Mark Thomas
Encyclopedia
Mark Clifford Thomas is a left-wing English comedian
, presenter, political activist and reporter from south London. He first became known as a guest comic on the BBC Radio 1
comedy show The Mary Whitehouse Experience
in the late 1980s. He is best known for political stunts on his show, The Mark Thomas Comedy Product
on Channel 4
. Thomas describes himself as a "libertarian anarchist."
. His mother was a midwife and his father a self employed builder (and ex lay preacher).
Thomas was educated at Macaulay Church of England Primary School, Victoria Rise, Clapham until 1974, where his party trick was to recite the first verses of the four gospels
from memory, and then the independent Christ's Hospital
School, where he attained O-levels
and A-levels. He went on to be awarded a degree in Theatre Arts at Bretton Hall College, just south of Wakefield
.
Prior to his most renowned vehicle, The Mark Thomas Comedy Product, Thomas was the resident stand-up
comic on Saturday Zoo, a Channel 4
comedy series first screened in 1993. He also presented the highly successful BBC Radio 1
talk show Loose Talk and is also a founder member of the London Comedy Store
's hard hitting Cutting Edge show.
His political comedy show, The Mark Thomas Comedy Product (later re-named as simply The Mark Thomas Product, to reflect its increasing political agenda) on Channel 4 earned him criticism from politician
s but was seen by critics as a crucial investigative tool. In one edition, Thomas investigated the practice of avoiding inheritance tax by declaring art, furniture, homes and land available for public viewing. Thomas showed how Nicholas Soames
hid this fact from the public and at the same time avoided paying tax. After being pursued relentlessly by Thomas legitimately asking for permission to see his furniture, Soames eventually paid the tax, and Gordon Brown
, then Chancellor of the Exchequer
, changed the law.
Leaving Channel 4 was a mutual decision, following a series of disputes over how far the channel would go in its broadcasting, one of which concerned the channel's reluctance to support actions concerning corporate accountability and corporate manslaughter laws — a cause he had campaigned for — which coincided with the Queen Mother
's funeral. He declined to take part in a proposed Celebrity Guantanamo Bay 'reality TV' show.
Thomas has appeared at numerous comedy benefit nights, and is a well established stand-up comedian in the UK. He is the Chairman of the Ilısu Dam Campaign
, a campaign which was successful in temporarily blocking the development of a large-scale hydroelectric dam in southeast Turkey
that campaigners claim will lead to the displacement
of up to 78,000 people, mostly Kurds, without adequate compensation or consultation, as well as to environmental and cultural destruction.
Recently, Thomas has been working with War on Want
in India and investigating and filming alleged human rights
violations in Colombia
(by, amongst others, Coca-Cola
) where trade union
s are targeted by militia
allegedly controlled by the government.
He wrote a regular column for the New Statesman
between 2001 and 2007.
The Parliamentary committee which oversees weapons exports, the House of Commons
Quadripartite Select Committee, commended him for his undercover work, which led to official warning letters being issued to a number of companies.
His work in this area is covered in As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade
, a book chronicling his experiences undercover, his political activism and his projects designed to find and report loopholes in arms trading laws, which culminated in a controversial unbroadcast Newsnight
article about the Hinduja brothers
.
Whilst promoting this book on his latest tour, Thomas is also organising Mass Lone Demonstrations, in protest at the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
, which prevents any demonstrations around London's Parliament Square
without prior police approval. The last event attracted over 100 'lone protesters' at the same time.
In 2006, he was added to the Guinness Book of Records for most demonstrations held on one day: 20 individual protests in 20 different locations. He actually performed 21 protests, but as the first and last took place at the same location, it was agreed that only 20 would count.
In 2008, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bradford, for services to peace and for his work as a comedian, political activist, presenter and investigative journalist, especially for his effective campaigning on the ethics of the arms trade. The University has a long-standing Department of Peace Studies.
In 2009, Mark launched the Huddersfield Policy postcard campaign, petitioning the Queen with protests against the prospect of a state funeral for Margaret Thatcher
.
For his 'It's The Stupid Economy' UK tour in 2009, Mark played 55 shows over 14 weeks (between March and end July) and encouraged each audience to come up with their own policies (be it silly or serious) that will somehow make their lives better, forming a "People's Manifesto
". Each audience then got to vote on their favourite policy of that evening and the winning suggestion then formed part of his manifesto which he will then campaign for and attempt to actually make at least some of the suggestions become reality.
