To never want anyone to champion Jack Monroe again?

[SuperScrimper]

After what she has tweeted about David Cameron. here

Like him or loathe him to describe the way he talks about his deceased son as 'misty eyed' and used for political gain is disgusting.

The greatest loss any of us can imagine is the loss of a child. Shock horror, even politician have real feeling. It's just awful that she would say that about another parent.

I don't care what she can do with a bloody lentil. Something's are just too low.

Oh, I don't want them to intervene, limited. We should be able to discuss this but the previous deletions were ludicrous. You just weren't permitted to say that you thought DC was using the death of his son to gain political sympathy at all. They took that ball, punctured it and flung it over the fence into next door.

I have just caught up with the comments Jack Monroe is receiving on twitter :( proving, if proof were needed, that twitter is a platform people feel comfortable abusing others on. A quick 160 characters of absolute hate.

It's a funny old world at the moment with lots of frothing about "offended" and calls for people to resign. A juggernaut of opinions online - on twitter, on Facebook, on here. At it's best its democracy and at its worst it is bullying.

Jack Monroe's comments were ill judged I'd say. Although her point is totally valid. I don't like nastiness and this whole episode, her comments included, leave a nasty taste. Plus, they don't seem to be leading the debate, or adding to the debate. Merely muddying it.

"Jack Monroe's entire career is based on sharing her and her child's personal experiences to make a political point yet she feels justified in criticising Cameron for doing the same thing. The woman is a monumental hypocrite.""

Really? I only know her as the author of rather unappetising looking recipes. I know she used to be poor, etc but didnt realise she'd branched into politics.

Even if she has the difference is is that she isn't trying to privatise the NHS while pretending otherwise.

and the 'shutting down debate' thing is nonsense. aermingers, he said
'I don't need lectures from anyone about looking after disabled people. I don't want to hear any more of that.' I don't know how much more of a definition of shutting down a debate you need.

Miliband's shutting up after that comment has nothing to do with his 'brain power'. He knew very well, as did Cameron, that if he tried to continue he would be accused of not understanding/sympathising, mocking the Camerons' grief, and various other vile things.

Thank you EveDallasRetd for the link. I hope more people click through and read it.

Like the blogger, I remember feeling distinctly uncomfortable about DC's photographs with his son and their use in the press. I am so glad this is now being more widely debated.

When I first hears the story of Jack Monre I thought wow, that's pretty bad to have gone through and a good example of 'there but for the grace of God go i', a great example of how educated people in work can suddenly find themselves struggling.

Then I heard her speak on various debates on the radio and couldn't stand her. Belligerent, doesn't answer questions posed, goes for the cheap wins, exceedingly one dimensional.

And I still don't understand why she lived in such poverty (sold her kids toys) feeding herself nowhere near enough calories a day when her child had a father, and she has family. The child's dad could have paid more, and she could have shipped off home with mum and dad for a bit until she was back on her feet.

Her DC tweet is just absolutely typical.

OnlyLovers - that DC quote you have there is what tipped the balance for me.

Of course everyone here can understand and respect the grief that DC feels as a clearly loving and involved father who lost one of his children.

What I can't respect is DC imagining he has any idea what being a carer is like for most people (poverty, desperation, and an absolutely crushing lack of sleep come to mind), or of thinking his loss and his grief make him qualified to shut down any discussion of how more difficult he is making life for other disabled people and their carers.

"Then I heard her speak on various debates on the radio and couldn't stand her. Belligerent, doesn't answer questions posed, goes for the cheap wins, exceedingly one dimensional. "

Wow, sounds just like Cameron.

How judgemental are you whois?? Ah just get the dad to pay more (that's another thread in itself) and go stay with your Mum. POVERTY SOLVED PEOPLE!!! Someone sound a klaxon!!!

