Penny made a comment about whether Starkey has a home in the US, insinuating he may have questions to answer about tax avoidance, to which the always outspoken historian responded.



“I think that is as mean and grasping as some runt comedian and will not be lectured to by a public schoolgirl like you,” Starkey countered, having leapt to his feet and to the podium in front of him to make his point. 



Turning and advancing on Penny, he continued: “I will not be lectured to by a public school girl like you, I came from the bottom and will not have it.” 



Penny described Starkey as a racist before continuing in her column in the Independent today, describing Starkey as 'Bigotaurus Ridiculous', and saying: "Like the ancient lizards, Starkey and his kind are perilously ill-adapted to the modern world – but they have yet to be consigned to history where they belong."

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