Former
Screws and
Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan must be wishing this morning that he had not walked out on ITV breakfast offering
Good Morning Britain earlier this year, after the latest display of less than total competence from Tory MP Victoria Atkins in the Commons yesterday. Morgan had
perceptively concluded that Ms Atkins’ responses to his questions last year showed “
she was just making it up as she went along”.
Victoria Atkins
But that was as nothing when put alongside Ms Atkins’ trio of gaffes yesterday in Parliament, where the racism meted out to England’s footballers was being debated. Labour MP Zarah Sultana observed later “
In Parliament, in a debate about the racist abuse of our England stars, I just challenged Tory minister Victoria Atkins on the Prime Minister & Home Secretary’s encouragement of racism. She told me - the only person of colour down to speak - to ‘lower my tone’. Shameless”.
Mighty white of her. At least she didn’t call Ms Sultana “
uppity”. But that was a mere
hors d’oeuvres for a much more pungent
entrée, as Ms Atkins made an assertion in response to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that she would be wise not to repeat outside the chamber. Jezza had advocated action against online racist abuse. And her reply?
“I suspect I’m not the only person who has felt a little bit astonished that it is this right honourable member who’s chosen to ask that question about taking immediate action to tackle racism … I am also reminded that a Jewish female MP had to have police protection at his party conference because of fears for her own safety. So I will listen to many, many people about tackling racism. I will work with pretty much anyone. But I must say, I will take a long spoon on which to sup with this particular member”. Whoops!
The “
Jewish female MP” to whom Ms Atkins refers is most likely Luciana Berger, and if so, she has gone plain flat wrong. Ms Berger may have walked in to Labour’s 2018 annual Conference - in Liverpool - alongside a Police officer (not a close protection officer, note), but several attendees at Conference confirmed she had not had protection once inside.
Ms Berger had, however, been subjected to threats by the far right. This
was covered by Zelo Street at the time. So could Ms Atkins top the patronising racism, and the dishonest smear? Here comes the Hold My Beer
moment that will have had Piers Morgan - and, indeed, his former co-host Susanna Reid - shaking their heads in disbelief.
“
And so, I’d like to conclude this statement with the words of our England captain Gareth Southgate … ‘we have been a beacon of light in bringing people together. The national team stands for everybody, and so that togetherness has to continue. We have shown the power our country has when it comes together’”. Captain? Gareth Southgate??
Or, as Tom Peck from the
Independent put it, “
The national team stands for everybody. Well, almost everybody. Not me, I haven't got a scooby who any of them are or what any of this is about but Priti Patel wouldn't turn up so you've got me instead”. Sally Jockstrap eat your heart out. Another to rank alongside Bobby Moore’s 1966 hat-trick.
There aren’t many ministers, even in the cabinet of alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, who can top patronising racism and dishonest smearing with something even worse. Victoria Atkins is a true over-achiever.
But not in credibility.
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7 comments:
Of all the peddled lying bullshit, the Berger Saga takes some beating.
Yes, she received disgusting antisemitic smears. But none, repeat none, REPEAT NONE, that originated with Jeremy Corbyn or his supporters. Limited in number anyway, almost all of them came from a tiny gang of far right extremists located in Wavertree High Street. The police are well aware of the miniscule gang.
So if I wished to dine at The Table Of Truth, the last person I would invite is Atkins. She'd only smear the tablecloth and vomit on her plate.
She's a horrible incompetent liar. Like her far right fellow travellers, a disgrace to the political life of this country.
Surprised she didn't wheel out Brickgate, the failed smear against Jeremy and his supporters like me.
One thing about Ms Berger, her attendance at that conference much built up by Tory Laura, passed off rather peacefully, much to Laura's disappointment.
It would take s social psychologist to explain why the tories produce so many cold psychopathic women like Atkins: Nokes, Patel, Leadsom, Truss, Thatcher, May and a whole host of others.
There's more human warmth in an Arctic slug.
Not sure about this one; it could be casual racism or it could be an opportunist playing the race card? Politicians on either side of the House being rude or impolite to one another is not noteworthy; was Ms Atkins scrupulously polite to everyone but the person who labelled themselves as the only 'person of colour' in the debate? Labels are handy things for professional politician of all stripes when building and maintaining their personal bases.
@14.41 … Tories thrive on bullying and power. It is absolutely apparent. There are two kinds of tory from childhood. The bully who shoved the younger children heads hown the loo during break time at school (see Johnson, Cameron, branflake Lewis, Zaharwi, Patel, etc) and the bullied (Hancock, surakarta, shappes,, gove, jenrick kwatang osbourne etc), lookin for revenge on the populace thru political power.. Think this way and you have the tory party in one. They are small boys with small boys urges, grudges and greed
So why should the women be any different?
The house needs a fact checker along side the speaker, to call out members for lying as well as the regular bullshit they try to get away with
You wouldn't think that they'd even be incompetent at bullshit would you?
And still some people believe them.....................
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