In April 2010, Thomas was awarded £1200 compensation for a search carried out by police in 2007. He had been unlawfully subject to a stop-and-search without adequate cause, after speaking at an anti-arms rally.
During 2010 Mark decided to go rambling in the Middle East and walked the entire length of the Israeli Separation Barrier
, crossing between the Israeli and the Palestinian side. He is currently touring the UK with a show entitled "Walking The Wall" which recounts the story.
In addition to being recognised for his comedy career, Mark Thomas has been awarded various citations for his political campaigning, including:
He was also made an honorary Doctor of Letters
by the University of Bradford
on the 3 December 2008, in recognition of his peace campaigning and services to comedy.
In February 2009 British entertainers David Baddiel
, Bill Bailey
, Morwenna Banks
, Sanjeev Bhaskar
, Jo Brand
, Russell Brand
, Rob Brydon
, Jimmy Carr
, Jack Dee
, Omid Djalili
, Sean Lock
, Lee Mack
, Alexei Sayle
, Meera Syal
, Mark Thomas said in an open letter printed in The Times
newspaper of the Bahá'í leaders to be on trial in Iran: "In reality, their only “crime”, which the current regime finds intolerable, is that they hold a religious belief that is different from the majority…. we register our solidarity with all those in Iran who are being persecuted for promoting the best development of society …(and) with the governments, human rights organisations and people of goodwill throughout the world who have so far raised their voices calling for a fair trial, if not the complete release of the Baha’i leaders in Iran." Echoing the comments earlier in the month made by two hundred and sixty seven non-Bahá'í Iranian academics, writers, artists, journalists and activists from some 21 countries including Iran who signed an open letter of apology posted to Iranian.com
and stating they were "ashamed" and pledging their support in Bahá'ís achieving the rights detailed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
for the Bahá'ís in Iran. See Persecution of Bahá'ís
.
On 14 April 2009, a video was released on YouTube in which Mark officially endorsed the Green Party.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, presenter, political activist and reporter from south London. He first became known as a guest comic on the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
comedy show The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience was a British topical sketch comedy show produced by the BBC in association with Spitting Image Productions. It starred two comedy double acts - David Baddiel and Rob Newman, and also Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, all of whom had graduated from Cambridge University...
in the late 1980s. He is best known for political stunts on his show, The Mark Thomas Comedy Product
The Mark Thomas Comedy Product
The Mark Thomas Comedy Product was a television show fronted by the English comedian, presenter, political activist and reporter, Mark Thomas...
on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. Thomas describes himself as a "libertarian anarchist."
Biography
Mark Thomas was born in South LondonSouth London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. His mother was a midwife and his father a self employed builder (and ex lay preacher).
Thomas was educated at Macaulay Church of England Primary School, Victoria Rise, Clapham until 1974, where his party trick was to recite the first verses of the four gospels
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
from memory, and then the independent Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is an English coeducational independent day and boarding school with Royal Charter located in the Sussex countryside just south of Horsham in Horsham District, West Sussex, England...
School, where he attained O-levels
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
and A-levels. He went on to be awarded a degree in Theatre Arts at Bretton Hall College, just south of Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
.
Prior to his most renowned vehicle, The Mark Thomas Comedy Product, Thomas was the resident stand-up
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
comic on Saturday Zoo, a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
comedy series first screened in 1993. He also presented the highly successful BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
talk show Loose Talk and is also a founder member of the London Comedy Store
The Comedy Store, London
The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in Soho, London, England, opened in 1979 by Don Ward and Peter Rosengard.It was named after The Comedy Store club in the United States, which Rosengard had visited the previous year...
's hard hitting Cutting Edge show.
His political comedy show, The Mark Thomas Comedy Product (later re-named as simply The Mark Thomas Product, to reflect its increasing political agenda) on Channel 4 earned him criticism from politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s but was seen by critics as a crucial investigative tool. In one edition, Thomas investigated the practice of avoiding inheritance tax by declaring art, furniture, homes and land available for public viewing. Thomas showed how Nicholas Soames
Nicholas Soames
Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames MP , known as Nicholas Soames, is a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the constituency of Mid Sussex....
hid this fact from the public and at the same time avoided paying tax. After being pursued relentlessly by Thomas legitimately asking for permission to see his furniture, Soames eventually paid the tax, and Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, then Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, changed the law.
Leaving Channel 4 was a mutual decision, following a series of disputes over how far the channel would go in its broadcasting, one of which concerned the channel's reluctance to support actions concerning corporate accountability and corporate manslaughter laws — a cause he had campaigned for — which coincided with the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
's funeral. He declined to take part in a proposed Celebrity Guantanamo Bay 'reality TV' show.
