Ginger rodent remark

[GabbyLoggon]

Harriet thought it would go down well. it did.But the Labour top brass said no, no, no

[Gory09]

I have been awake for a few hours but struggle to understand your OP . Could you write it again, slowly

[Goblinchild]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-11658228

[Gory09]

Thanks Gobinchild

I think it is quite wrong for her to have said that really. It might sound funny when you hear it but when you realise that her speech was probably not written in 5 minutes and was carefully thought about it is very likely that it was a premeditated comment to hurt by referring to physical appearance rather than political competence.

[Chil1234]

For a senior politican to stoop to making personal insults it demonstrates appallingly bad judgement. 'Labour top brass' (who most likely OK'd the original speech btw) shouldn't have had to say 'no no no'... Harman should have had the good sense to realise it was a poor joke. Ridiculous woman.

[LaurieScaryCake]

A very stupid thing to say in Scotland.

But I think fairly mild considering the media attacks female politicians constantly on their appearance, their clothes, their hair, their fucking shoes ffs.

Yes, she was stupid but I bet there are hundreds of articles on her personal appearance. Two wrongs don't make a right but she's probably lost her moral compass a bit since she's been working in politics for so long.

[mamatomany]

I have for years made jokes about my brothers red hair, we are half Scottish, well guess which one of us got the ginger baby boy ?
I am now on a mission to protect all gingers from ridicule and teasing.
Burn the witch I say !

[Anniegetyourgun]

She should not bandy around playground insults, and I loathe "gingerism".

He is a rodent though.

[SpookyNoise]

Exactly, Annie. It is a typical playground insult and not what I would expect from someone in her position.

However, I fail to see how calling someone a rodent is ok, but calling them ginger is not, Annie.

[teej]

She was out of order and such a comment should have been beneath a former Equalities minister. How can we respect politicians if they don't have a compelling enough political argument so they have to resort to personal jibes? And no I don't think it's ok in parliament either. Helena Kennedy says one of Harriet's children is a total redhead - I hope he/she gives their mum a hard time and sharp reminder of any bullying they have endured.

[lovechoc]

she will have gotten many peoples' backs up by using such a stupid comment..

[GabbyLoggon]

aqny good joker is a radical stirrer Tories just make money

[GabbyLoggon]

Having said that I found roy chubby brown hard to take,

[GoreRenewed]

Nasty nasty nasty!

[melikalikimaka]

Gingers unite against her!


I know a few in my family that would put one on her, reinforcing that ginger is a mutation! Horrible woman, did she write that herself?

I was born with red hair [turned brown], I wish I still had it. It was more attractive.

[eeyore2]

So nasty. I was shocked - I have always found Harriet Harman quite impressive and a bit of a role model for women. But this was just nasty playground stuff. I know Danny Alexander laughed it off but I'm sure it is hurtful and unpleasant for him and his family.

[LaraJade]

It's not even an insult. Red hair is lovely, and rodents are cute.

[Longtalljosie]

People are just awful about red hair, DD's is beautiful, but I went to visit an old schoolfriend and as soon as we got out of the car I got "Oh my God she's ginger" and that was the tone of the whole lunch. Constantly going on about it "at least it's not curly" (which now it is, incidently) calling her "a ginger" (hard g) and then correcting herself "oh no, I mean a beautful redhead"

I'm fond of the friend in question but I left really upset and angry and am still trying to mentally put it to bed. DD is a baby FFS. How is that OK?

[melikalikimaka]

What a horrible, nasty friend, that was just not funny. I'm sorry but I would tell her that it was offensive and maybe cut ties with her. It's like a total rejection of your DD. I have a red haired child, and I think he stands out from the crowd, beautiful dark version and I'm telling you, it does not put girls off him. He is very popular indeed!

[imahappycamper]

My grandson is ginger and he is absolutely perfect.

[Longtalljosie]

Delighted to hear it Melika! She's normally lovely, I think it was a bit of a lapse of judgement.

[Tootlesmummy]

I would have loved to have seen what she would have said if he had called her a fat ugly bitch!

Red hair is lovely.

[newwave]

Dear God, Alexander and his tory cronies are about to screw all but the rich and your worried about a poor comment by Harman, get a life.

[mimps]

yup, since my beautiful daughter was born i've had so many comments about her hair colour.

some had my shed real tears, and now i've learned to laugh them off, but i still fail to see WHY people feel the need to say anything at all.

i now tell people it dye it that colour

[suzikettles]

See, I was pretty about this until I saw the full quote.

She was actually comparing him to a red squirrel, which are of course "ginger". The offensive bit wasn't referring to his hair colour (he has red hair, squirrel has red hair), it was calling him a rodent.

Basically (and it was a very, very weak jibe) she was saying "Oh we all love red squirrels and want to protect them because aren't they lovely, but Danny Alexander's also a ginger rodent and we hate him - oh go away Danny Alexander"

As I say, it was pretty shit, but I don't think she was actually saying ginger = something unpleasant/undesirable per se (and I am ginger and a wee bit sensitive to throwaway comments of this sort).