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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Diane Abbott replaced: Ill health?

198 replies

PizzaPower · 07/06/2017 09:36

So she's gone, is it really ill health, or do they think she is a massive liability and a vote looser?

OP posts:
waitforitfdear · 07/06/2017 12:25

Regarding Dianne wish her a good recovery but I hope never to see her on any political platform again as I dislike racist hypocrites.

makeourfuture · 07/06/2017 12:29

Along those lines. We must remember if we are white, it doesn't mean we cannot say anything bad about an individual person of colour, just that we should keep in mind that we have behind us centuries of white power structure.

And we should exercise caution, knowing that perhaps what we say is influenced by subtle prejudices.

We may hold no individual personal power, but behind us is a white power structure.

Talith · 07/06/2017 12:30

I have a lot of sympathy for her. Clearly she hasn't been on form and she looks exhausted. Those faked emails didn't discredit her at all from what I can see, she refused to tell untruths about her illness.

Clandestino · 07/06/2017 12:31
  1. Have you suffered from racism?

If you take the racism in its broader definition, I have suffered racism, even though I'm white. Coming from Eastern Europe, I was treated as a second-class human being in the "West" and I had to fight hard to gain respect which is something that women from Western Europe get automatically.
We are considered lower educated, sandwich-makers, cleaners, social welfare takers. I was asked whether we had electricity and fridges and if I wore jeans when I was a child.
Even recently, I had a woman who, upon hearing that I was from Eastern Europe automatically slowed down and started talking to me like I was demented, which was ridiculous considering we had a very normal conversation till then (when she thought I was German).

  1. Do you believe that Dianne does not suffer from racism? what has been your experience and effects on your day-to-day life?

I believe she does. Of course. My experiences are above.

  1. Do you believe that white women suffer as much from racism as West Indian women?

I already mentioned that above. I'm not Russian but had conversations with people who thought Russian women were either their men's punching bags or e-mail brides (when they were married to a Westerner).

  1. Who suffers worse under racism, white women or West Indian?

As above. There's white and there's white.

  1. What do you think about the power to shape a narrative by sheer (majority)number of white women on here and together with the Daily Mail compared little representation of alternative voices possibly of West Indian "mothers"?
Considering the Daily Mail believes I'm a despicable lower-class immigrant (because I'm not from the Western Europe), very little.
  1. Would any of you know what West Indian mothers feel about Dianne's statements?
No
Sostenueto · 07/06/2017 12:31

Heaven forbid ANY of you who have made terrible and horrible remarks about DA never get Ill whilst doing your jobs, never get bullied incessantly until you become a nervous wreck , never make a mistake whether past or present because you are all so perfect to the point of making everybody sick with your perfections.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 07/06/2017 12:31

As she's standing for reelection I think it is relevant if she is ill or just a liability.

CalmShambala · 07/06/2017 12:36

I think I am watching different news to the rest of you. The news I have heard is that she is stepping down temporarily as she is sick. Once up and running again she will be back. On the eve of an election which JC thinks he is on the brink of winning, they have let her go to quash the hesitant voters who think she is not the right person to be home secretary. I personally think this illness is a bit of a spin. Once in power I bet she will be back on the front bench. To me, they have just put her away for a few days as she was a PR disaster.

Charmageddon · 07/06/2017 12:37

I don't think she is ill though, in all honesty.

I think she's been thrown under the bus by JC & his team.

I think she was out of her depth as shadow cabinet member, definitely (no shame in that), but I think she's been pretty callously used as a sacrificial lamb in this instance.

alltouchedout · 07/06/2017 12:41

@LeMontane round of applause.

Some people need to take a long hard look at themselves.

Sostenueto · 07/06/2017 12:42

I have a very good idea what DAs illness may be having seen many cases in my life. None if you know her personally as I do not. I knew by her many appearances with portillo that she was articulate and passionate about things which concerned her. She is a human being that I do know for certain. Everything else I am not certain as she us not a personal acquaintance. But knowing she id human, with feelings, with views that may differ from mine is enough for me to treat her in the same way I would want to be treated.

