On Saturday afternoon, sharp-eared Radio 4 listeners would have heard a classic example of the London-based BBC making a disparaging remark about the north of England.
‘Any Answers’ host Anita Anand (she of the insincere tone of voice) took a call from a man in Rossendale.
Here’s a script of their exchange:
AA: Let’s go to Peter Savage who’s calling us from Rochdale in Greater Manchester. Good afternoon, Peter.
Caller: Rossendale, actually. Good afternoon.
AA: Rossendale, I beg your pardon…Is it lovely in Rossendale? I hope it’s nicer than Rochdale.
“Is it lovely in Rossendale?” Patronising doesn’t cover it.
She then blundered on by suggesting Rochdale is an undesirable place.
What’s the betting she’s never visited either Rossendale or Rochdale?
Anand was discussing child sexual abuse at the time – a crime which has blighted Rochdale in recent years.
Rochdale was also the parliamentary constituency of the serial sex abuser and Liberal MP Cyril Smith.
All told, Anand didn’t exactly choose her words carefully.
