Forum Topic

Toby Young, if you're reading, put a sock in it!

Toby's been tweeting insanely for the last couple of hours.  He ought to turn his blackberry off.  So far he's commented on a female MP's breasts, then commented that if people like him (i.e. Sun journalists) aren't meant to notice, women should "dress more modestly".  Now he says Steve Hilton is a woman because "his 'masculinity' is fake".   It's hilarious, but I wish he'd stop as I feel embarrassed for him. . . . .

Anne Brown ● 5307d18 Comments

Over-served at lunch (in the school canteen?).

Susan Kelly ● 5306d

Have just started a community association twitter feed:@CCAssoc1 if you are interested.So far a grand total of four followers (and one of them is me!)You dont HAVE to read Toby's tweets. His retweets are wholly self-serving but some of his original stuff is fun.

Sara Nathan ● 5306d

If he support Acton, why he dont write on forum?

Doda Hos ● 5305d

Too busy writing stupidity for a slush paper!

Nicola Howard ● 5305d

For which he gets paid handsomely.Given the option, I know which I'd prefer.Overall, Samuel Johnson is right (as always) "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."

Sara Nathan ● 5305d

I think it's important to realise that he's put about 3 years of his life into starting the West London Free School, from which he has not earned a penny. I agree with Sara that he writes for money, which by now he probably needs.It's funny how he manages to raise so much ire. I think he's just impervious to the negativity it creates. It is about time people stopped saying the same things about him again and again, though. How many times have you read that he is "self-serving" or a "self-publicist"? I'm all in favour of original thinkers who have the energy and vision to do things like start a new kind of school.

Alfred Price ● 5305d

I rather enjoyed his wife's theory - which is that if he had put as much energy into paid employment as he had into the unpaid WLFS, they would have been able to afford Eton anyhow.

Sara Nathan ● 5305d

"You dont HAVE to read Toby's tweets"He doesn't have to write sexist rubbish, either, but he does, repeatedly.  Quite why so many sane people are willing to defend a boor who gets given huge amounts of public money to boost his ego and image beats me, but we're not really a very civilised or moral country these days, so why the hell not?

Thomas Barry ● 5305d

"I think it's important to realise that he's put about 3 years of his life into starting the West London Free School, from which he has not earned a penny."On the contrary, as a result he's able to spend my taxes subsidising his kid's education. Not earned a penny my foot.  Stop apologising for the man.

Thomas Barry ● 5305d

There's some very rum stuff on twitter indeed. But most of it isnt (that I've seen anyhow) altogether too much about pork pies and party politics.And I missed Toby's recent excesses.. Apparently some people are horribly bullied there too - again haven't seen it myself. I wonder if they are even less fun and more oppressive than the CW4 bullies though.

Sara Nathan ● 5304d

Thomas, Sara isn't apologising. she is simply pointing out that Toby is paid to write because people read him. Rupert Murdoch was hardly going to pay him to write a column for the Sun on Sunday if he thought that the readers would think he was rubbish. if you don't like him, don't read him. And if you do sneak a peek (why are you following him on Twitter Anne?) then don't criticise his writing on this or any other forum. He will simply use your publicity to generate another column for which he will be paid. And BTW the new school is over subscribed 9-1 (LBHF figures) which suggests that a lot of people agree with his ideas, even if you don't.

Maire Lowe ● 5304d

I'm a relative newby on this forum, so I'm still learning the ropes. Generally speaking, it's fun to hear different opinions, and I usually respect them.However:"On the contrary, as a result he's able to spend my taxes subsidising his kid's education."This isn't a coherent argument. "Subsidising his kid's education?" What does that mean? The word "subsidising" makes no sense in that context (and "kid's" implies he only has one child). Subsidising would mean that he was paying for it, but was receiving partial financial support from elsewhere. Also, it is VITAL to understand that it is H&F council who carry out the lottery to decide who gets a place. There is a sibling policy, but Toby can't decide on his own which of his children (if any) get a place."Not earned a penny my foot."He hasn't. He has not received any salary or payments for his time on the school project."Stop apologising for the man."I'm not. Apologising means saying sorry. Apart from being bossy and rude, again your words don't make sense.I offer my genuine apologies to all the other articulate and coherent contributors on this forum, but it's pointless to offer opinions, only to receive incoherent responses!

Alfred Price ● 5304d

I agree with you generally but on his not earning a penny: the school project has been grist to his columnist's/TV persona's mill for some time. And columnists crave subjects on which they can opine - preferably with no research needed. (800 words in 90 minutes so much more lucrative than it taking all day - I know, I had a column in the Scotsman for a while)So while of course he hasn't been paid directly for any work on the school, the spin-offs in publicity and column inches must be worth quite a bit.FYI I believe he has four children - all quite close together.

Sara Nathan ● 5304d

My principal point is that Toby is not the West London Free School. Yes, it has received funds. No, he has not.And yes, of course, all columnists want as much personal publicity as possible, so more people read them, and they get paid more. But the implication I abhor is that self-publicity was his primary motivation for starting the school. Why is it inconceivable to some people that he had any noble motives?Toby and Caroline have four children all under eight. As I said before, if one of them is allotted a place at WLFS by H&F Council, the younger ones should get in, due to the sibling policy. But, it is a lottery, so none of them may be awarded a place.

Alfred Price ● 5304d

Noble motives? Maybe he is not that altruistic. He has already made one documentary on the back of it and  I am sure the DVD box set is soon to follow.Only time will tell how successful the experiment is.Let us not be too hastyin using over subscription as an early measure of success. Self publicity and Toby? He could teach moths a thing or two about candles.

Colin Carroll ● 5303d

It's hard to believe that someone would go to all the trouble of starting a school merely for self-publicity.

Susan Kelly ● 5303d

Absolutely, Susan.  When someone does good (even if it benefits him and his children too) why oh why do we slate them?  There must be better ways for Toby Young to get publicity for himself!  I can think of many and they're almost certainly less work for him!Without people who have big ideas, dreams and ambitions and who then put them into action, where would we be?  He could happily sit there moaning at the state of our education and do nothing or bump his kids off to private school but no, he did something that will benefit many hopefully. Yes, time will tell, but his intentions are good I'm sure.  You can't fault someone who's intentions are positive.

Angela White ● 5302d

Angela he could not afford to send his kids to private school.His father implemented one of the most radical post war educational initiatives which has benefited many. Toby may fall far short of his father's egalitarian initiative.

Colin Carroll ● 5302d