Thomas has appeared at numerous comedy benefit nights, and is a well established stand-up comedian in the UK. He is the Chairman of the Ilısu Dam Campaign
Ilisu Dam Campaign
The Ilısu Dam Campaign is a UK based campaign working to stop the construction of the Ilısu Dam on the river Tigris in south east Turkey. The construction plans for the dam would lead to the flooding of about 300 square kilometers and would displace between 25,000 and 78,000 people, in the...
, a campaign which was successful in temporarily blocking the development of a large-scale hydroelectric dam in southeast Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
that campaigners claim will lead to the displacement
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
of up to 78,000 people, mostly Kurds, without adequate compensation or consultation, as well as to environmental and cultural destruction.
Recently, Thomas has been working with War on Want
War on Want
War on Want is an anti-poverty charity based in London, England. It seeks to highlight the needs of poverty-stricken areas around the world and lobbies governments and international agencies to tackle problems as well as raising public awareness of the concerns of developing nations while...
in India and investigating and filming alleged human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
(by, amongst others, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
) where trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s are targeted by militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
allegedly controlled by the government.
He wrote a regular column for the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
between 2001 and 2007.
The Parliamentary committee which oversees weapons exports, the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
Quadripartite Select Committee, commended him for his undercover work, which led to official warning letters being issued to a number of companies.
His work in this area is covered in As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade
Torture trade
In 2001, Amnesty International released the report "Stopping the Torture Trade." The term torture trade refers to the manufacture, marketing, and export of tools commonly used for torture, like restraints and high-voltage electro-shock weapons....
, a book chronicling his experiences undercover, his political activism and his projects designed to find and report loopholes in arms trading laws, which culminated in a controversial unbroadcast Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
article about the Hinduja brothers
Hinduja Group
The Hinduja Group is a conglomerate company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1914 by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, initially operating in Mumbai, India, and setting up its first international operation in Iran in 1919. The headquarters of the Group moved to Iran where it...
.
Whilst promoting this book on his latest tour, Thomas is also organising Mass Lone Demonstrations, in protest at the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
The Serious Organized Crime and Police Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom aimed primarily at creating the Serious Organised Crime Agency, it also significantly extended and simplified the powers of arrest of a constable and introduced restrictions on protests in the...
, which prevents any demonstrations around London's Parliament Square
Parliament Square
Parliament Square is a square outside the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It features a large open green area in the middle, with a group of trees to its west. It contains statues of famous statesmen and is the scene of rallies and protests, as well as being a tourist...
without prior police approval. The last event attracted over 100 'lone protesters' at the same time.
In 2006, he was added to the Guinness Book of Records for most demonstrations held on one day: 20 individual protests in 20 different locations. He actually performed 21 protests, but as the first and last took place at the same location, it was agreed that only 20 would count.
In 2008, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bradford, for services to peace and for his work as a comedian, political activist, presenter and investigative journalist, especially for his effective campaigning on the ethics of the arms trade. The University has a long-standing Department of Peace Studies.
In 2009, Mark launched the Huddersfield Policy postcard campaign, petitioning the Queen with protests against the prospect of a state funeral for Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
.
For his 'It's The Stupid Economy' UK tour in 2009, Mark played 55 shows over 14 weeks (between March and end July) and encouraged each audience to come up with their own policies (be it silly or serious) that will somehow make their lives better, forming a "People's Manifesto
The People's Manifesto
The People's Manifesto is a comedic and satirical political manifesto, based on an idea by the British satirist and political activist Mark Thomas, and created by his audiences. The manifesto is made up of policies suggested and voted for by members of the public who attended Thomas's stand-up...
". Each audience then got to vote on their favourite policy of that evening and the winning suggestion then formed part of his manifesto which he will then campaign for and attempt to actually make at least some of the suggestions become reality.
In April 2010, Thomas was awarded £1200 compensation for a search carried out by police in 2007. He had been unlawfully subject to a stop-and-search without adequate cause, after speaking at an anti-arms rally.
During 2010 Mark decided to go rambling in the Middle East and walked the entire length of the Israeli Separation Barrier
Israeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
, crossing between the Israeli and the Palestinian side. He is currently touring the UK with a show entitled "Walking The Wall" which recounts the story.
