Mick Lynch Divides Radio 4 Listeners With Spiky Interview

Did the RMT Union’s general-secretary deliver "low blows" or a "brilliant" takedown of the BBC?
Mick Lynch and Mishal Husain clashed on the Today programme
Mick Lynch and Mishal Husain clashed on the Today programme
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Mick Lynch, known for his stellar defence of railway strikes, triggered a more divided reaction on Tuesday after clashing with BBC Radio 4 presenter, Mishal Husain.

The co-host of the Today programme was asking the RMT Union’s general-secretary about the extensive strikes set to bring the rail network to a halt again several times this month.

Lynch was explaining how the rail companies’ pay offers so far are still far from what is desired, and Husain repeatedly challenged this, saying support for industrial action was dwindling among union members.

The pair spoke over each for much of the interview, but they really came to blows when Husain asked how much the workers had lost in pay during the strike period.

Lynch hit back: “Why are you pursuing this line, Mishal?”

“Because you’ve said your members are making a sacrifice,” she replied.

Lynch said: “Yeah but I read this stuff in The Sun, The Daily Mail and The Telegraph – you’ve taken your lines from the right-wing press.”

As they continued to interrupt each other, the Today programme presenter asked: “What’s wrong with just saying, on average, our members have sacrificed X numbers of thousands of pounds? You’ve said they’re making a sacrifice, what’s wrong with putting a number on it?”

“Why do you need that number?”

Husain said: “Because I’m interested in the level of sacrifice.”

“Why aren’t you interested in what Network Rail and the government are doing to working people across this country, impoverishing them every day?”

Both went on to say each of these sentences again in the next few moments, before Husain explained she was asking these questions because of the cost of living crisis and the run up to Christmas.

Lynch cut in: “Why don’t they give us a decent pay rise then? Why don’t you pursue that?”

Husain said it was estimated to be £15,000 in the summer – so asked what the rise was now, but Lynch just repeated his questions about the right-wing press before really digging in.

“I find this a really shocking stance that the BBC will take,” the union boss claimed.

“You’re just parroting the most right-wing stuff you can get hold of on behalf of the establishment, and it’s about time you showed some partiality to your listeners and the working class people in this country who are being screwed to the floor by your attitude and policies in this government.”

Husain replied: “They’re called questions,” and abruptedly ended the interview.

Lynch, who is usually praised for his calm and collected takedown of any questions which undermine the strike action, was then criticised for his more pointed approach this morning.

Som Twitter users said he had dealt “low blows” and was doing RMT “no favours” by taking such a stance with Husain live on radio.

Low blows from @RMTunion’s Mick Lynch on @BBCr4today this morning.

Impeccably handled by @MishalHusain - so calm and collected amidst a barrage of abuse and ignorance. #railstrike

— Inzamam Rashid (@inzyrashid) December 13, 2022

On @BBCr4today @MishalHusain interviewing Mick Lynch. He’s not coming out well.

— Xanthe Clay (@XantheClay) December 13, 2022

Mick Lynch doing himself and his members no favours by being aggressive & unpleasant during a perfectly proper interview with @MishalHusain on #Today “they’re called questions” says Husain who is doing her job.

— Anna Soubry (@Anna_Soubry) December 13, 2022

Astonishing exchange there between @MishalHusain and the RMT's Mick Lynch. She deserves credit for not responding to the insults she received for asking a reasonable question

— Matthew Garrahan (@MattGarrahan) December 13, 2022

I was a bit baffled why he didn't want to quantify this. Surely the amount of salary sacrifice underlines (rather than undermines) why RMT members are on strike: for a better long term deal. They are voting voluntarily to strike not brainwashed into it. https://t.co/HbRhyBtyWo

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) December 13, 2022

Mick Lynch slates @MishalHusain for not letting him answer questions then refuses to let her ask any he doesn’t like. Bad form for a man usually so good at it. Now claiming she/theBBC never covers difficulties of cost of living crisis which is BS.

— Shelagh Fogarty 💚 (@ShelaghFogarty) December 13, 2022

But, not everyone agreed.

Plenty of Twitter users (including some Labour MPs) suggested that Lynch had rightly called out Husain’s line of questioning.

Mick Lynch was sport on about #r4today it does nothing but lazily parrot the talking points fed to it by the national press. Why exactly was Husain pursuing, "is the striker's spirit breaking?" line of questioning?

— PolProf Space Yak ☭ (@yakleftie) December 13, 2022

Very disingenuous from #r4today - they show little or no concern for ordinary people being impoverished by a decade of Tory rule, but when those people organise to resist, the interviewer affects solemn concern for the hardship caused by that resistance. https://t.co/0GR8wNRZLR

— David Traynier Ⓥ (@DTraynier) December 13, 2022

Brilliant once again Mick Lynch from @RMTunion who nails the coverage of the dispute from the media this morning.
Take a moment to listen to how you speak truth to power. https://t.co/pGMPMy1eW1

— lan Byrne MP (@IanByrneMP) December 13, 2022

“You’re just parroting the most right-wing stuff on behalf of the establishment!”

👏

Well said, Mick Lynch. Again. #r4today

pic.twitter.com/JJpslqfZh0

— James Foster (@JamesEFoster) December 13, 2022

Go Mick Lynch! Someone at last has the guts to take on the interview stance of @MishalHusain parroting government lines of argument on @BBCr4today. Let that be the start of a serious challenge to the declining standard of this programme.

— Bob Digby (@bobdigby) December 13, 2022

On the BBC just now Mick Lynch nailing @MishalHusain for her endless repetition of government attack lines #railstrike pic.twitter.com/RlxF4udZS1

— Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) December 13, 2022

And of course, some people thought both interviewer and interviewee had struggled in the exchange.

I found myself feeling sorry for Mick Lynch AND @MishalHusain in that @BBCr4today interview. Mick likes to put the dispute into a wider political context. Mishal, under time pressure, wants to get to the negotiation fault lines. Maybe he should have fewer but longer interviews!

— Tom Watson (@tom_watson) December 13, 2022
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