The public status and popularity of Mick Lynch

[thenorthern]

Ever since the recent strikes it seems the RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch has shot to fame and is becoming increasingly popular with the public. His appearance on Question Time made him very popular and since then he has appeared on many other news related things and become even more popular.

Has anyone else noticed this?

He is a lot more popular than Bob Crow ever was which I assume is because he is much more charismatic and much less controversial.

 

[THC]

He is well-known and well respected in London Irish circles. A bit of a poster boy for our community. I expect railway staff think quite highly of him too.

THC

 

[TwoYellas]

Ever since the recent strikes it seems the RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch has shot to fame and is becoming increasingly popular with the public. His appearance on Question Time made him very popular and since then he has appeared on many other news related things and become even more popular.

Has anyone else noticed this?

He is a lot more popular than Bob Crow ever was which I assume is because he is much more charismatic and much less controversial.

Twaddle!

Not what you posted, what Lynch said to Richard Madeley on GMB. Which kind of sums up what Madeley says quite often imho.

 

[thenorthern]

A lot of his supporters on Twitter are from the #FBPE type people. I wonder if they know the RMT views on the EU.

 

[NorthOxonian]

A lot of his supporters on Twitter are from the #FBPE type people. I wonder if they know the RMT views on the EU.

In fairness, I'm about as far as you can get from #FBPE - and I really like him. I think the fact he reaches across that particular divide and doesn't really engage in any of the culture wars rubbish either is one of things I like most about him.

Obviously he is a divisive figure in the sense that some agree with him about the strikes and others don't. But he articulates his views on that in a straightforward way, without getting into a million other arguments. And considering the way the country's been going for years, constantly torn apart over anything and everything, I think it's a step in the right direction.

 

[thenorthern]

Obviously he is a divisive figure in the sense that some agree with him about the strikes and others don't. But he articulates his views on that in a straightforward way, without getting into a million other arguments. And considering the way the country's been going for years, constantly torn apart over anything and everything, I think it's a step in the right direction.

He is a lot more sensible than Bob Crow in regards public speaking and with making his opinions known.

 

[Drogba11CFC]

A lot of his supporters on Twitter are from the #FBPE type people. I wonder if they know the RMT views on the EU.

Or his views on Ukraine.

 

[yorksrob]

Or his views on Ukraine.

What are those ? Interesting to know.

 

[thenorthern]

What are those ? Interesting to know.

According to The Sun they are this, I should say I am aware that The Sun is unlikely to write something positive about a Union Boss so it's not the best source.

Union chief defends colleague for backing evil Vladimir Putin​

A UNION chief has defended a colleague for backing Vladimir Putin in Ukraine — arguing there were plenty of neo-Nazis there threatening Russia.

Mike Lynch, the General Secretary of the RMT union, is warning of crippling strikes which could bring Britain to a halt and effectively stop the rail network this summer.

And last night he backed Eddie Dempsey, one of his senior assistant general secretaries, who has been accused of being a Putin apologist and playing down the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Lynch told Nick Robinson’s podcast Political Thinking there are “two sides in a war” and there is a “slight disdain” for Russian concerns.

He added: “Some of the stuff that’s happening in Ukraine hasn’t been very pleasant . . . there are a lot of neo-Nazis in Ukraine.”

Mr Lynch did go on to attack Putin’s “repression”, adding: “We’re totally opposed to their invasion.”

Union chief defends colleague for backing evil Vladimir Putin

A UNION chief has defended a colleague for backing Vladimir Putin in Ukraine — arguing there were plenty of neo-Nazis there threatening Russia. Mike Lynch, the General Secretary of the RMT union, i…

www.thesun.co.uk

 

[Mikw]

I like the way he deals with interviews. Straight to the point, and if an MP says something untrue he just repeats "That is a lie".

 

[yorksrob]

The country needs to come out and declare Russia as the enemy, then Mr lynch won't have any reason to prevaricate.

 

[AlterEgo]

The country needs to come out and declare Russia as the enemy, then Mr lynch won't have any reason to prevaricate.

