India Knight. To be shocked by the lack of self awareness.

[Tacono1]

I feel sad writing this as I have enjoyed her writing at times. I have been quite disturbed by recent developments but do still read The Times as I do still value their overall output ( their ongoing campaign on behalf of those impacted by the cladding scandal is excellent )so do still scan her articles. Today was a discussion of veganism etc. which did make some interesting points but right in the middle was the following statement
‘ I don’t much believe in hypocrisy, which is often the stupid person’s way of oversimplifying complicated and nuanced human choices’
The fact that it was written, then the fact that it wasn’t picked up by editors is astounding.
I think her position is untenable.

LOL, this is the India Knight who recently wrote a column about how awful bodyism is, and how bad the diet industry is.

Yes, the same India Knight who wrote - a diet book.

No wonder she doesn't believe in hypocrisy...

@TheoMeo For sure, Eric Joyce committed the crime, not India Knight. But I do feel that she has shown incredibly questionable judgment by staying with a man who has been the defendant of, I think, 3 court cases while she’s been in a relationship with him. I truly don’t understand how she, and her employers, think anyone wants or needs to read her opinions on how best to live our lives.

She chooses to stay in a sexual relationship with a man who enjoys child abuse. In staying with him she shares his status.

He is disgusting and so is she.

@ThursdayWeld

LOL, this is the India Knight who recently wrote a column about how awful bodyism is, and how bad the diet industry is.

Yes, the same India Knight who wrote - a diet book.

No wonder she doesn't believe in hypocrisy...

But even looking at her opinion on diets (I’m deliberately ignoring the Eric Joyce points because I’m appalled by him and by her standing by him and there is absolutely no justification for that) - does that mean we can never change our minds without being called a hypocrite? Even if, twenty years ago, you took on a diet, it was successful, you were offered money to write a book, it made money for your children, you put the weight back on and twenty years later realise how stupid you were?

@MrsBobDylan

Nail on head! 👏

But even looking at her opinion on diets (I’m deliberately ignoring the Eric Joyce points because I’m appalled by him and by her standing by him and there is absolutely no justification for that) - does that mean we can never change our minds without being called a hypocrite? Even if, twenty years ago, you took on a diet, it was successful, you were offered money to write a book, it made money for your children, you put the weight back on and twenty years later realise how stupid you were?

Oh please! It was in 2008, @Pumperthepumper, and she wrote a whole column a few weeks ago about how damaging the diet industry is. Without finding the space to mention that she herself had contributed to the diet industry...

I loathe her, she is a revolting, thick, hypocrite, a total waste of oxygen. Can’t stand the way The Times employ her just through nepotism and let her write her terrible drivel every week. She’s one of the reasons I don’t subscribe anymore, the last straw was when she mocked youngsters who were suffering with mental health issues because of the lockdowns, but then we know she doesn’t value children, not even her own.

[quote Clymene]**@bunnybutts* yes of course her child lives elsewhere. She's not allowed to have her child living with her because she lives with a paedophile* [/quote]
That's not entirely true.

Her child lives with her ex-husband, the child's father. I believe previously they had a joint residence arrangement.

Social services would not have prevented her daughter from remaining at home purely because of her husband's conviction, especially since it was at the lower end of such offences, and there was no suggestion of any contact offence or intent to commit one.

If they weren't in the public eye the case wouldn't even have been reported. It is probably the public nature of the conviction that her child's father (or more likely his legal team) have used in argument that the child is better off at the father's home.

I appreciate such offences attract pitchfork wielders on MN, but let's be clear whatever the opinion of certain posters, these offences are not viewed by the legal system or social services as being particularly heinous, and it is rare for anyone to get a custodial sentence or for children to be removed from the home.

@ThursdayWeld

But even looking at her opinion on diets (I’m deliberately ignoring the Eric Joyce points because I’m appalled by him and by her standing by him and there is absolutely no justification for that) - does that mean we can never change our minds without being called a hypocrite? Even if, twenty years ago, you took on a diet, it was successful, you were offered money to write a book, it made money for your children, you put the weight back on and twenty years later realise how stupid you were?

Oh please! It was in 2008, @Pumperthepumper, and she wrote a whole column a few weeks ago about how damaging the diet industry is. Without finding the space to mention that she herself had contributed to the diet industry...

Ok, thirteen years ago. Still, can you never change your mind without being called a hypocrite?

Oh god, not this again.

I refuse to read her columns any more. She's choosing to continue living with a convicted paedophile. I have no respect for her.

