Is this the mother of all calling out - Katherine Birbalsingh

[DramaFatigue]

Katherine Birbalsingh has done the mother of all calling out and I can't help but sit here with my jaw on the kitchen table in awe.

She has written a 4-page open letter to Sir Kerr Starmer calling out Jess Phillip's behaviour online. Whilst I don't always agree with KB's methods of the school she runs, I do think that Jess Phillips behaviour towards her is shocking and unbefitting of someone who could be running the country. JP should resign TBH.

https://news.sky.com/story/headteacher-katharine-birbalsingh-brands-labour-mp-jess-phillips-social-media-posts-racist-and-bullying-12913139

LittleBearPad
No, but you wouldn’t as you’re a dyed in the wool conservative and brexiteer who loathes the Labour Party.

I wouldn't because it seems implausible that Katharine Birbalsingh supports domestic violence against women - therefore when Jess Phillips insinuated that she did, I thought her comments were unreasonable - even more so when KB protested that she didn't support domestic violence and JP tweeted 'sure'.

Isn’t that just more abuse

Well this is interesting

""My view is that Ms Phillips' extreme and unprompted hostility towards me is motivated by my race. By this I do not mean that she hates all people of colour.

"Her behaviour is a clear example of 'unconscious bias'. I mean that she hates me, despite not knowing me, because she subscribes to the idea that Black and Asian individuals in public life owe a duty to voice opinions that match with a left-wing view of the world, or they are worthy of her contempt."

So she's not a racist or she isn't a racist in the typical sense.

I wonder what her lawyers have been saying to her?

And yes - she has used friendly media that haven't challenged her.

I do wonder what her school and her school Governors think - especially as she has been fact checked by Twitter about her screen shots.

That GB "News" reminds me of the cosy chats in the old days that Ministers used to have.

"So tell me about your new policy, Minister" rather than actually hold truth to power.

It looks as if the school is owned and run by a private limited company, Michaela Community School Trust. She is a director, but she is only one, and presumably she can still be disciplined in her role as headteacher.

What she said was that she had posted a GIF and she didn't know that it had landed on this picture. But we can see that she didn't post a GIF.

No, it's a pretty accurate statement.

She has said lots of things that don't stand up to scrutiny.

Interesting letter from her on why she stepped down as Social Mobility Tsar

Letter from Katharine Birbalsingh CBE to the Minister for Women and Equalities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

"I come with too much baggage to be as effective as I would like to be as Chair. I have become increasingly aware of how my notoriety puts the SMC in jeopardy. I always end up approaching news interviews in a defensive way. I can’t go out there and fight for us as any Chair should do.
I also very much worry that all of our excellent work will be ignored by some people who would genuinely benefit from listening to it. They have already told me this on Twitter. They say that if the SMC work finds evidence to back what we do at Michaela, they will be very suspicious. People actually advised me on Twitter to outsource all of the SMC work on schools, if I want the work to be taken seriously. If the secretariat team does the analysis, then it is tainted because the team is tainted by me."

I want to be able to speak publicly about what I think is right and not worry that I am bringing the SMC into disrepute. People regularly say to me, ‘You can’t say that as Chair of the SMC!’. The role gags me and turns me into someone that I’m not.

Sure if you’re up for SM insults and carry on

Feel free to let her know you can join all the others that hurl abuse at people online.

I don't like her because of my job role and I believe the entire opposite of what she believes in with regards raising rounded and mentally stable young people.

I couldn't give a shit about her political views as I'm a swing voter so not aligned with any party.

I couldn't give a shit about her personal likes and dislikes the same way as I don't care that some of my friends have opposing views to mine.

I don't like her attitude or her beliefs about educating our young people. And I don't like she brings her school into disrepute due to her actions. I admire professionalism and she lacks it massively.

I would be very surprised if Jess Phillips genuinely believed that Katharine Birbalsingh supports domestic violence.

This is the first I've heard of this and I haven't bothered to look into it on Twitter but by that article it literally just seems like Jess Phillips is questioning the inclusion of an abusive man in a tribute photo? What has that got to do with racial hatred?

This is the "Sure" comment

KB said "To those lunatics accusing me of celebrating wife beating, I tweeted a gif with a number of pictures of Tina. For some reason, it settled on one photo which I didn't know when I tweeted the gig. I didn't know it was Ike"

JP replied "Sure" in a GIF

So what do people think she is replying "Sure" to ?

For context, I've posted the original tweet from KB. You'll notice there is no GIF word in there and you'll also she has written Good Times with a thumbs up.

It’s because she’s brown but doesn’t act like brown people should, according to progressives. Out and out racism. But because the lefties are being racist, it wouldn’t be considered racist. They’ll call it it everything else, but never admit to the truth of their racism.

Cue the defensive outrage.

So what do people think she is replying "Sure" to?

The reply insinuates that KB 'celebrates wife beating' and that she knew the man in the photograph was Ike. If the reply was just about the GIF, why did JP question safeguarding in KB's school?

Or the reply insinuates that KB did know it was Ike and "for some reason, that picture came up"

Did she question safeguarding? I thought she offered to write some lesson plans and policies on Domestic Abuse.

What do you think JP said about safeguarding in the school and did she use the word safeguarding?

And KB did make a big speech at the Nat C conference about how people should live their values - inspired by Gladiator.

They should speak up and "Hold the line"

JP was following the advice of KB and "holding the line" - just as she did when she commented on the many speakers at the Nat C conference.

No but her predilection for self-publicity makes it more than plausible she decided to double down on her "genuine mistake" - she clearly thrives on publicity and her carefully maintained public persona

cakeorwine
I thought she offered to write some lesson plans and policies on Domestic Abuse

Comes across as a criticism (even a threat) - not an offer;

I'm courageous enough to tweet under my own name. Seems that far from holding any kind of line that headteacher woman seems not to be able to take criticism of her actions. I'd be keen to hear of domestic abuse policies she has in her school or teaching plans, perhaps I'll write

So she didn't criticise safeguarding at the school then - just wondering what domestic abuse policies there were.

Threat?

Of course the Daily Mail has published a recent article without mentioning the errors in her letter

UK's strictest headteacher claims Jess Phillips spread 'lies' about her in Tina Turner Twitter row | Daily Mail Online

I really hope JP sues - this has blown up and Katharine has clearly made extensive errors in her letter.

They should speak up and "Hold the line"
JP was following the advice of KB and "holding the line"

You mean JP was mocking KB's speech at the conference.

Or using her words.

Lots of speculation, inference and lies in the letter.

Misreading "Aslan" for "Asian"

Saying that the screenshots were the time they were screenshotted - which is a lie.

Threat?

Bordering on a threat - of complaint/writing to the school - yes.
Hardly an 'offer'.

Misreading "Aslan" for "Asian"

I thought KB had already acknowledged that mistake.

Not in the letter.
She used that in her letter of complaint to prove that Jess was racist. Or was exhibiting unconscious bias.

Funny how that was not mentioned in the interviews with GB News or in the DM

Or writing to find out what they were?

You can claim a threat but that’s only your perspective.