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Emily Thornberry - sexism

15 replies

DrDreReturns · 11/09/2016 20:32

Was this sexism, or just an excuse for her not knowing her stuff?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37332287

Given the interviewer has asked other, male, politicians similar questions I think she hasn't got a case.

OP posts:

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LurkingHusband · 11/09/2016 21:41

I noted a comment along the lines that "sexism" was no excuse for not doing your homework ?????

Without having heard examples of how male politicians are treated, it's hard to comment. That said, the questions I saw seemed fair for a shadow foreign secretary - it's not like they asked who did her hair ?

TulipsInAJug · 11/09/2016 21:46

She was less than impressive, not knowing the name of the French foreign minister, or the Korean one. She's the shadow foreign secretary for goodness' sake.

Because she took Dermot to task, then he gave as good as he got. He did start to sound a bit mean tbh, but she kind of asked for it by laying into him the way she did.

Basically, neither of them came out of it looking good.

AgentProvocateur · 11/09/2016 21:59

She's shadow foreign secretary - she should have been able to answer the question. I think she called sexism to cover up her own incompetence in the role.

DrDreReturns · 11/09/2016 22:03

Even I knew the South Korean President is a woman and I'm not shadow foreign secretary fgs!

OP posts:

TheHiphopopotamus · 11/09/2016 22:58

She's shadow foreign secretary - she should have been able to answer the question. I think she called sexism to cover up her own incompetence in the role

This! ^^ She came across as unbelievably petulant and not very good at her job.

QueenLaBeefah · 11/09/2016 22:59

She's made a total arse of herself (yet again).

mathsmum314 · 11/09/2016 23:03

She looks down on normal English people. Guess she is as thick as the people she despises.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 11/09/2016 23:08

I don't doubt that women politicians are questioned more harshly at times

But she should have known their names

longfingernails · 12/09/2016 00:56

It's not sexism, it's the interviewer doing their job. Any interviewer worth their salt would ask a man a similar question to the question they have posed to Emily Thornberry if they thought they weren't on top of the very basic information needed in their job, and could thereby generate a good scoop.

It's unacceptable for a shadow foreign secretary not to know the names of their counterparts in major countries like France, Germany, USA. It's not like she was asked the name of the foreign secretary or president of Liberia or Tuvalu.

Emily Thornberry is thicker than two short planks.

Lucydogz · 12/09/2016 08:11

Unfortunately egregious twats like ET are all that JC can call on, now that the decent MP's have rebelled.

redshoeblueshoe · 13/09/2016 08:11

OMG is this a MN first ?

OP every one agrees

TanteRose · 13/09/2016 08:17

here you go - foreign secretary quiz! I got 8 out of 10

www.theguardian.com/politics/shortcuts/2016/sep/12/can-you-do-the-foreign-secretary-pub-quiz

TanteRose · 13/09/2016 08:18

btw, I didn't think it was sexism, she just was not on the ball for the role she is in.

prh47bridge · 13/09/2016 08:52

I don't think this was sexism at all. Politicians regularly get asked this kind of question. David Cameron was asked the price of a loaf of bread (he didn't know). Boris Johnson was asked the price of a pint of milk (he didn't know). Stephen Byers was asked what seven times eight is when he was education secretary (he got it wrong). Zac Goldsmith was asked which stop comes after Tottenham Court Road on the Central line (he didn't know). To be honest, those questions are a lot less relevant than the ones Thornberry was asked. I don't expect her to know every foreign minister in the world but, having talked about her plans to visit the French foreign minister, you would think she would know who his name, although I'm sure she would be briefed properly before any actual meeting.

Journalists have been trying to catch politicians out with this type of question for a very long time. I tend to think this is a stupid game. I don't care whether or not the PM knows the price of a loaf of bread. She has more important things to worry about. I wish journalists would stop trying to trap politicians like this. But it is not sexism. Thornberry handled it very poorly. She has gone down in my estimation (which was pretty difficult considering where she started).

DiegeticMuch · 14/09/2016 18:14

She's very badly out of her depth. If Smith wins, I guess he'll demote her from the shadow cabinet. I'm sure she's a decent constituency MP but she was overpromoted.

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