Clarkson’s apologised: Let’s move on

I’m glad Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson has finally come to his senses and apologised for using the ‘n’ word during filming of the BBC programme.

"I'm sitting here begging your forgiveness",  he said as a part of a full apology

I know we suspect he got dragged kicking and screaming to the table of remorse, but he said it. And for Clarkson, who has made his name being an anti-hero, it was pretty grovelling apology too.

So in his apology what has been achieved: Well, to most sensible people in the UK we reasseart  that the  ‘N’ word is a deeply offensive term. Furthermore, used in the ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe’, nursery rhyme it is particularly offensive because it has conotations of lynching.

By accepting that it was wrong, Clarkson has also reiterated a standard and a British value in which people have the right not to be racially abused and that they should expect mutual respect and dignity. Clarkson crossed that line and has now apologised for it.

To pursue Clarkson now would seriously defeat the object of winning the moral and cultural argument. Demanding, for example, the BBC sack him, would drive him to the bosom of bigoted martyrdom: All those who lament the fact that they can no longer be casual racists or sexists would seek to reimpose their order in the name of: ‘we’re only joking’ and 'Clarkson’s our leader'.

Lastly, whilst we should never accept Clarkson's or anyone elses casual racism, having effectively dealt with Top Gear's top man by extracting a humbling apology, we should now refocus our attention on those structural and persistent racial inequalities within the job market, education, health and the criminal justice system.

Now changing those areas would make an even greater difference to our society than persuading a daft bat like Clarkson, who'd  overstepped the mark.

Simon Woolley