Television
- Friday Night Live, Channel 4 (1988)
- Saturday Zoo, Channel 4 (1993)
- Viva Cabaret, Channel 4 (1993)
- Denton, Channel 7 Australia (1994)
- Mark Thomas Comedy Product (later renamed The Mark Thomas Product), Channel 4 which ran for six series totalling 45 episodes (1996–2002)
- Dispatches: The Lie Of The Land, Channel 4 (1998)
- Thomas Country, Channel 4 (1999)
- The Immigration and Asylum Bill, Channel 4 (2000)
- Secret Map of Britain, Channel 4 (2002)
- Dispatches: Mark Thomas — Weapons Inspector, Channel 4 (2003)
- Dispatches: Mark Thomas — Debt Collector, Channel 4 (2003)
- Dispatches: After School Arms Club, Channel 4 (2006)
- Dispatches: Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola, Channel 4 (2007)
Radio
- The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Radio 1 (1989)
- The Mix, Radio 5 (1990)
- Sleeping with the NME, Radio 5 (1991)
- Loose Talk, Radio 1 (1991–1992)
- Booked!, Radio 4 (1995–1998)
- Celluloid Psychiatrists, Radio 4 (2000)
- Left Bank of the Mind, Radio 4 (2001)
- Mark Thomas Presents…, Radio 4 (2005) (shows on Stan FrebergStan FrebergStanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
, the Firesign Theatre, Shelley BermanShelley BermanSheldon "Shelley" Berman is an American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, lecturer, and poet.- Early life :Berman was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Irene and Nathan Berman.- Career :...
and Mort SahlMort SahlMorton Lyon "Mort" Sahl is a Canadian-born American comedian and actor. He occasionally wrote jokes for speeches delivered by President John F. Kennedy. He was the first comedian to record a live album and the first to perform on college campuses...
) - Chain Reaction, Radio 4 (2006)
- My Life in Serious Organised Crime, Radio 4 (2007)
- Ramblings, Radio 4 (2008) (walking The RidgewayThe Ridgewaythumb|right|thumb|The ancient tree-lined path winds over the downs countrysideThe Ridgeway is a ridgeway or ancient trackway described as Britain's oldest road...
track in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire) - Mark Thomas: The Manifesto Radio 4 (2009–2011)
Discography
- Sex, Filth and Religion (video) (1995)
- Live (1998)
- Dambusters (2001)
- The Night War Broke Out (2004)
- Mark Thomas Comedy Show (http://www.undercurrents.org/markthomas[DVD)] (2005)
- Mark Thomas:Serious Organised Criminal (DVD) (2007)
Live tours
- As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela... (2006)
- Serious Organised Criminal (2007)
- Belching Out The Devil (2008)
- It's the Stupid Economy(2009)
- Extreme Rambling – Walking the Wall (2011)
Other live shows
- Mark Thomas: Metrix Consortium at The Open University (9 September 2008) http://www.mkbuddhism.org.uk/downloads/MarkThomasOU20080909.mp3
Awards
- Time Out Comedy Award (1990)
- Perrier Comedy Award nominee (1992)
In addition to being recognised for his comedy career, Mark Thomas has been awarded various citations for his political campaigning, including:
- Kurdish National Congress Medal of Honour (2002)
- International Service Award for the Global Defence of Human Rights (2004)
- MediActivist Awards http://www.undercurrents.org/beyondtv/misty.htm(MISTY) (2005)
- Guinness World Record Holder for Most Number of Political Demonstrations in 24 Hours
He was also made an honorary Doctor of Letters
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
by the University of Bradford
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a British university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The University received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th University to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 1800s...
on the 3 December 2008, in recognition of his peace campaigning and services to comedy.
Politics
- In his 4 March 2002 New Statesman column, Mark placed a bountyBounty (reward)A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
on the head of US President George Bush to the value of £4,320 (his total earnings writing for the magazine to that point). - Despite playing a prank on him on the first episode of The Mark Thomas Comedy ProductThe Mark Thomas Comedy ProductThe Mark Thomas Comedy Product was a television show fronted by the English comedian, presenter, political activist and reporter, Mark Thomas...
he appeared on a platform with controversial left-wing MP George GallowayGeorge GallowayGeorge Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
in the "Troops out, no TridentTrident missileThe Trident missile is a submarine-launched ballistic missile equipped with multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles . The Fleet Ballistic Missile is armed with nuclear warheads and is launched from nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines . Trident missiles are carried by fourteen...
" demonstration on the 24 February 2007.