You think the country has equivocated on its policy towards Russia and whether we think their invasion was okay or not? Come on.

 

[yorksrob]

You think the country has equivocated on its policy towards Russia and whether we think their invasion was okay or not? Come on.

Apologies, I really ought to stop going on about Russia.

 

[alex397]

I’ve seen quite a few of his interviews now, and I’m impressed with how he gets his points across. It’s a huge contrast to the vast majority of interviewers and interviewees I see.

Gets straight to the point, no nonsense, no dancing around the subject, and doesn’t accept it when the people he is talking to tell obvious lies. Sometimes when talking passionately about a divisive topic, interviewees can lose their argument, but he seems to keep his cool, which helps to make the interviewer/ other interviewee look quite ridiculous.

 

[yorkie]

He is talented at answering interviews which unfortunately fools some people.

I am strongly opposed to his far left values; his views on Ukraine, Putin, and various other matters are very different to mine. He also doesn't understand how inflation works and his logic is flawed in so many areas.

He is good at talking but he isn't actually that clever.

Don't be fooled by him.

 

[THC]

He is talented at answering interviews which unfortunately fools some people.

I am strongly opposed to his far left values; his views on Ukraine, Putin, and various other matters are very different to mine. He also doesn't understand how inflation works and his logic is flawed in so many areas.

He is good at talking but he isn't actually that clever.

Don't be fooled by him.

You say all this but, apart from him not seeing the world as you do, it is not clear why he is not "clever" nor to be trusted.

He is right across his brief, which is all too rare these days for someone in the political sphere. Smooth talking should be no substitute for substance yet these days it all too often is. Lynch appears to have the latter so has no need of the former.

I regularly brief politicians through my work and would love to see them grasp the detail and articulate a position half as well as Lynch does. Hats off to the RMT policy team then if no-one else for making sure the message gets through.

THC

 

[61653 HTAFC]

He is talented at answering interviews which unfortunately fools some people.

I am strongly opposed to his far left values; his views on Ukraine, Putin, and various other matters are very different to mine. He also doesn't understand how inflation works and his logic is flawed in so many areas.

He is good at talking but he isn't actually that clever.

Don't be fooled by him.

I don't think his views on Ukraine have actually been mentioned on this thread. Just that he defended a colleague who expressed an opinion counter to the prevailing attitude. If defending someone's right to express an opinion means you automatically share their opinion, then the world is in a worse state than I thought.

One of the worst trends of the hard left in recent times is a complete unwillingness to accept diversity of opinion. This is also why more and more people are moving away from the more extreme left, and by doing so they get branded "right wing" or worse.

 

[AlterEgo]

He's had some good PR training. His interviews have been first class; he wasn't at all fazed by Kay Burley's trolling on Sky News.

Overall he has come across as far more reasonable than Crow or Cash. My most left-wing opinion is that everyone should join a union, the country would be a better place if everyone did so, and that unions are a necessary tensioning force against unfettered capitalism.

He may or may not have some bonkers views, but he is not stupid. The RMT, have, sensibly, chosen to wait and see if there are strikes in other sectors before continuing action. This is again, unusually wise of them, and so far the quality of their strategy has exceeded my expectations. I welcome Lynch as a cooler and more circumspect union leader, and predict the dispute to go better for the RMT than I had expected at the outset.

 

[alex397]

He is talented at answering interviews which unfortunately fools some people.

I am strongly opposed to his far left values; his views on Ukraine, Putin, and various other matters are very different to mine. He also doesn't understand how inflation works and his logic is flawed in so many areas.

He is good at talking but he isn't actually that clever.

Don't be fooled by him.

Just because you disagree with his supposedly “far left” views doesn’t mean he isn’t clever.

If it’s “far left” to want more rights for working people and less unfairness in society, then so be it.
It’s odd how unions are considered a ‘lefty’ thing, when in reality the majority of people have benefitted from the actions of unions.

 

[yorkie]

Just because you disagree with his supposedly “far left” views doesn’t mean he isn’t clever.

