Politics
Kate Plummer
Jun 23, 2022
Independent
Mick Lynch had to give a presenter a quick history lesson after revealing his political hero.
Asked who wins his affections the most during an appearance on Peston, the RMT leader named James Connolly, and after the presenter repeated the name in a quizzical tone, he asked her if she knew who he was.
"An Irish, socialist republican," he said. "He educated himself and he started non-sectarian trade unionism in Ireland, and he was a hero of the Irish revolution."
Connolly founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896, and was one of the leaders in the Easter Rising in 1916 against British rule in Ireland.
He was executed for his role in the insurrection.
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\u201cInterviewer: \u201cwho\u2019s your political hero?\u201d\n\nMick Lynch: \u201cJames Connolly\u201d\u201d— Paul O\u2019Connell (@Paul O\u2019Connell) 1655937133
Elsewhere on the show, he clashed with Tory MP Robert Jenrick over railway bosses and it is worth having a watch yourself:
\u201cI have a new favourite Mick Lynch video. Emily Thornberry's face \ud83d\ude02 #Peston\u201d— Lou (@Lou) 1655932596
The second strike day takes place today and a third day of action is expected on Saturday. The RMT is still pushing for a pay rise of at least 7 per cent to offset the cost of living crisis but have only been offered an increase of 3 per cent.
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