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Odd isn't it, we want our politicians to be Humans like us, but skewer them when they have a brain fade (like y'know, humans)
Not really. I work in a job where analytical work and insight is probably the most important thing and have, occasionally, ballsed stuff up and even more occasionally been called out on it. If it's my job to own figures and get things right, and I don't, then I expect to be 'skewered' appropriately. If it started to happen on a regular basis I would have a look at myself and ask if I am going about things the right way, or perhaps (in extremis) question my ability in the job.
It's not about hypocritical Puritanism, it's about expecting someone who aspires to one of the highest offices of state not to be a mathematical dunce. Also, to not try to brazen it out and assert that their own credibility hasn't been affected. Credibility is very much in the eye of the beholder and digging yourself in deeper trying to patronise the electorate deserves ridicule.
It's not restricted to Labour, though, Amber Rudd is also a laughing stock and way out of her depth as well.
This is plain for most to see. We're not talking about it much.
Look, I also think Abbott has been a liability for labour under Corbyn (forgetting how much of a liability the man himself is). I often wonder if she's actually not well mentally - she used to be quite good on this week and I don't remember her suffering the same kind of brain fades when she was younger. Mind you, perhaps she hasn't been in such prominent positions where she has to perform under pressure and has to be able to recall facts and figures "on the spot". Early on in the Corbyn era, her performances on QT were awful.
As long as she's there, she'll remain a popular figure for attack - and there are sinister as well as legitimate reasons for this. I think she'd do herself and her constituents a big favour by stepping down and going back to activism, being an MP and winding up middle aged white men.
Abbot & Corbyn are many times better than Timmy shouty shouty Farron (Timmaayyy). 😆
Also who has voted "Elton John" to be Labour Deputy? 😯
As long as she's there, she'll remain a popular figure for attack - and there are sinister as well as legitimate reasons for this. I think she'd do herself and her constituents a big favour by stepping down and going back to activism, being an MP and winding up middle aged white men.
Agree 100% with all of that. She shouldn't be there giving the Tories the ammo. Sadly the calibre of political discourse does seem to be erring towards just hoping the oppo make a bigger cock-up than you just have.
"she used to be quite good on this week"
I thought so too, perfectly capable.
She was dreadful on R4 this morning and got torn apart on the numbers then. I've had brain fade in presentations when I thought the case I was making was flawed. I suspect this was the same, she's well aware their numbers don't add up to a laughable degree and panic induced brainfade during interviews is not an unreasonable consequence.
Mind you, a decent political performer should be better and she's never been a minister and last time she held a serious Shadow role she was sacked after a couple of years so the Labour Party seems to have been pretty aware in the past that she wasn't up to it.
In my view brain fade during am interview is forgivable - but on R4 she just couldn't explain where the cash was coming from, that really was unforgivable.
This always asking Labour politicians in interviews about how much their policies are going to cost..
Exactly so hardly should have come as a surprise and she should have been prepared. As Dannyh says above if you did that poor performance in meetings at work your boss would be having serious words. Myself and colleagues spend a lot of time prepping for meetings and making sure we know the answers in advance. Why someone who wants to be at the top table in the country can't be bothered to do the same is going to get noticed and not in a good way.
Her and Corbyn's response after the event is so arrogant it's untrue. Fess up and move on, don't be a dick about it.
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Meanwhile:
The Tories dropped by 10 points in the polls in the first week of the campaign.
Probably more deserving of being the lead story on the ITN news wouldn't you think? It's almost as if there's some kind of agenda.
That is bad, but lets not pretend the tories are any more competent, hardly heard one mention a policy yet, it'll be in the manifesto. repeat....
I think it's fairly obvious we are run by clueless programmable(eventually) bots on all sides.
Quicker we do away with this form of democracy the better is the conclusion i'm coming to. It's just turning into vandalism. Party politics hums of shite.
I'd still rather have Abbott in charge than May and her cronies.
Really? I'd rather pretty much anyone in charge over Abbot she's awful.
She might come over a bit useless but I doubt she's as much of a ****.
Now that is news. 😆molgrips - Member
I'd still rather have Abbott in charge than May and her cronies.
