SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Bianca questions wisdom of inviting Syrians to stay

By Sebastian Shakespeare for the Daily Mail

Published: 20:05 EST, 24 September 2015 | Updated: 06:09 EST, 25 September 2015

Noble gesture: Bob Geldof may have offered to shelter four refugee families at his London and Kent homes, but such noble gestures are ‘wrong’, according to Bianca Jagger

Noble gesture: Bob Geldof may have offered to shelter four refugee families at his London and Kent homes, but such noble gestures are ‘wrong’, according to Bianca Jagger

Bob Geldof may have offered to shelter four refugee families at his London and Kent homes, but such noble gestures are ‘wrong’, according to Bianca Jagger.

The former wife of Sir Mick Jagger turned human rights campaigner says: ‘Bob’s is a humane reaction, but this kind of thing doesn’t really help.

‘It’s an over-simplification of a solution. Simplistic answers are wrong. Of course, every person has the right to do what they feel, but what is really needed is more support in the refugee camps in the neighbouring countries — in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.’

Since divorcing the Rolling Stones singer in 1979, the feisty Nicaraguan-born model has reinvented herself and launched her own Human Rights Foundation.

Bianca, 70, (right, with Geldof) serves as a Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador and has represented Amnesty International.

‘I have strong feelings about this,’ she adds, speaking at the launch of her friend Catriona Ward’s debut novel Rawblood, at Daunt, Marylebone. ‘I’m very troubled by the response in Europe. The British people are very generous, and have been throughout history, but political leaders need a coherent policy.’

Geldof said this month he would put up three families at his sprawling home in Kent and one at his London flat. He said ordinary people should ‘get stuck in’ and not ‘palm off’ responsibility for housing refugees to the Government.

Reaching out: Geldof said this month he would put up three families at his sprawling home in Kent and one at his London flat. Bob, pictured with refugees from Sudan and Chad for a documentary

Reaching out: Geldof said this month he would put up three families at his sprawling home in Kent and one at his London flat. Bob, pictured with refugees from Sudan and Chad for a documentary

However, his comments were dismissed as ‘pie in the sky’ by David Simmonds, chairman of the Local Government Association’s asylum, migration and refugee task force. ‘It is very striking on the radio . . . people saying: “I have a spare bedroom, I will happily take a Syrian refugee,” ’ said Simmonds.

‘But were these people ready yesterday to take any of those on the housing waiting list in their local area who may have been here for quite some time?’

Asked if he has taken any refugees, Bob’s spokesman says there is no update.

 

Two chips off the old frock

Fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood can usually be relied upon to be the most barmily dressed party guest.

But, on this occasion, she was eclipsed by her sons, Joe Corré (left) and Ben Westwood, who accompanied her to the launch of the Cool Earth Goes Global Initiative at the Barbican Centre.

Corré, whose father was one-time manager of the Sex Pistols Malcolm McLaren, is co-founder of lingerie brand Agent Provocateur, while Ben launched an eponymous menswear fashion label.

Like mother, like son: (From left) Joe Corre, Dame Vivienne Westwood and Ben Westwood attend the launch of the Cool Earth Goes Global initiative hosted by Dame Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler at The Conservatory, Barbican Centre

Like mother, like son: (From left) Joe Corre, Dame Vivienne Westwood and Ben Westwood attend the launch of the Cool Earth Goes Global initiative hosted by Dame Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler at The Conservatory, Barbican Centre

 

Royal wedding photographer Hugo Burnand, who took the official photograph of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their bridesmaids and page boys, has given some insight into the demands of his employer. 

‘Kate is a keen photographer and was instrumental in how this image turned out,’ he tells Brides Magazine. ‘This image was a collaboration. 

'It wasn’t the photographer saying: “I want this.” We discussed everything.’ 

 

It's not smart to be cynical, says Paxo 

Jeremy Paxman, no longer presenting BBC2’s Newsnight, has found time to write an essay in the programme of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of Henry V.

Paxo may be thought of as a sardonic old brute, but in the piece he argues that it is no bad thing to be patriotic. He even has a go at the widespread cynicism in modern Britain.

Sardonic: Jeremy Paxman argues that it is no bad thing to be patriotic, in an essay in the programme of the Royal Shakespeare Company's new production of Henry V 

Sardonic: Jeremy Paxman argues that it is no bad thing to be patriotic, in an essay in the programme of the Royal Shakespeare Company's new production of Henry V 

He writes: ‘A corrosive sense has taken hold that you cannot be taken seriously in Britain unless you distrust its institutions and it is axiomatic that the recipient of tertiary education is a sceptic about all things, particularly any whiff of royalism or patriotism.’

Some might say Paxo himself brought a fair degree of mistrust to his combative TV grilling of politicians. But perhaps he’s still aggrieved about his former republican colleagues at the BBC.

He left Newsnight shortly after former Guardian journalist Ian Katz — a London Leftie with such inclinations — became the editor. Paxman later said he was a ‘one-nation Tory’ and complained Newsnight was made by ‘13-year-olds’.

 

Comments (79)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now