17th May 2005

Green Councillors have given their backing to a campaign by staff and students at Oxford Brookes University opposing the decision to award Jeremy Clarkson an honorary degree.

Says City Council Green Group Leader Councillor Craig Simmons: "Awarding Clarkson an honorary degree devalues Brookes, Oxford and the planet. The University should be promoting positive role models - not someone who has been criticised for his disregard of the environment and road safety."

Clarkson has publicly expressed views and values which are opposed to those which the University claims, in particular social responsibility, the understanding and care of people, and stewardship of environmental and public resources.

Greens are urging members of the public to sign the campaign petition which aims to secure 5,000 signatures

http://www.thePetitionSite.com/takeaction/760722683

This petition is supported not just by many Brookes students and staff and environmentalists across Oxford but also by workers at the Cowley BMW factory, who are angry at Clarkson's repeated criticism of their former colleagues at MG Rover, which is now in administration.

Some things Clarkson has said and done:

•To test the claims made for a 4x4, Clarkson took the vehicle to the top of a mountain in Scotland, through a sensitive peat bog causing substantial ecological damage.

•In an infamous episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson tore up on camera information from Transport 2000’s website presenting the dangers of speed.

•In a race against colleagues using public transport and plane, Clarkson drove a Ferrari more or less non-stop from London to Switzerland and was stopped by police for speeding on the way.

•Jeremy Clarkson deliberately drove a car into a tree in a car park in Somerset to test the strength of the Toyota car in a crash. The programme ended up apologising and paying compensation to the local parish council for the damage caused.

•Jeremy Clarkson has wrongly dismissed low emission electric cars as "slow, ridiculously heavy" and "running out of juice every 40 miles."

• The subject of a complaint to the BBC, Jeremy Clarkson incited people to break the law by hiding a mobile phone while driving - a grossly irresponsible act

Example of Clarkson's rubbishing of Rover: http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-1580901_3,00.html

FMI:

Cllr. Craig Simmons

Green Group

Oxford City Council (St. Mary's Ward)

Oxfordshire County Council (East Oxford Division)

41 Magdalen Road, Oxford OX4 1RB

Tel: 01865 202257

Mob: 0773 980 3047