The PM role is not hers she is just the supporting act ... 😆molgrips - Member
She might come over a bit useless but I doubt she's as much of a ***
Let's just get one thing sorted out here. The nasty Tories are in charge of taking us out of Europe because we were too Stupid to Vote remain. End of. They are not dragging us out against our will. Brexit will take as long as it takes. There will be no hard or soft Brexit, it will just be Brexit. There is no tried or tested method for this process. It has never been done before.
The PM role is not hers she is just the supporting act
Yes, I know.
They are not dragging us out against our will.
No, but they are pursuing a harder brexit than would seem reasonable or decent, given the way the vote went.
But aside from Brexit, they are spreading pain, suffering and heartache all over the place. Nasty indeed.
I'd still rather have Abbott in charge than May and her cronies
😯
What's more important? A bumbling good person or an efficient bastard?
I'm afraid bumbling good people are pretty useless in real life, especially when it comes to making the big, hard decisions.
But, I'm not even convinced Abbot is a bumbling good person. Bigoted, hypocrite more like it.
What I don't get in general about Labour's announcement is that they're talking about not cutting a tax, then using that money, aren't they?
That's not extra money, though. That's like me saying I've decided not to buy a £1m yacht, so I've now got £1m to spend on something else.
Or have I completely misunderstood?
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/p>
Um, yes they did. Multiple newspapers and media outlets reported the control freakery of May's Cornwall visit, and the MP's daft comments were on a TV news programme.
Abbot is a liability and no party she is prominent in will ever get mass support.
Its probably going to take five years to get a functioning Progressive vs Conservative system running.
Until then it'll be rich folk taking advantage of the lack of opposition to line their pockets.
DA is a racist and hypocritical moron and May must be rubbing her hands with glee.
What I don't get in general about Labour's announcement is that they're talking about not cutting a tax, then using that money, aren't they?That's not extra money, though. That's like me saying I've decided not to buy a £1m yacht, so I've now got £1m to spend on something else.
George Osborne reduced capital gains tax in the 2016 budget. I think DA is talking about putting it back up again.
In the last few budgets though, Osborne has been also got rid of the 10% tax credit on dividends, so overall, I think DA's change would be a net increase in taxation (wild guess though).
Perhaps someone who knows could say.
Or have I completely misunderstood?
When I started writing this post I thought you had, but now I'm not so sure!
A bumbling good person or an efficient bastard?
Do we have that chojce? Who is the efficient one?
DA is a racist and hypocritical moron
Bit of a stupid thing to say. DA has been battling racists her whole life - hardly a surprise if she makes an exasperated comment once in a while.
ask any copper if they will be voting for theresa may
Here's one.
I vote Labour. I intend to vote Labour again. However, Diane Abbott is an idiot. How on earth she's lasted this long is beyond me.
However, one idiot potentially in a government is better than our current government which lacks basic humanity and compassion, pursues a totally failed austerity agenda as a front for privatisation and fundamentally lacks the capacity to manage the economy in general.
I also think the vast majority of the current ministers in government are pretty dim...
Isn't this the perfect opportunity for corbyn to show he has got some backbone and get rid of her,but no he just wanders around in his demob suit defending this laughable mp.
[b]DrJ[/b]
Ignoring the fact that she's been an MP since Thatcher so is unlikely to have a real idea of what a typical person sees as racism, she can be racist even though she's black. It seems you agree with the hypocritical part i.e. the way she happily sent her children to independent school having publicly criticised others. Gove of course, is a Tory Education minister who sends his children to state school and good for him. She publically called for expenses enquiries for Tory MPs but she spent nearly £150,000 on expenses in 2009 including £1,200 on taxis!
In case you weren't aware, there's no such thing as reverse racism, just racism and it's as abhorrent if its an exasperated comment from an ignorant black woman or ingrained in a white skinhead.
"tactics as old as colonialism"
"West Indian Mums will go to the wall for their children"
"white people love playing divide and rule"
If you see her comments as nothing more than exasperation then I pity you. Can white people be racist out of exasperation or would you pull them up on it?
She is a bigot, racist, hypocrite and embarrassment to public servants.
I thought John MacDonnel's interview on R4 this morning was superb. (In terms of style and delivery.) He's head and shoulders above Corbyn and in a totally different league to Abbot.
Can someone confirm if Abbot ever said "All white people are racist.". I thought she had but Google doesn't confirm it.
She is a bigot, racist, hypocrite and embarrassment to public servants.
+1.
I don't get how she is allowed to be such a hypocrite.
