Baldrick slams Gove’s Blackadder claims as ‘silly mistake’
Sir Tony Robinson hits back at claims by Michael Gove that Blackadder was used as a propaganda tool by “left-wing academics”, saying his comments amount to “slagging off teachers”.
The actor, who rose to fame after playing the character of Baldrick in the classic TV series, said the comments were particularly “irresponsible” coming from the minister in charge of education.
One series of Blackadder – Blackadder goes forth – was set during the first world war.
“I think Mr Gove has just made a very silly mistake: it’s not that Blackadder teaches children the first world war,” he told Sky News. “When imaginative teachers bring it in, it’s simply another teaching tool.”
His comments were in response to an article by Mr Gove, published last week, which attacked what he called an “unpatriotic” and left-wing portrayal of England’s role in world war one. Writing in the Daily Mail, the education secretary blamed “Blackadder myths” for belittling Britain and said that the leftwing version of history portrays the 1914 to 1918 war as a “a series of catastrophic mistakes perpetrated by an out-of-touch elite”.
The education secretary has changed the history curriculum, arguing that pupils should have a better sense of narrative and be taught a broader range of history.
Video: watch our debate between Lord West and Professor Sir Richard Evans over Michael Gove’s comments
‘Sowing political division’ over WW1
Labour has also condemned Mr Gove’s comments, and accused the government of using the centenary of the start of the first world war to “sow political division”.
Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt, himself an historian, said that Mr Gove’s comments were a shocking attempt at political point-scoring.
Mr Robinson added: I think to make this mistake, to categorise teachers who would introduce something like Blackadder as left-wing and introducing left-wing propaganda is very, very unhelpful. And I think it’s particularly unhelpful and irresponsible for a minister in charge of education.”
Sir Tony, who is a member of the Labour party and once sat on its national executive committee, added: “Ultimately, if you think about it, what it’s really doing is just slagging off teachers.
“It’s just another example of slagging off teachers. I don’t think that’s professional or appropriate.”