Melanie Phillips

The reactionary rightwing pseudoscience writer who in the past two weeks has penned ignorant columns on MMR and the Paris riots. She got into a beef with Dr Ben Goldacre, the guardian's rational writer on 'bad science' about the MMR vaccine. Dr Andrew Wakefield was a maverick discredited doctor who disclosed his 'miniscule' study on the links between MMr and autism in a daily newspaper in 2001. Following peer review studies by several doctors, world authorities on autism, no link has been established. This hasn't stopped the likes of Phillips from writing articles questioning MMR vaccine safety. Responsible journalism?
It comes as no surprise that in this country, hardly a week goes by when we don't collective national hysteria. Recent examples have included: bullying, drinking, MRSA etc.
It is the tabloids that whip up this hysteria, resulting in the declining numbers of children whose parents refuse to vaccinate their kids against measles, mumps and rubella.
Perhaps people need to be reminded of the dangers of these diseases to children before they opt out of vaccination.

Another example of Phillips' flawed analysis was during the Paris riots. She claimed that islamists were behind the uprising in the hood. Several authorities in France have concluded that the riots were a result of the failure of the republic to give ethnic minorities opportunities at work,housing etc. This did not stop Phillips writing about islamists allegedly encouraging youths to riot. The again, why let facts get in the way ...........