MacarenaFerreiro · 07/06/2017 12:42

She was clearly not performing as she should have been on that Sky interview. The reasons for her poor performace are entirely her business and if she is ill, we should respect her right to keep that private if she wants to.

I'm glad that the Labour leadership have recognised that she was not performing and was becoming an increasing liability and have replaced her for the foreseeable.

I'm not a Laoubr voter and I think this whole thing has been handled poorly, just glad they've eventually done the right thing.

alltouchedout · 07/06/2017 12:42

Fucking hell it must be amazing to have the ability to diagnose a lack of illness by Internet...

Wingles10 · 07/06/2017 12:42

Ah I see, thank you.

TheNaze73 · 07/06/2017 12:43

Regardless of political persuasion, I think anyone would wish her a speedy recovery

SovietKitsch · 07/06/2017 12:45

I haven't read anyone else saying they thought Theresa looked ill - I watched her on Question Time on Friday night (don't know whether that's when it played, but that's when I saw it) and just thought she looked, ill, anxious and frankly not up to the job. I hadn't thought it before - but then where else has she been showing up for anyone to form an opinion?

I am no misogynist, just calling what I see. If she's not unwell she certainly lacks the mental stamina required to be PM - she is a poor public speaker as soon as she is taken away from her script, and thinks very poorly on her feet. I think she's not up to the job and she knows it. It's got nothing to do with her being a woman, of that I can assure you.

clairethewitch70 · 07/06/2017 12:46

Diane Abbott has just tweeted that she is still standing as candidate and will be back soon.

scatterolight · 07/06/2017 12:46

StHeathensGrammar said: "Haha @"left-wing bias" on MN! We also have an anti-dickhead bias, whislt you're at it. Perhaps that's because left wing stuff actually makes sense? Humans evolved communally, the selfish right wing crap is just bizarre."

I love posts like this. This is why I return to politics threads on MN again and again. To see the lefty froth in their natural environment. Like a toddler asserting their omniscience, completely ignorant of their own stratospheric ignorance. Unfettered by reason or civil discourse they can spread their wings and display all the fruits of their woefully tragic lefty education.

Halle71 · 07/06/2017 12:47

Going back to the first page.
Bran. You are Lily Allen.

Can you please give one example each, of misogynistic and racist comment?

Just one.

makeourfuture · 07/06/2017 12:50

Like a toddler asserting their omniscience, completely ignorant of their own stratospheric ignorance. Unfettered by reason or civil discourse they can spread their wings and display all the fruits of their woefully tragic lefty education.

Enough prevarication, tell us how you really feel.

Bambambini · 07/06/2017 12:53

I think she has had awful treatment from social media, the press etc because she is a not so attractive assertive, successful black woman. Her sex, race and attractiveness has definitely been used againt her in a disgusting way.

TheMonkeyAndThePlywoodViolin · 07/06/2017 12:53

Tories are so arrogant

squoosh · 07/06/2017 12:56

I'm glad that the Labour leadership have recognised that she was not performing and was becoming an increasing liability and have replaced her for the foreseeable.

If only the Tory leadership would recognise that the Tory leadership is not performing and is becoming an increasing liability. That’s before we even get on to the likes of Karen Bradley, Andrew Mitchell, Johnson, Davis…

areyoubeingserviced · 07/06/2017 12:57

Totally agree Bam.

hackmum · 07/06/2017 13:01

scatterolight - you sound like a delight.

As for intelligence, I'm thrilled to be voting the same way as Stephen Hawking - though I'm sure he'll be devastated to hear your views on his "woefully tragic lefty education".

Sostenueto · 07/06/2017 13:03

Scatterilight the use if elaborated language code is no proof of intelligence. All it means is you can insult people in flowery language which points to a silver spoon upbringing and having never lived in the real world occupied by 95% of the people in this country. So in equally flowery language go forth and do what you do best (sure I don't have to spell it out to such an educated person as yourself)