Party supporter and urged recipients to bin them. "I have campaigned against the Tories in west Dorset for the past 10 years, but they have never stooped so low as to randomly circulate hate mail in the hope of undermining my credibility," he said.
"This letter is nothing more than the powerless ranting of a bitter individual who is angry that, even in a sleepy village like ours, people reject the politics of racism." Residents quoted by The Telegraph have been supportive of their high-profile neighbour.
Peter Dutton said, "His views aren't generally well-received, but on the other hand he is very well respected in the village and has done a lot of good. Most people think the letters are just ridiculous."
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Phil*
Bragg is only doing what many more do, say one thing but they do another. It does not matter one iota if he is left wing or right wing, they are all the same, chasing the money.
January 06 2011 at 5:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Bill
Some people seem to think that left-wing politics equates to living in misery. All that most left-wing campaigners want is greater equality. Billy Bragg has very strong views and some I agree with, some I don't. He does not, however, expect everyone to live in a shack and live on cabbage and potatoes. He detests the elitist right-wing Tory type who tries to tell the working class how to live their lives (usually expecting a bit of forelock tugging to their "betters") while living their own lives with their snout in the trough.
January 06 2011 at 3:35 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
JHD
A "million pound" house isn't saying a whole lot when you're talking England. It's clear from the "anti-British" slur that whoever is behind these letters is scraping for whatever mud they can sling, and is not concerned with making a cogent argument re: Bragg. You given them too much credit. There's also lots of "progressive" people with moderately centrist views, not every single person on the "left" is out there advocating revolution and banning private property! I am also utterly convinced Bragg does indeed put "the rest of his money" to good use, nice house or not.
Also think you're being too narrow about what is and isn't a "right wing principle". Workers getting the full and complete benefit of their work and controlling their destiny sounds pretty left to me!
adrienne
No longer living in Burton Bradstock but still a "local".
Stay put Billy!! Don't let the w*****s drive you out....
Just pure and absolute envy of your success and talent.
Good luck to you.
GrumpyCabbie
1 reply to GrumpyCabbie's comment
I don't condone the letters for many reasons, but they do have a point. This guy is very very left wing, yet lives the champagne lifestyle in a large million pound house. Nothing wrong with enjoying the proceeds of your hard work - but isn't that a right wing principle?
Surely if he is as left wing as he says he is he'd live in a much more humble house that meets his needs and use the rest of his money for good left wing causes? It's the old 'do as I say not as I do' again as he'll get no respect.
I also don't like the way he's tried to turn the arguement from being about how hypocritical Billy Brag is to being about racism. Oh please, how shallow.
Shame on you Billy Brag. Practice what you preach in the same way Ken Livingstone does.
Bill
The same way Ken Livingstone does? Are you serious? Now there's a champagne socialist, if ever I saw one. What a laugh. He's a philanderer, a plunderer and a liar. He likes newts, for God's sake...slimy and 'orrible like him.
January 06 2011 at 3:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
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