Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has finally said sorry a month on from the day she described Tories as ‘a bunch of scum . . . homophobic, racist, misogynist, vile’ — adding with a knowing smile and a wink that she’d ‘held back a little’.
She’s reflected on ‘our political debate’, she says, and on the ‘abuse that now seems to feature all too often’, and unreservedly apologised.
Too late Angela. While you may be repentant, the way you stoked the baying crowd at Labour conference with bigotry und class warfare will be etched in the hearts of all who remember.
It’s the side of Labour decent folk loathe, the one leader Keir Starmer distanced himself from as soon as the scum word was uttered, because he knows it makes the party unelectable.
In more than 20 years in politics, I’ve experienced it myself. For instance, attending my friend and Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti’s book launch where the comrades parted like the Red Sea when I arrived with mutterings of ‘Tory b****’.
Angela says that she has also been subject to abuse, and even death threats. I can only sympathise — it has happened to me, for criticising Labour
There was a time when Labour and Tories were able to respect each other under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. While we acknowledged that we disagreed on many issues, both of us believed in the greater good and wanted to provide opportunity for all people and a safety net.
Then came Jeremy Corbyn with his Momentum mob, an angry mob, and a visceral hatred of not only the Tories, all scum evidently, but also Jewish people, and anyone who disagreed the Leader.
Angela says that she has also been subject to abuse and even death threats. I can only sympathise — it has happened to me, for criticising Labour.
She wouldn’t use the same language again, she says. How can we believe this after all her silence during the Corbyn years when hatred swirled through their fetid ranks.
She wouldn’t use the same language again, she says. How can we believe this after all her silence during the Corbyn years when hatred swirled through their fetid ranks.
Last year, she was also accused in the Commons of calling a Tory member scum. As for her refusal to apologise immediately after her comments a month ago, it doesn’t inspire confidence.
Angela Rayner was raised on a council estate. She struggled to eat as a child and left school at 16, pregnant. She became a nurse, then a union representative, and finally became an MP in 2015. She should be an inspiration for the way she has rose.
Instead, she’ll be remembered as the woman who reminded us how nasty the Labour Party can be. If I were Keir Starmer, I’d consider this high priestess of hatred too much of a liability.
And if I were Boris, I wouldn’t accept her apology.
Weeks after Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson, 30, was pilloried for cultural appropriation over her appearance, Madonna, 63, appears with blonde dreadlocks, in a basque and teenager’s ripped jeans. It isn’t just cultural appropriation with Madge, but age-misappropriation.
Mark’s Red Face
Even for billionaire founder Mark Zuckerberg, rebranding Facebook ‘Meta’ after whistleblower Frances Haugen told Parliament the company put ‘astronomical profits before (the safeguarding of vulnerable) people’ was breathtakingly cynical.
Zuckerberg vows Meta will continue to live by his founding principle of ‘bringing people together’. Indeed — to share hatred, homophobia and racism, and find platforms where kids tell each other how to harm themselves.
He vows Meta will continue to live by his founding principle of ‘bringing people together’. Indeed — to share hatred, homophobia and racism, and find platforms where kids tell each other how to harm themselves.
Bagpipers can’t be protected by protestors
Insulate Britain road blockers angered a motorist, who got his bagpipes ready to blast them off the M25. Although he did a good job, he was not able to stop the idiots from gluing their faces on the motorways. Five minutes of Wings’ Mull Of Kintyre would have had them tearing themselves off the bitumen, begging for mercy.
Five minutes of Wings’ Mull Of Kintyre would have had them tearing themselves off the bitumen, begging for mercy.
Ahead of Cop26, Glasgow’s council leader — the Scottish National Party’s Susan Aitken — blames Margaret Thatcher for the filthy conditions of their streets. Crikey, Lady T left power in 1990 so they’ve had 31 years to clean up their act. Is Maggie also to blame for Glasgow having the lowest life-expectancy in the UK, the highest levels of drugs deaths in Europe and the fact that one in three children live in poverty — all presided over since 2014 by that over-stuffed little SNP haggis Nicola Sturgeon?
Ugo just couldn’t take on the tango
As soon as former rugby player Ugo Monye was axed from Strictly Come Dancing, the wokes decided he was dumped because he’s black — despite the fact that Rhys Stephenson and AJ Odudu, both brilliant dancers, are still in and Judi Love is expected back tonight after a Covid break. Ugo danced with grace like an unplugged 1970s fridge, which is a sad truth.
The minimum sentence for the Satanist who stabbed to famine sisters Bibaa Henry (46) and Nicole Smallman (27), is 35 years. Danyal Hussein (19 years old) was not eligible for a full-life sentence due to his age. He could be released before the age of 54, but it is natural justice that he should remain in jail forever.
Fears of a Trade War after a UK Trawler was hijacked in France. Don’t they have short memories? If it weren’t for the 6,939 ships carrying 156,115 British, U.S. and Canadian troops that were launched from our shores on D-Day, those cheese-eating surrender monkeys would be munching Frankfurters and speaking German.
Veteran Honoured
It is shameful that the Ministry of Defence has decided that no serving soldiers will be carrying the coffin of Dennis Hutchings, a former Regimental Corporal Major who was killed in a shooting incident during the Troubles in 1974. His funeral will be attended by thousands of ex-soldiers, proving that it’s not Westminster pen-pushers, but old comrades, who truly honor those who have faithfully served Queen Elizabeth and Country.
The route of his funeral will be lined with thousands of ex-soldiers, proving that it’s not Westminster pen-pushers, but old comrades, who truly honor those who have faithfully served Queen Elizabeth and Country.
TV’s Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen’s marriage has hit a ‘rocky patch’. Her publicity team say it is ‘something of a PR nightmare’ as it coincides with the launch of her latest book. I don’t know about you, but the marital tiff provides publicity for a book that none of us would have otherwise heard of.
Sisterly sympathy for Angelina Jolie. While smiling on the red-carpet to promote her movie Eternals, the back view revealed that her hair extensions were horribly wrong. I had them once on a photo shoot, went home and the locks came off in my shocked partner’s hands as he ran his fingers lovingly through my hair.
Westminister Wars
- Rishi Sunak’s 6ft 7in top Treasury adviser didn’t appear with him in the traditional Budget photo outside Number 11, as Simon Clarke is agoraphobic. Simon is sad, but his 5ft 6in boss is fortunate. Insiders fear that his height could make him a problem in his quest to become PM.
- A priest who says the crime scene stopped him from giving devout Catholic David Amess the Last Rites as medics fought to save him after he was stabbed has been so abused by trolls he has quit social media. Bless Father Jeffrey Woolnough for trying. And as for those who trolled you, there’s a special place for them in the afterlife — the purgatory of social media.
- Matt Hancock’s career ended when he was captured passionately hugging Gina Coladangelo inside his Cabinet office. Now the couple are snapped on a ‘romantic’ break in Croatia sitting three feet apart outside a restaurant, looking very weary. Perhaps, six months on, the reality — of how six kids, a wife and a husband have all been left behind — is biting.