Annie, yes, me too. The thing that made me angry about the other thread, the one MNHQ deleted and censored left, right and centre, was that some posters (and HQ) couldn't seem to see that it is possible to have respect for one family's personal grief while at the same time condemning the practice of them cynically using their experiences to literally tell someone that there was to be no more discussion of support for disabled people.

evedallas

Great link, if someone speaks intelligently, they get their point across

I have no issues with what is said there- none

But a short sentance with the primary focus being a dead child is..tastless beyond belief and will hurt, not hinder the cause

that said, all the haters of JM? sheesh- this issue has allowed people to really dig their claws in

2 wrong dont make a right

I really like Jack. She is a Mumsnetter, so she might be along later to offer her point of view. I think she probably said the comment in haste, without really thinking it through. I am sure we have all done similar things. I think she should tweet a short apology, just to imply that she meant no offense.

You just weren't permitted to say that you thought DC was using the death of his son to gain political sympathy at all. They took that ball, punctured it and flung it over the fence into next door.

I agree leopard. With both sentiments.

This thread is better.

She's explained a little more (on Twitter) what she meant and why she said it, I can see her point and I truly believe that she wasn't mocking Ivan or Cameron's grief, just the hypocritical way that he uses Ivan to close down debate, which he does.

The tweets she has received have been mind glowingly awful although, looking closer at them, they are almost all from very short lived Twitter accounts with few followers. People bandwagon jumping thanks to the Daily Fail reporting on her single tweet when there have been over 183 thousand other #CameronMustGo tweets - and Jack Monroe has posted another 5 similarly critising Cameron for his policies and actions.

She has also had a number of tweets in support and agreement with her, so it seems a lot of people can see the same issues as her.

whois The dad could have paid more could he? Of course that's such an easy solution for LP's everywhere who are struggling. It's so easy for LP's to get the NRP to pay more. How long were you a LP for, as you obviously know how easy it is .

"But a short sentance with the primary focus being a dead child is..tastless beyond belief and will hurt, not hinder the cause"

That is what some people/posters have chosen the primary focus to be, it wasn't what the actual focus was.

Cameron gets angry with people for having the temerity to disagree with him.

I'm sure that's a trait common to many politicians, but the skilled ones are better at hiding it.

Agreed Boneyback, the primary focus for me was "...selling our NHS to his friends"

that's such an easy solution for LP's everywhere

Where did I say that was a solution for all LP? Oh yeah, that's right, nowhere.

But it actually was something your precious JM could have done. She was reall really fucking struggling, but took the 'proud' option of selling their furniture and her child's toys, being cold and hungry because she didn't want to ask for help from her family and the child's father. Her mum was a foster mum for fucks sake, you really think she'd have turned Her own daughter away?

As someone who has worked in the NHS I'd say privatising it wouldn't be such a bad thing but sadly I don't think this will happen and it's all alarmist bollocks.

I agree with you whois - take some responsibility for the decisions you make in life - but why do that when it's easier to blame the gov.

I don't think her tweet was designed to hurt, I think it was designed to shock.

To argue for the sensitivity of a grieving parent who has himself cynically and repeatedly invoked the memory of his child in the most public and professional capacity is just absurd.

Whois,

In Jacks own words:

1. When I returned to work after maternity leave, my relationship broke down, and I found it impossible to cover the irregular night shifts 30 miles from home with any form of childcare. Childminders just don't work all night. Her son's father did and does look after him, but at the time it was impossible to match our work shifts up with friends, family and childcare to cover my working hours. Because he works too. But don't let that ruin your image of a very good man as a feckless waster. I applied for flexible hours under the fire service flexible working policy, I applied for a job share post, I applied for day work roles, other jobs in the fire service closer to home, and was turned down on all counts.

rootypig do you think it's ok to try and shock people by negatively evoking the memory of a deceased child?

It was just so blunt, and frankly, belligerent.

It was blunt. It needed to be. And damn right it was belligerent - but not as belligerent as Cameron himself has been, aggressively bringing his personal circumstances into situations where they are not relevant in order to shut down debate (the recent PMQs referred to above).