To think that Julie Burchill must be a bit horrible.

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www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276906/Julie-Burchill-admits-reckless-leave-child-sorry-ending-marriage-Tony-Parsons.html

Her poor son.

I heard her on Radio 4 yesterday. I wanted to like her, but found her odious. The whole "no regrets" and being thoroughly unrepentant for atrocious behaviour was frustrating. Particularly when it appeared her regrets were very acute indeed.

I think they really hated each other in that marriage and neither could put their feelings aside to do what was best for their son.

Whats annoying is that she is making money out of supposedly being intelligent and having this personality but yet she isn't bright enough to see that she keeps saying she has no regrets but is quite evidently describing her regrets.

It reads to me as "I have no regrets ............ except xyz" why this is considered worthy of column inches I cannot fathom.

Its the ''I figured it was best to leave him where he was and go back for him, but I never went back' and the 'I can't lie to you and say that it's a thing that I sit around thinking about'.

I can understand her leaving her marriage but not leaving the son. I assume she has not had much contact with him since then. Not something I would make public while at the same time stating that 'I don't give a damn what they (other people) think of me...

Very cold.

I wonder what her son thinks of the article. Very selfishly written.

I don't know her I couldn't possibly say that about her OP. I think she's an example of a woman who has broken many rules and I admire her in some ways.

I don't find her intelligent at all. in fact, her writing is like that of a teenager.

And her voice drives me mad. For years I thought she was putting it on.

YANBU

This would be a none story if it had been Tony that walked out.

FrothyDragon.

Exactly and JB says that herself.

I like her, I don't always agree with her, but she's her own person and if more people didn't care what others thought they'd be happier.

I think that she is honest and self aware.

As a CP SW i wish other women would think twice before taking their children out of a stable home whilst they are happy to live a chaotic, drug/drink lifestyle, all l, because they are female and the children should reside with them.

To many children are forced to live with neglect because their parents think more of "what the neighbours think", than they do of acting in the best interests of their children.

Well, her son doesn't seem to have a relationship with her anyway. Maybe she did him a favour. Imagine having to listen to a Parrot on helium all the time.

I'm not the worlds biggest Burchill fan but she was asked a question and answered is honestly.

She also says 'I was very selfish and reckless and I could have done that a lot better.' so isn't defending it, just telling the truth.

Or doing what is socially constructed to be thought of as the best because they stay living with the female parent.

If a lesbian couple split, who gets the adopted baby? Where are all these non stories?

FitzgeraldProtagonist I agree with you entirely. She spent much of Desert Island Discs going on about how she has no regrets when clearly she has many - hence her need to go on and on about them. I thought the saddest moment was when she said she could never go back to Bristol because hearing people who sound like her parents would be too painful.

It honestly.

I can't type today.

Birdsgottafly - I disagree, I think she is one of the least self-aware people I have ever come across. Jaw-droppingly so in fact.

'This would be a none story if it had been Tony that walked out'

Exactly, exactly, exactly this. I don't think it's nice, or particularly OK, for ANY parent to leave a child, but mothers do come in for more judgement and opprobium than fathers. Always.

Haven't read the story and don't know enough about JB to comment, but knowing that this is primarily about her leaving her husband and son, I fail to see what the fuss is about. Men do it all the time and no one ever comments about that or considers them crap parents. In fact, as long as they turn up now and again with a few gifts, they're generally lauded as "good dads", and if they turn up reliably and pay maintenance, they're considered latter-day saints!

Agree with FrothyDragon.

She is no worse than any of the many men who abandon their children in pursuit of a new lover. She will of course being a woman be judged more harshly for it.

I didn't much like her before I read that though.

If Tony Parsons had done the same, I wouldn't be impressed by that either. As it is, I find both him and Birchill fairly odious, whatever the backstory about their son.

There's plenty enough to go on without that!

I think JB is an odious, attention seeking, hypocritical, inverted snob, charmless, loudmouthed twat. I haven't even bothered to look at the link yet but whatever it is, YANBU.

i think a man who left his child and says he has 'no regrets' would also be criticised.

i don't think she is very good as a writer. i don't think Tony Parsons is eithr

I think that she shows integrity, if she doesn't experience a feeling of regret.....she doesn't . It seems she is just not prepared to say what other people would like to hear. I admire her for that, and I wish I had the strength to do the same.

It doesn't matter that society might be easier on a man who'd done this (though I doubt he'd win many friends). Society would be wrong to view that more leniently. Both situations are crap.

As I say though - it's the least of my beefs with Birchill!