The Home Secretary "jokes" about spiking his wifes drink with Rohypnol

[cakeorwine]

As the other thread has been automatically hidden

"James Cleverly has apologised for joking about spiking his wife’s drink with a date rape drug in comments made at a Downing Street reception.
The home secretary’s remarks came just hours after the Home Office announced plans to crack down on spiking, when someone puts drugs into another person’s drink or directly into their body without their knowledge or consent.

Cleverly told female guests at the reception that “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”, the Sunday Mirror reported.
He also laughed that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was “someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there”."

So much to say about this

ShakeyReasoning

The Home Secretary, who meets all sorts of people in his job and has to be trusted to handle things with tact and diplomacy, should never say things he doesn't mean on the assumption that people will be able to read between the lines. And knowing he was attending an event full of journalists he should have been on high alert. The event should have been used to get the Home Office message out there, not display his misogyny. Unbelievable that anyone here should be trying to defend him.

How can you be so sure he doesn't condone it @Shakeylegs?

Many of his colleagues have been sacked or are being investigated for rape and sexual assault. Some for multiple rapes and one for Spousal Rape. The Cheif Whip of the party told a woman who reported her rape to "Get over it". Under this government rape convictions have dropped so low, that it practically decriminalised.

The culture of misogyny in the party is such that they feel free to subject their own employees, journalists and the women of the UK to it without a second thought.

I am just gobsmacked at the responses from some here. This is not the same as Dickhead Dave the plumber making crappy 'jokes' down the pub on Friday nights. And it's not even the same as professionals employing humour in a tough job (although, having been in one of those jobs myself for many years, I don't think 'gallows humour' should ever be a free pass to say whatever the fuck you like).

This is the Home Secretary, ffs. One of the country's top jobs. One of the most important and responsible public positions we have. He should be beyond reproach in all his public utterances - why is this now supposedly too much to ask? When did we stop expecting high standards of our elected representatives? When did we start excusing what are basically rape jokes because, y'know, Dave down the pub thinks it's just bantz?

My DD works with some extremely vulnerable people and its stressful, there is dark humour at times to relive this stress.

However, he wasn't in a stressful situation, quite the opposite, with women & a background of a new crackdown on drinks spiking.

Gordon Brown probably lost an election because of a private comment, the Tories as always, get a free pass, in the eyes of their supporters, they really can do no wrong, everything can and will be defended.

Men are capable of behaving like decent people so lets expect better from them.
Making an abusive comment, passing it off as a joke and then blaming the victim for being easily offended is not OK.

GB comment was not a joke it was a judgement made

it still follows him

as this comment will follow JC

Making a joke about rape at a Downing Street event (not a private conversation between colleagues) with attendees including journalists, in your capacity as Home Secretary, isn't comparable to the gallows humour people in other stressful jobs such as emergency services. At all.

And people in emergency services aren't paid specially to represent the interests of the general public including shaping legislation and justice.

Can't you see the huge difference there?

And once again, genuine questions for you:

What if he made a 'dark joke' about black people being abused in police custody hours after announcing measures to reduce racism in the force?

What if he made a 'dark joke' about physically disabled people being easier to sexually assault hours after announcing measures to reduce the abuse of disabled people?

In these two examples, do you think he should lose his job?

This was to @HRTQueen

What did Gordon brown say ?

Presumably the 'bigoted woman' comment caught on mic.

Gordon Brown called a member of the public a “bigoted woman” when he thought he was off mike

Yes, far less serious.... Bigot comment vs Rape joke.

You ve made my point though, Browns private comment about a voter, you define as a "Judgement" were as JC's is a "joke that back fired"

This wont follow Cleverly, thats not what the media does for Tories.

I answered in a previous response

gallows/dark/dry jokes or comments are often made they are meant to be inappropriate thats the humour within the comment

is it amusing to everyone no, should it be said probably not but in the situation it’s taken as that (mostly) as an inappropriate remark to lighten the mood or at an attempt to be witty

that’s others are offended is their right to be

FFS Attempt at being Witty???? Drinks spiking and rape? made by the Home Secretary at a Downing Street meeting with female journalists.

Is Cleverly 11 yo?

Like i said, Tories really can do no wrong.

@HRTQueen

gallows/dark/dry jokes or comments are often made they are meant to be inappropriate thats the humour within the comment

is it amusing to everyone no, should it be said probably not but in the situation it’s taken as that (mostly) as an inappropriate remark to lighten the mood or at an attempt to be witty

that’s others are offended is their right to be

But he made the comment at a Downing Street event attended by multiple people. He didn't need to 'lighten the mood'. He didn't need 'gallows humour' which I understand is a much needed remedy for emergency service people in difficult times.

My question is, if he, in the same situation (a Downing Street event, in his role as Home Secretary) made the following jokes, would you really, honestly still say he shouldn't lose his job as a consequence?

A 'dark joke' about black people being abused in police custody hours after announcing measures to reduce racism in the force?

A 'dark joke' about physically disabled people being easier to sexually assault hours after announcing measures to reduce the abuse of disabled people?

completely agree. And even Dickhead Dave might feel consequences. If I overheard him making this joke in the pub, he wouldn't make the cut for plumbers I might hire.

No joke would not offend at least one person in this world. As for me, humor should have no barriers at all (almost). Otherwise, it will be too boring to live in this world

It will follow him because we don’t just have right wing media (And I know how influential they are) now we have social media

no one has said that what JC said was a statement of truth it was reported as an inappropriate joke by those there that was offence to some

GB made a judgment his conduct after wasn’t great either he was never good at pr

I want the Home Secretary of our country to treat drugging and rape as a serious matter.

I think that some things (such as rape and drugs used for rape) are inherently unfunny so yes I am offended by anyone who jokes about this. Context is everything: it is particularly offensive given that rape and sexual assault is rife and probably most women have had at least one bad experience. It is a threat all women live with.

Rape has effectively been decriminalised in this country due to the lack of successful prosecutions, and the Government is ultimately accountable for that.

Given this context, what Cleverly said is inexcusable and how anyone who can justify what he said is beyond me. This is the Home Secretary of all people! whose role is to uphold law and order. The bar is set so low for this Government, why on earth do we tolerate it?

"No barriers" even if you're the Home Secretary at a Downing Street event (paid for by the taxpayer) and there in your official capacity?

Really?

To be clear the the first three paragraphs of this post are by @HRTQueen - I meant to bold them to show they were quotes.

@HRTQueen

But he made the comment at a Downing Street event attended by multiple people. He didn't need to 'lighten the mood'. He didn't need 'gallows humour' which I understand is a much needed remedy for emergency service people in difficult times.

My question is, if he, in the same situation (a Downing Street event, in his role as Home Secretary) made the following jokes, would you really, honestly still say he shouldn't lose his job as a consequence?

A 'dark joke' about black people being abused in police custody hours after announcing measures to reduce racism in the force?

A 'dark joke' about physically disabled people being easier to sexually assault hours after announcing measures to reduce the abuse of disabled people?

Nobody who says he shouldn't lose his job because it was a joke seems keen on letting everyone know what they would think if the 'joke' had been as above...

This wont follow Cleverly, thats not what the media does for Tories.

Depends which side of the Tory civil war Cleverly sits on. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that this "story" is being pushed by team "not Rishi" who are probably a little upset at being stiffed over Rwanda.