And just because you think he is doesn't make it so either! We'll have to agree to disagree on this.

If it’s “far left” to want more rights for working people and less unfairness in society, then so be it.

They are completely unrealistic and living in cloud cuckoo land.

It’s odd how unions are considered a ‘lefty’ thing, when in reality the majority of people have benefitted from the actions of unions.

I don't think historical changes from many years ago can be compared to modern day actions of unions who are out of touch with the average person. Unions have tried to hinder, not benefit, me at my workplace; I quit my union in disgust at their actions. Indeed in my experiences, the less unionised work I've done has been better paid than the more unionised work I've done. The idea that unions are a panacea is very wide of the mark.

I don't think his views on Ukraine have actually been mentioned on this thread. Just that he defended a colleague who expressed an opinion counter to the prevailing attitude. If defending someone's right to express an opinion means you automatically share their opinion, then the world is in a worse state than I thought.

Defending appalling opinions isn't acceptable in my opinion.

 

[SteveM70]

He's had some good PR training. His interviews have been first class; he wasn't at all fazed by Kay Burley's trolling on Sky News.

As have the members of the cabinet that he consistently runs rings round. He’s got something about him

 

[102 fan]

If the rail strikes carry on through the summer, and if other unions try to make it a 'summer of discontent' I feel his popularity might just suffer a little.

 

[birchesgreen]

Politicians have, for decades now to be honest, not answered questions. At best they'll answer a question THEY want to answer not what is asked of them. Lynch doesn't do that and i guess a lot of people find it pretty novel.

 

[jon0844]

If the rail strikes carry on through the summer, and if other unions try to make it a 'summer of discontent' I feel his popularity might just suffer a little.

As I said ages ago, if the RMT impact families trying to go on holiday in the school holidays (or just a day trip to the beach) the papers will have a field day with sad face photos and interviews.

For the time being, the RMT is being cheered on by people who would ordinarily be upset and angry. That likely won't carry on forever, but as long as people are hoping that the RMT 'wins' and starts a chain reaction, they can and will capitalise on it.

I am sure the papers are digging all the time to find a smoking gun to turn people against Mick and the RMT. Surprised they haven't found anything yet, or maybe there isn't anything to be found?

 

[Yew]

Indeed in my experiences, the less unionised work I've done has been better paid than the more unionised work I've done. The idea that unions are a panacea is very wide of the mark.

I think that is specific to the case that you're specifically in, it's a case of different industries and skills levels. I'm also in a professional career which is currently in demand, and I am not in a union; because if my boss does something I don't like, I can very quickly find a new job, probably with better pay and conditions.

Where Unions are more useful is in roles where labour is either a) easily replaceable, or b) specialist with limited career options.

Defending appalling opinions isn't acceptable in my opinion.

Given the documented behaviours of the Azov battalion, what part of this statement is appalling? '“Some of the stuff that’s happening in Ukraine hasn’t been very pleasant . . . there are a lot of neo-Nazis in Ukraine.”

Particularly with rags such as the sun, there is poor differentiation from opinion and fact, and it does seem for this case that some relatively innocuous statements have been spun out of proportion from the words that the man actually said.

Given the contents of this report from the OHCHR, I feel that "not very pleasant" is overall far too mild. The battalions logos have also previously featured common Neo-nazi insignia.

 

[102 fan]

As I said ages ago, if the RMT impact families trying to go on holiday in the school holidays (or just a day trip to the beach) the papers will have a field day with sad face photos and interviews.

For the time being, the RMT is being cheered on by people who would ordinarily be upset and angry. That likely won't carry on forever, but as long as people are hoping that the RMT 'wins' and starts a chain reaction, they can and will capitalise on it.

I am sure the papers are digging all the time to find a smoking gun to turn people against Mick and the RMT. Surprised they haven't found anything yet, or maybe there isn't anything to be found?

We all remember what happened with the 'Winter of discontent', Labour lost the election and was out of power for 18 years, and even then it was a different Labour party from the one in 1979.

