Diane Abbott

[daisya]

http://www.politics.c...ter-white-people-jibe

Would be interested to hear what people have to say about this one.

[ichkeria]

I don't think Diane Abbott would claim that well-dressed, comparatively affluent black ladies like herself have problems picking up cabs ...

[Ankou]

maybe not, but in the press it doesn't matter.

http://www.london-taxi.co.uk/taxi/prat.htm

[Ankou]

jno, surely a pole asking 'was her comment racist' might have been more revealing.

[anotheoldgit]

/// you mean the white media machine, Ankoou. ///

Careful jno, that remark is verging on a racist remark.

[sp1814]

Isn't it great that throughout all those who post on AB, there's only two who you could arguably call racist!

Just shows how far we've come as a nation.

One just has to wonder whether the next couple of generations will throw up (carefully chosen words) the same number of bigots to replace the ones that will be dying off in the next few years.

Fingers crossed eh?

[cathfromsaron]

out! out! out!

[emmie]

racism goes across the classes, colours, one hopes that in the future it won't be part of life in Britain, but don't count on it.

[sp1814]

em10

I only hope that the next time a white MP/celebrity/Jeremy Clarkson says something racist, those who have been calling for Ms Abbott to be sacked are as vocal in their condemnation.

Doubtful.

[emmie]

sp no one has asked for her to be sacked, i couldn't care less, but she does have a habit of putting her foot in it, and racism is a two way street, you can't make comments as she has, not just this time, but endless comments, without someone noticing

[flip_flop]

The Jeremy Clarkson argument is somewhat specious - making lighthearted comments about national stereotypes (Germans humourless, Mexicans lazy) is most definitely not the same as Diane Abbott's sweeping generalisation about a whole race.

[ludwig]

Interesting article about how to apologise without apologising. Thought I'd share it.

http://www.telegraph....ally-apologising.html

[jno]

"sp no one has asked for her to be sacked"

Er, not exactly. Tories did. But I'm not sure political opponents count.

This does raise issues about Twitter etiquette. The space allowed is so limited that any tweet will almost certainly be abbreviated and taken out of context; so it may be pointless to take offence over it.

[Khandro]

Having found myself championing her - moi ?!! I looked at the YouTube bit where she gets a merciless grilling from Andrew Neil on the subject of her claims for taxis and other things, and I must admit she looks very shaky. If I am to continue acting in her defence, I can only say that it would be interesting to see A.Neil's expenses from the BBC, which is also public money, and, though we all get entertainment out of YouTube, it is a pretty merciless way of assessing somebody, i.e. by taking a small fragment of someone in public life when at their most vulnerable, and making it so public. I shudder to think of it happening to me!

[naomi24]

Whatever Andrew Neil's expense claims are, two wrongs don't make a right.

[emmie]

jno not quite correct

The moment Miliband phoned race row MP Diane Abbott to say: apologise or I'll sack you

Abbott walks off mid-interview to take phone call in which she received 'severe dressing down from Ed Miliband'
Shadow minister claims comments were 'taken out of context' and remains defiant until Labour leader steps in - only then does she delete the tweet

[emmie]

as to Andrew Neil, he is not in politics, doesn't make these kind of comments, as far as i know, and one would expect our political leaders and members of the opposition to be a bit more guarded in their views.

[Khandro]

//as to Andrew Neil, he is not in politics// !

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Isn't it great that throughout all those who post on AB, there's only two who you could arguably call racist! ///

/// One just has to wonder whether the next couple of generations will throw up (carefully chosen words) the same number of bigots to replace the ones that will be dying off in the next few years. ///

/// Fingers crossed eh? ///

I find this post of yours to be both offensive, ageist, and before you cross your fingers that we will die off in the next few years, just consider you yourself could go before us, nothing is certain in life except we all go sometime.

It is obvious from some of your past posts that I must be one of the two racists that you are referring to.

I must tell you now that I am getting rather fed-up with your cowardly accusations of racism, I say cowardly because you are not man enough or brave enough to put names to the 2 ABers you accuse of racism.

I will ask you now to provide the proof that I or anyone else on this site is a racist, but then it is obvious that none are or the ED would have long ago intervened and banned them from the site long ago.

So either put up or shut up.

[anotheoldgit]

I thought this all so amusing.

http://www.metro.co.u...ribute-to-bob-holness

[emmie]

Khandro, he doesn't sit in the commons, is not an elected MP, a political commentator, or editor of a paper, forget which hat he wears now.