Everyone’s schooling Nadine Dorries over privatising Channel 4 – 13 of the funniest and most brutal takedowns

As you’ll probably already have seen elsewhere today, Nadine Dorries has announced that the government is pressing ahead with plans to privatise Channel 4.

The culture secretary shared her thoughts, such as they are, in a series of tweets, only the first of which need bother us here.

Channel 4 rightly holds a cherished place in British life and I want that to remain the case. I have come to the conclusion that government ownership is holding Channel 4 back from competing against streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon. 1/3

— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) April 4, 2022

But not everyone (anyone) is convinced that Dorries is entirely the right person to decide Channel 4’s fate. Here are 13 of the funniest and most brutal responses.

1.

https://twitter.com/mrchrisaddison/status/1511085391117692931?s=20&t=5gH8rJqQh7d3mmVgN8n27Q

2.

The sale of C4 will inflict huge damage on homegrown creative companies, all to silence a critical news outlet, and, as if it even needs mentioning, make a few quid for their mates while they’re about it https://t.co/y0u9vRl46o

— Jed Mercurio (@jed_mercurio) April 5, 2022

3.

It’s hard to measure the stupidity and short-termism here, or what the possible upside is other than to whoever will use it to make money for themselves. It will certainly make the UK poorer, culturally. Which is pretty amazing work by a “Culture Minister”. https://t.co/x3XOUfkxyI

— Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) April 4, 2022

4.

This is a load of utter twaddle! No true Conservative would sell Channel 4, Lady T will be spinning in her grave. C4 was set up to foster the British film & TV industry and it has done that job admirably. Any Tory MP who votes for this is a traitor to their party & country. https://t.co/jgaTml18wq

— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) April 4, 2022

5.

You know viewers have to pay subscriptions for Amazon & Netflix – but we get Channel 4 for free? And that C4 – current annual revenue £1b, unlike Netflix, who have a long-term debt of $16.9b – don't want to be sold? Why replace a successful UK business model with a shaky US one? https://t.co/H5NKK4dvaK

— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) April 5, 2022

6.

Someone tell Nadine that Netflix and Amazon aren’t free to air https://t.co/5v1qj5axHf

— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) April 4, 2022

7.

Idiocy. C4 is not going to ‘compete against Netflix’ . You have one UK media asset that theoretically *could* have developed a rival platform in about 2008 – the BBC – but that pass was sold too by lack of governmental foresight and caving into Murdoch lobbying. https://t.co/i0wL642xJZ

— emily bell (@emilybell) April 4, 2022