 

[alex397]

They are completely unrealistic and living in cloud cuckoo land.

Not “cloud cuckoo land” at all. We have a very unfair society, and I refuse to be someone who just accepts that as a way of life.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Similar in many countries but it is particularly pronounced in the UK. I’m glad there are people like Lynch speaking out about it, as there are few voices in UK mainstream media doing so.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Defending appalling opinions isn't acceptable in my opinion.

Again, I don't know what opinion he defended. However whilst I might find some opinions distasteful, the mere expression of that opinion is not something I'd be comfortable condemning without greater context. What's that old saying about free speech: "I disagree entirely with what you say, but I absolutely respect your right to say it". The original is more graphic in how far that right should be defended, but the point stands.

If someone in the UK said "I think Ukraine should be a part of Russia" that statement does no harm, makes no difference to the situation on the ground, and doesn't in itself tell us anything about the speaker's opinion on any other matter.

Oh, and defending a person's right to speak, is not and should never be taken to be an agreement with that person.

 

[yorkie]

Not “cloud cuckoo land” at all. We have a very unfair society, and I refuse to be someone who just accepts that as a way of life.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Similar in many countries but it is particularly pronounced in the UK. I’m glad there are people like Lynch speaking out about it, as there are few voices in UK mainstream media doing so.

Do you have a proposed solution that is viable and avoids risking hyperinflation?

Again, I don't know what opinion he defended. However whilst I might find some opinions distasteful, the mere expression of that opinion is not something I'd be comfortable condemning without greater context. What's that old saying about free speech: "I disagree entirely with what you say, but I absolutely respect your right to say it". The original is more graphic in how far that right should be defended, but the point stands.

If someone in the UK said "I think Ukraine should be a part of Russia" that statement does no harm, makes no difference to the situation on the ground, and doesn't in itself tell us anything about the speaker's opinion on any other matter.

Oh, and defending a person's right to speak, is not and should never be taken to be an agreement with that person.

Such a comment is harmful in my opinion and if anyone has that view, I will cut all ties with them as I want absolutely nothing to do with them.

Even the hard left-leaning Workers Liberty are prepared to expose the views of senior RMT members:

Eddie Dempsey and the misogynistic warlord

I want to add something to the crucial points Becky Crocker made about Eddie Dempsey in Solidarity 519. The picture featured is Dempsey visiting Alexander Mozgovoy, an uber-nationalist, uber-misogynistic paramilitary leader in the pro-Russian militias during the war in eastern Ukraine. When...

www.workersliberty.org

The picture featured is Dempsey visiting Alexander Mozgovoy, an uber-nationalist, uber-misogynistic paramilitary leader in the pro-Russian militias during the war in eastern Ukraine. When Mozgovoy was killed a week after they met, Dempsey wrote a glowing obituary of his comrade, which I’ll quote below.


If you want to get a grip on Mozgovoy, this is what he declared about women in the territory he controlled as a warlord, and of course by implication more generally:


“If I see even just one girl in a café or a pub tomorrow, she will be arrested. A woman must be the guardian of the hearth, a mother. But what kind of mothers are they after going to pubs? How can they bring up their children? What example are they giving?...

The reality is that people like the RMTs Eddie Dempsey are dangerous. Whether you class them as hard left or far right is difficult because of course the hard left and the far right actually have certain things in common.

While you may feel it is right to defend the appalling views expressed by Eddie Dempsey, anyone who sympathises with such views is not anyone I have any time for, or any respect for.

We need to recognise the fact that senior people within the RMT are extremists and the RMT are, by their own admission, militant. This is not helpful and is not what people join a Union to be part of.

I joined my Union to be represented in the event of a dispute, not for political posturing and extremism.

There is probably no point in me debating this further with either of you as it is clear we have very different views; we should agree to disagree.

 

[Yew]

It is worth noting that Wikipedia thinks that that quote for Alexander Mozgovoy is listed as "citation needed".

Indeed, the article you reference links to a website called Russia Insider, which seems to actually be an obituary from 2015 for a "Alexei Mozgovoi"