What is the worst job in the UK? I think that is an easy one. It is being Diane Abbott. There are over 600 MP's and they seem to say stupid things almost every time they open their mouth. A stack of them have been sacked for various misdeeds, leading to a spate of by elections. Can you name any of them? All of these crooks, villians, etc, yet the one politician who is always fair game for a kicking is Diane Abbott. I am not a fan of hers, but as someone who hates bullying, I cannot help but think the singling out of Abbott, who's biggest faults are that she puts her foot in her mouth sometimes, can't add up and is a bit of hypocrite in wanting the best for her kids, seems to me completely disproportionate, when so many get off scot free, when they've been doing actual criminal acts. I am not an apologist for Abbot, but lets have some perspective. The right wing press always choose pictures where she looks like she's been sleeping in a bin and been stung by a wasp. My mate, the Rev Emily Kollveit, Vicar of St Judes, used to work in Hackney and told me Abbot was the best and most helpful constituency MP she'd met. She told me that she really cared about people and was quite sensitive, so the criticisms got to her. Hearing Emily's stout defence made me reassess my previous view of her. I don't know Abbott, but I do trust Emily's judgement, she was a the former landlady of the Chandos Arms, before becoming a Vicar, so is probably the most streetwise vicar in the C of E.
The former deputy chair of the Tories made blatantly islamaphobic comments whilst moonlighting on a TV show, but he's still an MP. It took the Tories an age to figure out that it was beyond the pale. When they finally suspended him, he had a hissy fit and quite for the 'Reform' Party. What do they want to reform? Perhaps they want the UK to become a place where blatant racism is acceptable, as it was in the 1970's. On Monday I wrote a blog about nostalgia. In the 1970's, we had blatant racism on TV on a daily basis. Bernard Manning on the comedians, Love they neighbour and Alf Garnett were all perfectly acceptable TV viewing. I saw an interview with actor Warren Mitchell, AKA Alf Garnett, where he said that the character was written to be so pathetic that no one would be able to empathise with him, only to find that everywhere he went, people would say "You are spot on with that Alf". In many ways, the BBC was more 'Woke' in the 1960s than it is now. Swear words were banned and they genuinely tried to make Alf Garnett look like an idiot. Even Love Thy Neighbour, an ITV show, did their best to portray the white racist as a fool, whilst the aspirational black couple next door were shown as intelligent and well to do. Where the wokeness stopped was with sexism, but that is another discussion for another day.
So fast forward to 2024. The words which formed Bernard Mannings act have been banned. Now we simply say "The N word" or "The P word" and heaven help anyone who uses such things in a humourous manner. Things have moved on. I do wonder what would happen if the BBC decided to have a 70's day and showed all of the worst examples of 70's TV in a marathon show. Would it be funny, or would we say "how could we possibly think that wasn't utter crap". I think my kids would have a heart attack at most of it.
But, there seems to be one group of people that the rules don't apply to and the 1970's are still in full flow. I am talking about Kevin Hester OBE. Why can he say what he likes? Because he gave the ruling party in the UK a bung of ten million quid. When can you say a black woman should be shot in a public forum, and it's OK? When you've bunged the government party ten million quid. Would Bernard Manning still be on TV (yeah I know he's dead, but you know what I mean) if he'd bunged Rishi Sunak £10 million? Would he have got an OBE like Hester.
I am not someone who is easily offended. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. My Dad run a crash repair business, where I worked as a kid. I was surrounded by working class guys, who's language would make many youngsters hair curl and turn white. The jokes they would share would make Manning seem tame. I stood on football terraces, as racist chants, monkey noises etc were order of the day. I recall watching Black Manchester City goalie have bananas thrown at him at Fulham FC. It all seemed normal back then. It was only when Rock Against Racism called out Eric Clapton for racist comments at a gig in Birmingham, that it even occurred to me that it might not be OK. The Specials and other bands educated me and a generation. You can't love music made by black people, have black mates and think that its OK to treat them like shit, like second class citizens. When Diane Abbott puts her foot in her mouth, if it makes you want to 'hate all black women', you are actually a little bit sick in the head. When I was at FCHS, a bully of Irish origin beat me up in 1976, when they saw me at an England Vs Republic of Ireland match wearing an England scarf. Did that make me hate all Irishmen? No, it made me think that bullies are reprehensible.
Kevin Hestor has an OBE - That is an Order of The British Empire. He has brought the order into disrepute. He should be stripped of it. As for the Tories, should they give the £10 million back? This is dead simple. The answer is "If the Tories want to be associated with this man and his views, they should keep the cash and say so. If they want to prove that they find them abhorrent, then give it back". Earlier in this blog I mentioned 30p Lee Anderson. If Rishi Sunak wants to appeal to his constiteuncy (people who agree with him, not who live in his area, to clarify), keep the cash and shout it out proudly.
It is easy really. Rishi Sunak needs to demonstrate what the Tories stand for. That is what leaders do.
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