After she found herself involved in a traffic stop in north London - where the excuses advanced by the Metropolitan Police did not stand up to even cursory analysis - Labour MP Dawn Butler was subjected to the usual hail of racist abuse, with mainly white people calling “racist” and “race baiter” on her, as well as telling her she was “stupid”, “dirty”. “a disgrace”, and that for some unspecified reason she should be sacked.
Dawn Butler
Ms Butler
has summarised some of the unpleasantness coming her way, and she does not need to look far: a cursory Twitter search shows that there is a serious amount of vicious racism regularly directed not only at her, but also at David Lammy and Diane Abbott. What is also evident is that right-wing pundits, in trying to make capital out of the situation, are making matters worse. Like the
Daily Mail’s Andrew Pierce.
Norman Brennan
He wants Ms Butler to apologise for a car having tinted windows, because the cops can’t see who’s driving. But the front screen can’t be tinted. He’s just making malicious mischief. As is Leave EU, claiming erroneously that Ms Butler is “
stoking racial tension”. There is, though, no mere mischief about the intervention of Norman Brennan.
Who he? Brennan is a retired Police Officer; he served for 31 years. What makes his presence notable is that he is given a platform by media outlets like Murdoch property TalkRADIO, where hosts like dribbling bigot Mike Graham egg him on. One look at Brennan’s patronising and racist output tells you why this may not be A Good Thing.
“
Dawn Butler has refused to go head to head with me so I can challenge her bigoted narrative I even offered to bring along some lippy & harmony hair spray so she could look her best for cameras but she wouldn’t have it she prefers ro [sic] spout off her vile bile Unchallenged … The time has come for all of US to unite behind MET Police & Britain’s Police Service; We need to stand up to the [Dawn Butler]’s [David Lammy] & [Diane Abbott]’s of this World they are Nothing but Police Baiters Haters & Vile BIGOTS & GRANDSTANDERS!” Note his anger is aimed at three MPs who happen to be black.
And there is more. "
I Publicly Accuse one [Dawn Butler] of SLANDERING & LIBELLING the [Met Police] As a Citizen & Taxpayer & Supporter of the [Met Police] & as such on their Behalf I ‘DEMAND’ a ‘Public Apology’ PLUS I state PUBLICLY she has brought the House of Commons into Disrepute? … She calls police service Institutionlised Racists; I disagree & always have done & now the Commissioner agrees with me! Butler is a Bigoted Bully”.
And yet more. “
Until Sunday [Dawn Butler] was known as a Smarmy Arrogant Bigot who uses the colour of her skin to swan around purring & acting like some Untouchable Black Princess; Then on Sunday she Baited & Maligned the Police Family; Now Even more know that she is a Smarmy Arrogant Bigot! … Last night I computerised the Madness of [Dawn Butler] Nonsense & my condemnation turned to [Met Police] for their failure over yrs to EVER challenge people like her [Diane Abbott] & [David Lammy] Bigoted Racist Narrative against Policing & I concluded ‘Weak Police Leadership’”. Ri-i-i-ight.
The Metropolitan Police is well rid of racist bigots like Norman Brennan. The problem now is that less scrupulous media outlets are prepared to present him as some kind of authority figure as part of their lefty-bashing narrative. That in turn triggers the racists, rather than educating them. This desperate attempt to chase ratings
is totally out of order.
Norman Brennan came to public attention as the chair of the "Victims of Crime Trust" - a lobbying group for the hanging and flogging brigade. You know the drill, soft sentences, playstations in cells, holiday camps, what about the real victims etc. There was always an undertone of suburban curtain twitching fascism about him. Plus ca change...
ReplyDeleteI normally see people who are incapable of writing without adding capital letters to words where they are not required, or to veer off into capitalizing entire parts of sentences, as dribbling bigots and the written equivalent of the man in the bar who shouts in an argument as if that is enough to convince you of his correctness. Unfortunately, it seems medically untreatable.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt the usual racist gobshites will emerge with their cries of 'freeze peach' and 'first amendment' without considering that a) it's the law of a different country and b) it doesn't give you immunity from criticism.
ReplyDeleteWe have recently seen them defend expressions of Islamaphobia even though that very same amendment protects freedom of religion.
We have also seen them attack Miss Butler even though the fourth amendment prohibits unreasonable searches.
We have also recently seen them defend Pritti Vacunt's attempts to strip immigrants of their rights even though, you guessed it, the fourteenth amendment guarantees due process.
If we accept that the constitution and its amendments are a high point of enlightened liberal thinking, and are therefore an expression of universal values, then what are we supposed to make of those who seek to destroy it while cherry-picking the amendments that serve their own interests?
I agree with you, but....this is Brtain and we do not have a constitution. There are no amendments guaranteeing anything! Which is why the ghastly Boris can do pretty much as Dominic likes.
DeleteThis Brennan?
ReplyDelete'Brennan was the founder and director of Victims of Crime Trust, registered as a charity in 1994. The trust failed to submit returns to the Charity Commission from 2005 onwards, and its registration was removed in 2010 on the grounds that it had "ceased to exist"'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Brennan
BTW, the rest of the page is so badly written that you've go to wonder who wrote it.
The Police Federation has publicly announced that Brennan does not represent them.
ReplyDeleteTaxpayers are funding the pension of this mouthy oaf.
Good grief.
ReplyDeleteYou could almost see Brennan's rabid spit. An appalling individual.
Pierce is just as bad, but in his usual small weasel way.
Neither, of course, are held to account by corporate media. Which is one reason this country is in a state of complete moral collapse.
To be fair, she seemed a bit previous’....
ReplyDeleteIf only we could ditch the idea (floated by fake-'progressive' bien pensants more than any other group) that we should try to butter up people like Brennan because they have "genuine and understandable concerns".
ReplyDeleteHe/they is a/are racist twat(s), and we should be through pussyfooting around on this.
And it's scarcely any wonder that the Met still has serious issues to address on this matter if they tolerated the likes of Brennan as 'one of their own' for over three decades.
Norman Brennan has always struck me as the policeman Griff Rhys Jones was parodying/imitating as 'Constable Savage'.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chOtJdiBZR4
O: Brennan, why do you keep arresting this man?
ReplyDeleteB: He’s a villain, sir.
O: A villain …
B: And a jailbird.
O: (exploding) I know he’s a jailbird, Brennan. He’s down in the cells now. We are holding him on a charge of possession of curly black hair and thick lips.
B: Well, … well, well, well there you are, sir.
O: You arrested him, Brennan!
B: (stupidly pleased) Thank you, sir.
O: Brennan, would I be correct in assuming that Mr Cudoogo is a coloured gentleman?
B: Well, I can’t say I’ve ever noticed, sir.
O: (absolutely furious) Brennan, you’re a bigot. It’s officers like you that give the police a bad name. The press love(s) to jump on instances like that and the reputation of our force can be permanently tarnished. Your whole time on duty is dominated by racial hatred and petty personal vendettas. Do you get some kind of perverted gratification from going around stirring up trouble?
B: Yes (!), sir!
@Nick63
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike :)
I had it on LP in the days before videos were widely available.
I hope she legally kicks his arse. Despicable invividual.
ReplyDelete