Her diet book is still available. So she doesn't seem to have changed her mind that much...

Pumperthethumper do you have children at private school even though you don’t approve of private education?

@TestingTestingWonTooFree

If you abolish private schools, the education available at state schools would be more democratic. With rich/scholarship kids, state schools might be better. You might think it is wrong that some children have a better education because they have money. However, while that advantage is available, you might be willing to take it for your children because otherwise they miss out.

But the point is that if you have valid reasons for wanting private schools abolished then validating their existence by using them is hypocritical. It's not about critical thinking it's about if you want to impact on people's choices by removing private education but you then exercise that choice yourself you are being hypercritical. You might argue, so what if I'm being hypercritical it's my choice. But by that doesn't change the fact you are.

As the IK, her form of hypocrisy is particularly nauseating. Not really sure what value she adds to the ST and there can be only so long her connections keep her in the job, hopefully.

@ThursdayWeld

Her diet book is still available. So she doesn't seem to have changed her mind that much...

Right, but regardless, are you a hypocrite for changing your mind?

@TomatoCultivator

Pumperthethumper do you have children at private school even though you don’t approve of private education?

I don’t, no.

@User27aw

Im pretty sure that millions of men have NOT looked at 'child porn' as you call it. And its not child porn it images of children being sexually abused. It wasnt her fault that he did it but by staying with him she is condoning it.

I believe statistics are at least 1 in 100 men have been charged or spoken to (not all police forces charge these offences) in relation to the making of such images. That's the ones who have been apprehended, but there are probably more.

So perhaps not quite millions, but certainly a very considerable number of people, and for most of them (because they're not in the public eye) you'd never know. Could be your work colleague, a dad at your kid's school, your next door neighbour. Literally anyone.

But the point is that if you have valid reasons for wanting private schools abolished then validating their existence by using them is hypocritical. It's not about critical thinking it's about if you want to impact on people's choices by removing private education but you then exercise that choice yourself you are being hypercritical. You might argue, so what if I'm being hypercritical it's my choice. But by that doesn't change the fact you are.

I don’t think anyone is arguing about choice, more the fact that hypocrisy is a lazy, boring argument that doesn’t leave way for any nuance.

She might not be your favourite journo but it was her DH who looked at porn not her.

He was convicted of making Class A film of a 1 year old.

"Images classed in this category depict gross assault, sadism or bestiality – obscene images involving penetrative sexual activity. This category also extends to all images that depict a child subjected to pain."

www.lawtonslaw.co.uk/resources/how-indecent-images-are-graded-in-criminal-courts/

I think it's perfectly reasonable to criticise someone with kids who stays with a guy like that.

@donquixotedelamancha

She might not be your favourite journo but it was her DH who looked at porn not her.

He was convicted of making Class A film of a 1 year old.

"Images classed in this category depict gross assault, sadism or bestiality – obscene images involving penetrative sexual activity. This category also extends to all images that depict a child subjected to pain."

www.lawtonslaw.co.uk/resources/how-indecent-images-are-graded-in-criminal-courts/

I think it's perfectly reasonable to criticise someone with kids who stays with a guy like that.

I’m not defending Eric Joyce at all, he’s a hideous excuse for a human, but ‘making’ in this context includes downloading or copying an existing film. It doesn’t necessarily mean he filmed it himself.

@TheoMeot there is no such thing as 'child porn'. Stop referring to images of the serial abuse of children as such.

Sexual, not serial.

I think educating dc privately even if you wish private education to be abolished is extremely hypocritical.
For those who disagree, do you think protesting about climate change then flying is hypocritical?

I cannot stand the woman and her hectoring tone. I’m sure thread will be taken down because it’ll become litigious at some stage however, does anyone remember her “Pig to Twig” forum?! That was hugely [see what I did there; fnarr, fnarr]. Basically saying how she couldn’t understand how anyone could be a lardarse because she’d developed her own Keto / South Beach / low carb diet which involved eating tons on Foi gras, Tomahawk Steaks etc - just for breakfast - and couldn’t understand why anyone couldn’t follow same regime. As for sharing drugs with kids “they’ve seen me smoke so it would be hypocritical”. God knows what they would have seen if nonce partner hadn’t been exposed.

I believe statistics are at least 1 in 100 men have been charged or spoken to (not all police forces charge these offences) in relation to the making of such images.

Do you have a link for that? I'm really sceptical that the UK police have remotely the resources to investigate 0.5% of the UK population filming themselves abusing kids.

I'm not remotley downplaying the scale of the problem, but that statistic just seems odd to me.