To think Godfrey Bloom was put on Earth to remind women that we still need feminism?

[BasilBabyEater]

What a nob

[Saffyz]

So Godfrey Bloom hit Michael Crick over the head with a conference guide, just for asking a simple question. It's not long ago that Nigel Farage hung up during a radio interview, faced with some mildly searching questions, is it?

UKIP don't have a good track record if any journalist asks them a slightly provocative question (as they do to numerous interviewees and politicians). Despite all the blustering bonhomie, they are lightweights and can't really cope with the serious questions. I'd love to let Paxman loose on them

[Lazyjaney]

Strictly he's right, for people his age slut meant something more like slatternly, but it's changed meaning and he hasn't been sharp enough to pick that up, and even if he meant slatternly and was trying to be funny, you just cant take risks of being misunderstood like that when you're under huge (largely hostile) media gaze.

But......

The media are now over egging it and IMO it'll rebound against them. People are fed up with main party identikit politicos, so characters - even such as he - are quite attractive to many.

[Stravy]

Even with the old meaning, it's still a comment designed to put women in their place.

[MmmmWhiteWine]

I agree he's probably an arse but you slut can mean someone whose housework leaves a bit to be desired. Which, given the context, is probably what he meant...

[joanofarchitrave]

It was a funny joke. He shouldn't have been chopped for it.

He should have been chopped for 'bongo-bongo land' months ago. That wasn't a joke.

Try the foaming tsunami of bile that Nige actually produced for his keynote speech as leader of the party. Which gets, God help us, serious reporting as the profile of an actual party or something.

[Saffyz]

slut can mean someone whose housework leaves a bit to be desired

I don't suppose he'd have made the same comment if men in the room said they didn't clean behind the fridge.

[Pagwatch]

I can't get worked up about slut in a cleaning context. Mu mum used to make jokes -''gosh, it's nine o'clock and I still haven't cleared the table - a terrible slut I am'
They were talking about cleaning [meh]

But he is quite odious so I am not upset about his demise.

[DalePie]

Well apparently your all sl&ts Lmao!

UKIP are basically another right wing party. They come along, "tell it like it is" and typically one UK newspaper (DM or Express) falls in love with them. If they are lucky they win a seat at the GM or EU elections and the media starts to focus on them.

This focus of course, is when the media discovers all sorts of nasties: racism, holocaust denial, sexism, homophobia and belief in Christian science over research.

I guess this recent outburst is an example of the media discovering Godfrey Bloom is sexist. I will be very surprised if UKIP are anything but a bit of a joke come the next GE.

[ohmymimi]

He's what I would call a useful nob. Thoroughly peed off good old Nige and dropped a big, fat smelly one on the Kippers' conference. Score.

[Mooskit]

Lighten up folks... It was a lighthearted, off the cuff remark, and a woman who was a poor housekeeper, used to be called a slut. It meant a slattern not a 'loose woman' as it seems to mean today. I am amazed at how unforgiving some people seem to be today. There must be some slack cut to an older generation who perhaps dont have all the political correct phrases and opinions that the young generation have,
.

[namechangesforthehardstuff]

He said women who don't clean behind the fridge are sluts and that's therefore OK? And not sexist? Because he just meant they should be doing the housework properly?

Ummmnmm.

Did someone change the way the English language works while I wasn't looking or something?

They've clearly changed the meaning of 'funny'.

[MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill]

Ffs! Why is it a womens fucking responsibilty to clean behind the fucking fridge.
The fact of the matter is, that it isn't.
We did have a feminist movement, didn't we? It wasn't just a figment of my imagination?
I see nothing funny in women being referred to by derogatory terms, no matter what the context.

[MurderOfGoths]

Oh god kim tell me you're kidding? He doesn't does he??

[Tavv]

he sits on the gender equality committee in the European Parliament.

[MurderOfGoths]

Dear god.. there is no hope is there?

[timidviper]

I think this man made a very ill-judged poor joke and while I really don't like UKIP, I am becoming concerned at the biased way the media are covering them. The news tonight was comparing their conference to a Carry On convention and asking members of the public very leading questions then broadcasting their answers as if that were fact. If I need an opinion I'd prefer it to be from an "expert" rather than an average joe who may well know nothing.

I would like the media to give me the true facts and let me make up my own mind about which parties are disgusting. I am appalled at the standard of coverage on UKIP despite my dislike of all they stand for.

[BasilBabyEater]

I think it's a bit ageist to assume old people are bigots tbh.

[ExcuseTypos]

Timid, what with him calling a group of women sluts, then hitting a reporter on the head, the reporting was bound to be a bizarre.
Things like that don't happen everyday in the political world.

I also think his age isn't an excuse. Would it have been ok for him to use the P or N word because 'old people did in the past'?