She can from an immigrant working class background. However, she had the advantage of a Grammar School education, which would of been key to getting her place at Cambridge.
She now wants to take the opportunity of Grammar schools away and criticises people who deliberately select schools for their children.
She then goes a step further and sends her son to a private school.
She then put her son on the radio to deflect the shit and explain it was his idea!
Then people claim it's a right wing media basis and racism that leads to any criticism.
She is a Tory dream.
Can someone confirm if Abbot ever said "All white people are racist."
I thought it was the British invented racism and all black people are routinely subject to racism?
This is the only reference I can find:
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From here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16423278
She got a mauling on good morning Britain as well. Absolutely hopeless. It's yes or no Diane!
I wouldn't be that unprepared if I was making a power point presentation to my boss, and I'm pretty lazy.
yet they are shown again and again to reduce opportunities for poorer kids comapred to richer onesShe now wants to take the opportunity of Grammar schools away
yeah shes a hipocrite for sending her own kid private, would we all do the same?
"white people love playing divide and rule"
yes this is racist, even though must have seemed that way from the west indies
"West Indian Mums will go to the wall for their children"
getting there, applies to all mums im sure
tactics as old as colonialism
??
shes hardly in farage's league though !
the fact that she made it to cambridge is remarkable considering stats like these
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39787690
yes this is racist, even though...
So Kimbers, what sentence ever ended well with, "I'm not racist but..." or "this is racist, even though..."
You say that her comment regarding mothers applies to all mothers but by using the idea of the exception proving the rule, by saying that WI mothers would go to the wall for their children, she is suggesting that other mothers wouldn't. If someone had been criticising her and said, "well, white mothers go to the wall for their children.", do you think she wouldn't have leveraged this in every way possible.
Abbot, Corbyn and a few other leading Labour people are the main reason for May's success. The sooner Abbott is ****ed away off, the better the party will be.
Like a bad scene from Dragons Den when you are squirming on the sofa!!
Can someone confirm if Abbot ever said "All white people are racist.". I thought she had but Google doesn't confirm it.
@outofbreath I have no idea but if she had she'd have the right for it to be "forgotten" in Google search results. If you look on Google results now there is a disclaimer saying certain results may have been removed
There are good reasons Abbott was relegated to being a back bench MP. Like Corbyn she has a pension worth £1.6m and growing ... that's democracy, her constituents vote her in
Criticise her for lots of things, but criticising her for earning what the job pays is a bit daft.
Especially as on the other side, you've got May passing a bill allowing her husband to buy up child welfare services at an even greater rate.
I like Corbyn but he went down a bit in my estimation after Abbott's interview when he said he wasn't embarrassed by it. He could have acknowledged it was obviously a poor showing but it didn't reflect the true blah blah blah, but just insisting it was fine was just more politician BS while flying in the face of the evidence.
She's not only a Tory dream, she's a racist's dream as well.
Especially as on the other side, you've got May passing a bill allowing her husband to buy up child welfare services at an even greater rate.
Happy to stand corrected but how so? Her husband doesn't seem to own or control (as a director) any companies - so what is he buying and how?
His job appears to be a relationship manager in the pensions division of an investment company. If he had any material / pecuniary interest in the investments that would have to be declared on Theresa May's entry on the register of interests (as all ministers have to list the full interests above £1.5K (I think - tbc) as well as directorships, dividends etc etc of all partners and close family members).
So where is the information on him buying, owning or selling companies?
https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/170502/may_theresa.htm
Sorry, I thought he was a G4S shareholder.
It seems it's an internet myth unfortunately repeated so many times that it's hard to google for it.
Apologies.
You say that her comment regarding mothers applies to all mothers but by using the idea of the exception proving the rule, by saying that WI mothers would go to the wall for their children, she is suggesting that other mothers wouldn't.
Not really. Suppose someone said "Jewish parents make great sacrifices for their kids". or "Vietnamese parents make sure their kids get the best start they can - would they face this criticism? I don't think so. I wonder why not?
If someone had been criticising her and said, "well, white mothers go to the wall for their children.", do you think she wouldn't have leveraged this in every way possible.
No idea - my crystal ball for predicting what will happen in made-up scenarios is less powerful than yours.
She publically called for expenses enquiries for Tory MPs but she spent nearly £150,000 on expenses in 2009 including £1,200 on taxis!
You are going to a lot of trouble to make stuff look bad about DA. Why?