In February 2009 British entertainers David Baddiel
David Baddiel
David Lionel Baddiel is an English comedian, novelist and television presenter.-Early life:Baddiel was born in New York, and moved to England when he was four months old. His father, Colin Brian Baddiel, was a Welsh research chemist with Unilever before being made redundant in the 1980s, after...
, Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his appearances on Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI.Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in...
, Morwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
, Sanjeev Bhaskar
Sanjeev Bhaskar
Sanjeev Bhaskar, OBE is a British Indian comedian, actor and broadcaster, best known for his work in the BBC Two comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and as host of The Kumars at No. 42...
, Jo Brand
Jo Brand
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
, Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
, Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
, Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr
James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television....
, Jack Dee
Jack Dee
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
, Omid Djalili
Omid Djalili
Omid Djalili is a British Iranian stand-up comedian, actor, television producer and writer.-Personal life:Djalili was born in Chelsea, London to Iranian Bahá'í parents and is a Bahá'í himself...
, Sean Lock
Sean Lock
Sean Lock is an English comedian and actor. He began his comedy career as a stand-up comedian. He won the British Comedy Award in 2000 in the category of Best Live Comic, and was nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award. He is also well known for his appearances on television and radio...
, Lee Mack
Lee Mack
Lee Gordon McKillop is an English stand-up comedian and actor, known by the stage name Lee Mack. He is well known in the United Kingdom for writing and starring in the sitcom Not Going Out, for being a team captain on Would I Lie to You? and for hosting Lee Mack's All Star Cast.-Personal life:Mack...
, Alexei Sayle
Alexei Sayle
Alexei David Sayle is a British stand-up comedian, actor and author. He was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit in the early 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-ups in 2007...
, Meera Syal
Meera Syal
Meera Syal MBE is a British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No...
, Mark Thomas said in an open letter printed in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper of the Bahá'í leaders to be on trial in Iran: "In reality, their only “crime”, which the current regime finds intolerable, is that they hold a religious belief that is different from the majority…. we register our solidarity with all those in Iran who are being persecuted for promoting the best development of society …(and) with the governments, human rights organisations and people of goodwill throughout the world who have so far raised their voices calling for a fair trial, if not the complete release of the Baha’i leaders in Iran." Echoing the comments earlier in the month made by two hundred and sixty seven non-Bahá'í Iranian academics, writers, artists, journalists and activists from some 21 countries including Iran who signed an open letter of apology posted to Iranian.com
Iranian.com
Iranian.com, also known as The Iranian and The Iranian Times, is an online English language magazine.Founded in July 1995 by entrepreneur/journalist Jahanshah Javid, Iranian.com has the largest online following among Iranians residing in North America, with about 68,000 visitors per month-Awards...
and stating they were "ashamed" and pledging their support in Bahá'ís achieving the rights detailed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
for the Bahá'ís in Iran. See Persecution of Bahá'ís
Persecution of Bahá'ís
The persecution of Bahá'ís is the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world...
.
On 14 April 2009, a video was released on YouTube in which Mark officially endorsed the Green Party.
See also
- Ilısu Dam CampaignIlisu Dam CampaignThe Ilısu Dam Campaign is a UK based campaign working to stop the construction of the Ilısu Dam on the river Tigris in south east Turkey. The construction plans for the dam would lead to the flooding of about 300 square kilometers and would displace between 25,000 and 78,000 people, in the...
- Robert Newman
- Southeastern Anatolia ProjectSoutheastern Anatolia ProjectThe Southeastern Anatolia Project is a multi-sector integrated regional development project based on the concept of sustainable development for the 9 million people living in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey...
- Corporate crimeCorporate crimeIn criminology, corporate crime refers to crimes committed either by a corporation , or by individuals acting on behalf of a corporation or other business entity...
- Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005The Serious Organized Crime and Police Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom aimed primarily at creating the Serious Organised Crime Agency, it also significantly extended and simplified the powers of arrest of a constable and introduced restrictions on protests in the...
(see "Protests near ParliamentPalace of WestminsterThe Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
" section)
External links
- Official website
- Mark Thomas: Taking comedy seriously — BBC profile
- the unofficially official reading list of the officially unofficial Mark Thomas mailing list (list)
- Mark Thomas: method and madness of a TV comic — interview in the UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
publication The New Courier - Mark Thomas interviewed about As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela
- Mark Thomas Alive: An online video about COKE.
- Old Blue Mark Thomas publishes his first book, As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade
- Mark Thomas interview
- My life in serious organised crime - Radio satire about demonstrating in Parliament Square.