To think Priti Patel probably wishes she hadn’t been so quick to claim racism doesn’t exist?

[Tellmetruth4]

....because now she can’t state it’s a factor in the attacks against her.

I have less than zero time for PP. I think her views are odious from claiming British workers are lazy in her capitalism on steroids book ‘Brittania Unchained’ to her comments on the Irish.

However, I also believe if she were white, the old guard of the civil service would have done some more hand holding, helped her find her feet, given her more of a chance. There have been many white male and female ministers who are horrible but they have not been quickly and publicly destroyed in the way PP has been. In addition the guy who resigned is no angel, having presided over the implementation of the Windrush scandal and was more than happy to assist in creating a nasty attitude towards immigrants under May.

Nevertheless, because she’s been very keen to pretend racism doesn’t exist in regards to others facing it including Meghan Markle in an attempt to ingratiate herself with the right of her party and DM readers, now she is a victim herself she can’t complain or expect anyone to come to her defence.

I’ve seen this at work in relation to sexism where a female employee who’s keen to rise through the ranks will turn a blind eye to all kinds of sexism in order to keep on the right side of senior men but when faced with it herself finds herself with no allies.

Am I wrong in my assessment?

@Iggly. No worries .

In response to a PP who wondered whether her family had ever tried to talk to her. Her dad stood for UKIP so I think they’re probably aligned.

Sorry again @Tellmetruth4

Didn't her husband blame the govt for homelessness? I think he's a councilor.

I do find it very difficult how someone who is BAME, whose family did leave the country they were living in, (whether forced out as Patel has inferred or got out because they saw the way the wind was blowing), can not pause to wonder if the UKIP types will come for them at some stage. I was reading in today's Observer about Cornershop's Tjinder Singh; He said "My dad said, 'They’ll not always want you here'. That stuck".

I do think that Johnson will throw her under the bus if it becomes expedient to do so. She might then find that she doesn't have all that many allies. Who was it, who said 'Be nice to people when you are on the way up, so that they will be nice to you on the way down'? Henry Ford?

It's not normal to move Permanent Secretaries Peregrina. They move on promotion etc, but Phillip could only have been promoted to 3 other Departments - anywhere else would have been a demotion and I can't remember when that last happened.

Ministers will often completely change their own private office staff - but Permanent Secretaries aren't part of that.

Anyone who is determined that racism/xenophobia doesn't exist needs their head examined!

Saw something on Twitter that made me reconsider my stance on this. It was suggested that Patel is merely tough and has high expectations. She works hard and expects others to do likewise.

Staff would have sucked this up in the past and believe it came with the territory whereas now they run off to tell tales.

I think it's the quartet that the issue. Patel is Asian, female, a Tory and has old school Indian work ethics and values.

Together, this is one hellova culture clash with the senior civil service. DH has been a civil servant for nearly twenty years, and, believe me, if your face doesn't fit, they will treat you like something they've stepped in.

DH once went for a job in private office (under Blair's Labour, no less) and one of the first questions was "what does your father do?" He said the sneering after he told the interviewer was extremely uncomfortable.

And, tbh, Gordon Brown was an utter terror to work for. But nobody ever said anything about that. It wasn't until he became PM that mutterings in the press about "a personality disorder" started.

One of the things I've directly experienced with some senior civil servants is that they sometimes employ in-group discourse to alienate others: for example, they will throw obscure Latin phrases into discussions.

Of course, if you didn't go to a public school and never studied Latin, you've no idea what they are talking about. But all their fellow civil service peers do, and they will all chuckle.

That's why I take the claims about Dominic Cummings with a pinch of salt. Part of me suspects that, for the first time, someone has come in and told them all to cut that shit out, and they don't like it.

Eh? You're claiming that "being Tory" is a culture clash with the senior civil service?

Not coming across as terribly credible there...

You're claiming that "being Tory" is a culture clash with the senior civil service?

Why would this be strange to claim? The senior civil service tends towards a form of "liberal elitism", which jars with Conservative perspectives. After Blair came to power in '97, a lot of the old civil service, who had served under Major and Thatcher, were moved aside as it was felt by the Labour government that they would not be able to work with a Labour administration.

Although some people may perceive them as "Tories", they do not see themselves that way.

or example, they will throw obscure Latin phrases into discussions. Of course, if you didn't go to a public school and never studied Latin, you've no idea what they are talking about. But all their fellow civil service peers do, and they will all chuckle.

You have just quite literally described the current Tory prime minister.

Honestly, if Patel's pals had stuck to claiming that she's a victim just of racism and sexism, then they might have got some traction – despite Patel's own minimisation of such things affecting other women.

But this getting silly now.

What is this hilarious new thing of conservatives pretending their fucking Leninists, all about 'breaking up the system'

They arnt. They're in the business of keeping those systems together (and their wealth) at all costs. Thats all that matters to them. Literally holding onto the 19th century whilst the planet is disintergrating.

*they're

ohh a bit of topic but have you heard Cornerhops new song, Peregrina? real good stuff

She works hard and expects others to do likewise.

Forgive me if I don't think that shouting and swearing is a sign of a hard worker.

Eh? You're claiming that "being Tory" is a culture clash with the senior civil service?

Quite.
Cummings - Public school and Oxbridge
Johnson - Public school and Oxbridge
Runtam - Public school and Oxbridge.

Now if we had a PM who had come from a sink estate, from a rough comprehensive or better still from a sec mod, then I might believe there was a culture clash.

I'm undecided how I feel about PP but I can't roll my eyes far enough at the Labour MPs bleating on about her bullying whilst simultaneously trying to get Bercow in the House of Lords.

She is one nasty piece of work. And now she cries racism/sexism.

I'm undecided how I feel about PP but I can't roll my eyes far enough at the Labour MPs bleating on about her bullying whilst simultaneously trying to get Bercow in the House of Lords. Oh come on, the Leavers are out to get him because he didn't bow down to them. They don't like being challenged. He stood up for the rights of back benchers but regardless does that have any bearing on PP causing so much upset that a member of staff took an overdose?