* Both MPs ranked mid-table for total claims compared to London’s 72 MPs. Meg Hillier was 31st and Diane Abbott, 44th.* Combined spending by both MPs has risen by 22 per cent since 2011, this outstripped the London average of 18 per cent.
* Both MPs spent considerably less than the London average on office costs as neither has a constituency office.
* Ms Abbott’s travel costs were low as she uses her Freedom Pass to travel around the borough.
Our investigation found no evidence among local MPs of the sorts of claims that caused the expenses scandal in 2009.
In fact both have a good record of transparency, with expenses fully logged and simple for the casual observer to understand.
Busy caseloads
Trends in our data, compiled using tens of thousands of records from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), revealed Hackney’s MPs spent slightly above average on staffing and payroll costs, which was by far the largest chunk of expenses claimed by all London MPs.
Ms Hillier claimed £567,961, nine per cent above average for a London MP, and Ms Abbott £524,916, one per cent above. Both said this was due to busy caseloads in their inner London constituencies.
I think that with regard to "Jewish mothers.." in the same context, they would have rightfully been called to account for it. Not by the ever anti-semitic Labour leadership of course but by others. She used the phrase when asked why she was sending her children to an independent school having been such an outspoken critic of a two-tiered system. Her defence was that she was WestIndian and that WI mothers do everything they can for their children. A very racist statement. Surely you aren't denying that.
I spent 30 seconds on google as opposed to "a lot of effort" making Abbot look bad. It doesn't take effort to make her look bad. She does it herself. She, along with Corbyn and a couple of others, are a Con leader's wet dream. Just give her enough rope (or let her speak in public) and she'll win the election for the Tories.
Is it safe to assume that as you picked 50% of my quotes to refute, the other half were irrefutable so you let them stand.
What do you think about her "white people love..." comment? Simply exasperation and not real racism?
She now wants to take the opportunity of Grammar schools away
yet they are shown again and again to reduce opportunities for poorer kids comapred to richer ones
yeah shes a hipocrite for sending her own kid private, would we all do the same?
I would send my son to a Grammar or private school if I could. It doesnt make me a hypocrite. It means the best thing for my son, given the current system may not be the best thing for the country. You can work within the current system whilst still wishing it was different..dont see how this is hard to understand tbh.
Grammars are a not a solution to the problem Tories are putting forward as the reason for expanding them but then I expect they and most of their electorate know this.
Abbot is an idiot though.
I don't think she's an idiot - I just don't think she's great at thinking on her feet.
I've enjoyed the few articles I've read of hers in the Guardian.
I might try and read some more. Full list here:
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/dianeabbott
Is it safe to assume that as you picked 50% of my quotes to refute, the other half were irrefutable so you let them stand.
That assumption is as erroneous as the rest of your diatribe.
If you had spent a bit more than 30 seconds googling you'd have found that your accusation about expenses is completely misguided. What do you imagine is implied by saying that "Jewish mothers want the best for their kids"? - it's not remotely anti-Semitic - quite the opposite.
She is a bigot, racist, hypocrite and embarrassment to public servants.
Not really, but you are becoming an embarrassment to yourself on this topic.
WI mothers would go to the wall for their children, she is suggesting that other mothers wouldn't.
Bobbins, she's using her ethnicity as an excuse, which is weak and a shitty thing to do, but it's not racist
Piccaninies and Watermelon smiles, now thats proper racist....
Loving Jambafact #728 'can't find any proof DA said racist stuff, so she must've had it deleted by google' 🙄
Um, yes they did. Multiple newspapers and media outlets reported the control freakery of May's Cornwall visit, and the MP's daft comments were on a TV news programme.
Abbot's interview was a newsworthy car crash, I'm sure we all agree. But does it really deserve so much more prominence than the incumbent Prime Minister's extraordinary efforts to entirely exclude the public and the press from her campaign?
husband to buy up child welfare service
May's husband is in fund sales, he doesn't buy-up anything.
I don't think she's an idiot - I just don't think she's great at thinking on her feet.
I've enjoyed the few articles I've read of hers in the Guardian.
Having an answer to a basic and pedictable question given it was the subject of the interview isn't thinking on your feet.
Maybe she didn't write them ?
But does it really deserve so much more prominence than the incumbent Prime Minister's extraordinary efforts to entirely exclude the public and the press from her campaign?
