To think this is a wee bit racist?

[DaysAreWhereWeLive]

I've just been on Twitter to see that Chuka Ummuna is trending because he has thrown his hat into the ring for the Labour leadership contest.

The first two tweets called him 'the next Barrack Obama' (presumably because he's black) and 'the Fresh Prince'. (er, same)

Is it all just a bit cringy and wrong? Essentially they were pointing out nothing about his politics, his experience or his chances at leadership. Just the fact that he is black. Anybody else think the same?

haha something

I think it is lazy journalism. Highlighting that he and Barrack Obama have the same skin colour is gauge. I'd sooner hear about his political views.

Gauche^ auto correct fail!

But surely something is racist if it is denigrating someone purely based in their race or colour. To mention that someone is black is not racism.

Whether or not it is relevant is another matter.

Agree by the way Chukka himself would love to be compared with Barack Obama, it's not exactly an insult now is it?

www.radiokingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/will-smith-chuka-umunna.jpg
He is sitting there next to will smith with a mile

They aren't comparing Liz Kendal to Hillary Clinton though. The comparison is based purely on skin colour. It screams 'look, a black guy is running for leader: we could have a black pm!' It doesn't have to be derogatory to be racist. The point is they are only focusing on the colour of his skin not his politics. The fact that he is mixed race should have no bearing on his bid for leadership, positive or otherwise.

Racism: Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior:

He and his team wanted him to be known as the British Obama, I would look into his garage DJ past to see where the fresh prince reference came from.

As for giving him leeway for his "trash" comment, I would agree to that as long as other politicians tweets from a couple of years ago wasn't dragged up in the press and used as a character reference.

He is more blue labour than blair ever was.

Loki - You might compare Hillary Clinton to Margaret Thatcher, potential president to PM, both firsts, but I can't see why you'd think of comparing Liz Kendall to Hillary. At least, it hasn't occurred to me. That particular first has already happened here.

But first black Leader of the Opposition/potential P.M. would be new and Obama is the obvious precursor.

Of course, the comparison is going to arise, and the fact that it's a cliche doesn't make it gauche. Or racist. It was a big thing for the USA and it would be a big thing for us, too. Something to celebrate not to pretend we haven't noticed because we're colour-blind.

I know nothing about the man but I must admit that this article www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/05/labour-urgently-needs-gallery-vernissages/ does not paint him in a good light!

I now know what 'vernissage' means. Chuka is not black- he's mixed race. His mother is the daughter of an Anglo-Irish judge. He should be judged on what he says and does otherwise it is racism. I'm not convinced that he's a man of the people. The media love him though.

Yvette Cooper is a far better comparison to Hillary than Liz Kendall, i.e. can they shake off their husband's image to win. I will be amazed if that comparison isn't made, particularly since she worked for Clinton.

Totally unbiased article scone

Gosh that trash comment is so blown out of proportion. He said that most evening entertainment venues in the West End were trash (whatever trash meant to him at the time, and it's all relevant to tastes & point in time). He didn't trash the whole capital.

The only way Labour will win next election is if the majority of the electorate are so poor that they need a welfare state again, and also if the Sun and Daily Mail cease to exist.

Ha! We can but hope Sarf

Derxa if CU identifies as black - and if a stranger would look at him and think 'he's black', as I believe most would, surely that makes him black? My DD identifies as black because that's what people see when they look at her, despite my being white.
As to whether people comparing a famous person with other famous persons of the same colour (if they're not white) I remember a cartoon where someone meets a succession of black women and to each he says 'you reminde of Tina Turner' despite none of them looking remotely like TT.
Racist? A bit ignorant for sure.

Sarf it's extraordinary how many are banking on their' never getting a chronic illness or life-changing injury making earning a living impossible, and how many people reckon they could easily find another job if they were made redundant. It's tempting to wish such a thing on some of the worst offenders, such as the fuckwit who suggested a woman with severe MS could 'stuff envelopes' for a living.

Oh this is the best news I've heard for the past week, I really hope he gets it.

The fresh prince is bizarre but the Obama comparison makes a lot of sense.

He didn't say the clubs were trash, he called the people trash. A particularly nasty way of looking at life.

"Is it just me or is there a serious lack of cool places to go in central London at the weekends.
"Most of the West End haunts seem to be full of trash and C-list wannabes, while other places that should know better opt for the cheesy vibe."
The millionaire former lawyer then called for recommendations for "a trash-free, decent night".

I meant to say above - that was all posted on a 'MySpace for millionaires' message board. Don't really think Labour leaders should be the type to call people trash.

I am mixed race not that this makes my point any more valid than anyone else and I don't really consider the comparison to Obama as racist. IMHO it's the intention behind what's said that would make it racist. EG if the comparison is purely because if he won he would be the first black Labour Leader as in Obama was the first black president then I can't really see an issue with that. However if the intention is to judge his abilities because of his heritage well then yes that would be racist.

I am no labour supporter but not sure his the right person for their party anyway. His from a similar elite upbringing to Cameron and his mother lives in a home that was funded via a Jersey based trust which helps 'high net worth' people to plan and mitigate tax liabilities (tax haven also known as tax dodging - allegedly). Not really sure how well that sits with a socialist party!

I don't know that he really is a millionaire. I don't think working in the City for seven or eight years would make someone a millionaire, and even if it would, he's unlikely to be as well off as Tony Blair and David Cameron were. Doesn't seem to have been a problem for them.

The 'trash' comment sounds like the loose, snooty talk of a young, silly person. I have had snooty words come out of my mouth that didn't and don't represent my opinions. I instantly regretted saying them but it was too late, I was overheard and that incident still troubles me. I wish I could put it right somehow. We do all say thoughtless things at times. I guess people must judge whether it was a bit of youthful "bigging up" or whether he really (still) looks at life that way.

That article says he's only left the M25 in a plane. He studied law at Manchester and did his LPC at Nottingham, so that is a basic error which makes me question his other claims.