The Mail jumped on Coogan's Irish passport, while the Express amplified "anti-British" criticism.
Actor Steve Coogan sparked a familiar media storm this week after offering forthright criticism of Reform UK and expressing concern about the erosion of human rights in global politics.
Speaking to the Big Issue, Coogan said he was “very troubled by the notion of what is acceptable behaviour in terms of conflict,” referencing US military actions and the war in Gaza. He warned against treating human rights as an inconvenience rather than a moral necessity.
“I am worried about the erosion of human rights,” he said, adding that Reform are “anti-human rights because they think it’s some red tape bureaucracy.”
The Alan Partridge actor also expressed alarm at what he sees as a growing sense among world leaders that they can “do what the f*** they like” when it comes to international conflict.
Coogan is no stranger to making political statements. He has long been outspoken on a range of causes, including climate action, media accountability, and Palestinian rights. In 2023, he was among public figures calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. He has supported Extinction Rebellion and spoke out during the phone-hacking scandal. In 2017, he endorsed Jeremy Corbyn for prime minister, urging voters to back Labour to “change their futures.”
In 2023, Coogan received Irish citizenship. Born and raised in Manchester, he has often described himself as “half-Irish.” His mother grew up in County Mayo, while his paternal grandparents emigrated to Manchester from Kilkenny and Cork after the First World War.
That background was quickly seized upon by the right-wing press following his latest remarks. The Daily Mail jumped on Coogan’s Irish passport in an article headlined, “Steve Coogan reveals his ‘antipathy of the British flag’,” citing comments in which he described Ireland as feeling more like “home.”
“I am a part of the Irish diaspora,” Coogan said. “I’ve always felt that I have slight antipathy towards the British flag I’ve been raised with. It’s not like a contempt for it. It’s just holding the Establishment at arm’s length because of history.”
The Express adopted a similar line, branding Coogan “anti-British” and amplifying criticism from ‘fans.’ One comment described his remarks as a “betrayal,” accusing the “multi-millionaire comic” of disparaging “the country that gave him fame and fortune” while “clutching his Irish passport.” Another dismissed him as a “virtue-signalling celeb” allegedly exploiting diaspora identity “for woke points.”
Likewise, GB News framed Coogan’s comments through the lens of political bias, stating that his “reservations about Reform UK will come as no surprise” given his past interventions. The channel referenced his criticism earlier this year of Keir Starmer, whom Coogan accused of boosting Nigel Farage’s profile by legitimising what he called a “racist clown.”
The article pivoted quickly to Reform’s recent momentum, noting that former Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick had defected to the party. It claimed the move sent “shockwaves” through Westminster and reported that around 20 former Conservative MPs have joined Reform in recent months, though Farage has insisted the party is “not merely a home for failed Tories.”
Coogan’s interview with the Big Issue coincides with the release of Saipan this week, a film in which he plays former Republic of Ireland football manager Mick McCarthy, another reminder that, for all the manufactured outrage, his Irish connections are hardly new. Interestingly, McCarthy himself was a member of the Irish diaspora and as such, ‘too English’ for some Irish football fans. It’s a tough call, traversing these lines set out by nativist obsessives.
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