We both know the answer to that one I suspect. 🙂 Can you imagine if Corbyn was running a campaign in this fashion? It's laughable (well, if not at such a serious time for the country, it would). Speaking of which, did you catch any of the footage of May being booed out of Bris yesterday evening>? 😆
For a bit of balance, if not strictly speaking a car crash interview:
All he had to do was stand in respectful silence.
Sorry, I thought he was a G4S shareholder.
It seems it's an internet myth unfortunately repeated so many times that it's hard to google for it.
Apologies.
Respect to you for this.
I've previously fallen for that one too. It seemed so believable. Classic example of confirmation bias.
Yes, and that level of lie-spreading isn't even needed with so much else going on.grum - MemberI've previously fallen for that one too. It seemed so believable. Classic example of confirmation bias.
I've enjoyed the few articles I've read of hers in the Guardian.
Can we be sure she writes them all by herself?
"Can we be sure she writes them all by herself?"
Do we have any evidence she didn't? She went to Cambridge, she was reasonably articulate on This Week. It seems perfectly credible that she could write a Guardian article or two.
She's deffo not capable of a Shadow role as evidenced by Milliband's lightening quick sacking of her, but she was a reasonable commentator.
I have no evidence you wrote that yourself so i am going to assume someone else did . Like you I dont feel any need to offer evidence to support this claim
Why the **** do people think Diane Abbott can't write an article by herself?
FFS she read History at Cambridge under Simon Schama.
She might on occasion be shit at interviews and stick her foot in her mouth but I think we can all give her the benfit of the doubt on being able to write an article.
Why the **** do people think Diane Abbott can't write an article by herself?
FFS she read History at Cambridge under Simon Schama.
She obviously didn't read any briefing notes prior to the interview, one imagines she prepared for her exams rather better.
under Simon Schama.
She gets about, doesn't she? 😆
I always thought he was on the other bus but apparently not. One of the campest straight men out there IMO.
But come on, would you, though?
I know I would 
Emily Thornberry for me. In the back of a white van, obviously. 😆
[quote=jambalaya ]
Why the **** do people think Diane Abbott can't write an article by herself?
FFS she read History at Cambridge under Simon Schama.
She obviously didn't read any briefing notes prior to the interview, one imagines she prepared for her exams rather better.
Presumably she also read her questions better than you and answered them rather than another thing all together
How is that meant to answer the question?It does not even mention her writing nor talk about it
Still cannot tell if intentional or not
She's sharper than that, time of the month can be the only explanation, it happens, even to men.
Why the **** do people think Diane Abbott can't write an article by herself?
Ahhahahahaha have you seen her on TV? Yes? That's why!
what's not to like about DA? that she doesn't know her brief? appearing incompetent? or the overpriviliged, patronising tone of voice?
mitsumonkey - MemberWhy the **** do people think Diane Abbott can't write an article by herself?
Ahhahahahaha have you seen her on TV? Yes? That's why!
Writing an article is not the same as being on TV
Diane for Countdown 🙂
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I think as above Diane Abott used her background somewhat shamelessly to defend herself over sending her son to private school, however....
It is interesting that two major figures of hatred/ridicule for the Tory/UKIP Leave-supporters (Diane Abbott and Gina Miller) happen to be women who aren't white.
No surprise at all grum. I've said before, DA doesn't do herself any favours, but the sheer vitriol directed at her from many of our usual suspects has pretty uncomfortable undertones.
@TheGinaMiller (who does PR, I think, for Dallas FC) sometimes posts the vitriol she gets from random right wing nut jobs who are too thick (surprise, surprise) to realise she's not the focus of their hatred.
She's back!
Itv interview
Interviewer "Do you know the net number of losses?"
DA- "At the time of us doing this interview, I think the net losses are about 50"
I "Er, there are actually 125 net losses so far"
DA "Well, the last time I looked, we had net losses of 100"
Can someone please give her some media/interview training?
I think Diane Abbott is a secret Tory sleeper because she must be helping their vote more than any of their own people.
Hasn't she got funny hair too flashy? Hawhaw.
I don't know. Has she? Seems perfectly normal to me.
Her ability to know her brief in interviews, however, is pretty piss poor.
"Hasn't she got funny hair too flashy?"
In what way?
DA has set herself up for lots of "how many..." questions forever more. Just say I dont know FFS.