Fiona Bruce

[MayThe4th]

If Fiona Bruce had just clarified what was being referred to when talking about Stanley Johnson being guilty of domestic violence that would have been understandable. But to then go on to say that it had only happened once? Did that really need saying?

we all know domestic violence doesn’t start with a broken nose…

No one has misquoted her.

She didn’t say “it was only once”

she said “sjs friends say it was only once”

Stop trying to cancel her. Also another thing we forget is that we are all human. People make mistakes everyday. Words come out wrong.

she was in no way defending SJ. Nor was she deep Level minimising DV.

ridiculous. Hate this world we live in where every word is scrutinised.

Exactly. That makes his friends DV minimisers. We all know that just because it allegedly happened "only once" doesn't make it any less abhorrent.

This constant picking at what people have said is draining.
language is important and untrue, racist or harmful comments should always be challenged. This has nothing to do with being right or left wing it is about decency.

I took it to mean that although he wasn’t convicted SJs friends confirmed it happened and they insisted it was only once. By stating that she has confirmed it 100% did happen.

the bbc have to be careful. Until things are fact they must make it clear it’s speculation.

Stop trying to cancel her. Also another thing we forget is that we are all human. People make mistakes everyday. Words come out wrong.

Are we all getting paid megabucks to present a TV show? I'd be horrified if one of my friends came out with a comment like this irl. It's not a normal comment to make is it. Why does someone need to say it's a one off? why does it matter what his friends said? This is a man breaking his wife's nose.

She was saying more about SJs friends I believe. She was saying that those closest to him said “yup this did happen”

Although FB has said she is upset at no point has she said 'her words came out wrong'.

@salutsandy makes no difference her pay packet. She’s still human. Humans make errors in language every day.

Yes but it makes his friends at fault , not her .

All this makes me think we should make the process to prosecute DV a easier when there is factual evidence because technically when there is no criminal charge or conviction an individual is still innocent until proven guilty in law.

She does NOT need to distance her serves with charities either. There’s worse people to “go after”! you people are a bunch of snowflakes. Getting offended over a word that someone said that she very clearly didn’t mean to be interpreted as it has done.

I wish an asteroid would come and wipe us all out.

makes no difference her pay packet. She’s still human. Humans make errors in language every day.

Nevertheless I wouldn't go on TV and say that, would you? She's a professional presenter. She hasn't said it was an error anyway, she meant to say it, she interrupted to say it.

didn’t know SJ was a domestic abuser. If I’d been watching that I’d have thought “hold up what did she just say did I hear that right” so Bruce was absolutely right to give context.
The context was ok what she didn't need to add was the last sentence which said his friends said it was a one off. That was totally unnecessary. If they wanted to provide complete balance they would also need a quote from her friends.

I don’t want to live on a planet like this anymore and i Really worry for our kids. Cancel culture and woke nonsense. It’s the biggest disaster of our time

Here is a statement from Women's Aid :

At Women’s Aid we were shocked last night to see the Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce state, in response to a comment that Stanley Johnson was a ‘wife-beater’, that “friends of his said it did happen, it was a one off”. This comment was unnecessary and irresponsible. We know at Women’s Aid that domestic abuse is rarely, if ever, a ’one-off’, with the vast majority of abuse being a pattern of behaviour that includes different forms of abuse. In this case, the survivor has been quoted saying she was always being hit by Johnson, and that she was not allowed when married to Johnson to have a car, possibly indicating controlling behaviour. Even if abuse is an isolated event, it would have still been domestic abuse, and this should never be minimised.
We are particularly surprised to hear this comment from Fiona Bruce, who has previously campaigned against domestic abuse with us at Women’s Aid and other domestic abuse charities, and has spoken publicly about her friend’s experience of abuse.
Question Time is a flagship BBC programme and carries with it authority over the narrative. The narrative that domestic abuse can be dismissed as a one-off is harmful, and influences how seriously the public take domestic abuse. Our recent report into public perceptions of domestic abuse shows what a long way we have to go to shift public attitudes that enable and tolerate domestic abuse in our society, and last evening’s comment illustrates exactly this.
We ask the BBC to take this seriously and have clear guidelines on how domestic abuse is referenced across their programmes and channels. The BBC has a huge platform, and with it comes a significant responsibility. For us to end domestic abuse, we need to work together to not only address the support needs of survivors, but address the attitudes that enables domestic abuse to not only exist but thrive across society, as perpetrators are not held to account.”

@salutsandy you are literally missing the point.

SHE didn’t say it. She was quoting friends.

i could say “rishi Sunil thinks we should stop the boats”

that doesn’t mean it’s my opinion!

The BBC eating itself alive was always going to be the logical culmination of its unbending dedication to so called balance by presenting both sides of an argument as equal in merit.

Because the BBC has to other side everything, even the indefensible

Honestly. In a world where we can effectively cancel JK Rowling for stating that sex is real and Fiona Bruce For quoting SJs friends in a slightly clumsy fashion.

this world is bonkers.

It's surprising how many seem incapable of grasping this. It wasn't like it was minimising it, I read it as even his friends have been clear that he did it- sure the only once comment was unnecessary even though she was just covering the BBCs arse, but seems she has acknowledged people have been hurt by this and has said she has mortified; what more do people want? She's taking accountability for it, she isn't excusing it and I'm sure she will learn from it. None of us are perfect, none. The notion that say something that can be construed by some as offensive then that's it off you pop back to obscurity is ridiculous. People can take accountability without being cancelled.

It's also a bit strange that this was brought up by the panelist evidently without much thought for the victim.

100% agree

This is the sort of witch hunt that Laura K has received for supposedly being a Tory.

Firehouse1 I'm not missing the point thanks

The BBC eating itself alive was always going to be the logical culmination of its unbending dedication to so called balance by presenting both sides of an argument as equal in merit.

Yes. There's no 'other side' in a DV case. She could have said SJ disputes this, if he does. Or that his friends confirmed it happened. But to say it was a one off is deeply problematic. To even hold that view that 'one off' matters in DV cases is too

It's also a bit strange that this was brought up by the panelist evidently without much thought for the victim.

People are allowed to be angry that a known domestic abuser has been nominated for a knighthood

And wrongly. She didn’t say ‘only once’, she was quoting from his friends’ statement to the press, note expressing a personal opinion.