Angela Rayner’s glottal stops are infuriating

[Ilovecleaning]

AIBU to be so irritated by the deputy PM’s lazy speech? I was listening to her being interviewed this morning and I was distracted by her Bri-ish/righ-/wai-ed. I googled her and apparently when asking a question about the lockdown parties she said ‘Was you there or not?’
Why does it anger me so much? It is not her accent. I am northern but I don’t drop my t’s and I know when to use was and were.
Her lazy speech distracts from the content. I have my theories but I would love to hear other people’s opinions.

The pp is confusing 'speaks with a particular accent' and being intelligent and well educated.
Edit as I accidentally replied to a reply!

Who sets the standard? I don't need to sound like an Eton educated public school boy or the Queen. My own speech is fine.

As is Angela's.

Also, this is the discriminatory element...
It takes extra effort to speak and eradicate all features of your natural accent.
However if that is the accent you grew up with that is the easiest accent for you to use.
It's interesting how we project ideas around 'laziness' and 'effort' in this way, to the benefit of those with privileged backgrounds.
It would take just as much effort to adopt a Scouse, or Georgie accent as it is for those with a northern accent to adopt one closer to RP.
But that doesn't have the social capital so they aren't expected to try.
The conflation of class and intelligence is so entrenched in the UK.

*You might say would've but that's not would of. If you say would of, you're likely to write would of because you don't know the difference

😂

Well said.
Some complete ignorance about accents on here, including some from who claim to be Northern but don't seem to have a clue or comprehend there are dozens of different Northern accents.

Most of it not even recognisable English, in Johnson's case.

I’m from just up the road from Ange. As many have said, it’s the grammar not the accent. Someone mentioned Mr Hoyle. He has a stonker of an accent but his grammar and pronunciation are fabulous. As is Ange’s hair.

Absolutely this.

I'm from the South, yet at times I speak colloquially, especially when I'm keen to get an idea across/excited/have had a drink.

I've been picked up on it in the past, particularly when I've worked in traditionally 'posher' sectors.

It's nasty, unacceptable snobbery, designed to keep the nasty commoners down. And to reinforce the idea that those who talk 'proper' are somehow better, even when they're chatting absolute shite.

But she has a leg-up/support from the unions and now they own her. It feels a bit like the mafia; can you walk away and do your own thing?
It makes me feel like she doesn’t always have the best interests of the country at heart, just her union bosses.

She's been head to head with Oliver Dowden (studied law at Cambridge) at PMQs quite a few times and definitely held her own. He struggled against her.

This sounds like something from the 1970's. Lots of Labour MPs have a union background and are passionate about workers' rights. The workers' rights bill is pretty much the only thing this government has done so far that is properly Labour and will help millions of working people.

Did the Tories have the best interests of the country at heart when they were giving out massive lucrative PPE contracts to their mates via the VIP lane, e.g. Michelle Mone, during Covid? PPE that turned out to be completely useless and cost money in storage and destruction?

I’m a northerner with an accent. I’m one of those people who can’t do other accents to save my life so the accent I developed as a child is the accent I will have all my life.
I have experienced so many comments about my accent and at times it has really affected my confidence. With a decent educational and professional record and now I’m older it bothers me less than it did but I know there have been many times I haven’t spoken because I have been worried about how I sound compared to other people. Recently I did a Q&A as a panel member and often at these things audience members want to speak with you afterwards. A woman approached me and the first thing she did was mimic my accent. If you knew how insulting it is to comment on people’s accents and how it can destroy someone’s self confidence, I’d like to think you would stop.
Angela Rayner is awesome as far as I’m concerned.

Can you ‘walk away and do your own thing’ if you’re a Tory enmeshed in the old boy network and a firm scoundrel of the Establishment? Though I suppose that would imply that your ‘own thing’ involved anything other than preserving a status quo that props up the privilege of your caste.

’Scoundrel’ is actually a typo for ‘scion’, but not inappropriate.

The odious Michael Fabricant interrupted a Scottish MP mid speech in Parliament wanting him to ‘speak in English.’ It seems some of you would like a return to this sort of behaviour.

Dont move up north then.

The content is more important than the delivery so, no, I'm not infuriated by Ms Rayner's pronunciation. And I strongly suspect that it's just a small part of what you find most annoying about her. Isn't it?

Here, here @ScupperedbytheSea. The area I live in has been invaded by posh media types and I openly overheard two mums discussing how horrified they were that dearest Tarquin has started speaking with our local accent because the nursery team that look after him all day speak like that. Piss off back home then if you don't like it. 😂I was raging but bit my tongue. This was when my youngest was starting school nursery a few years ago. I did not want to be that mum that they all bitch about. I just keep my head down and seek out the non-snobs now. 😊

If I'm the PP you mean, then I certainly don't conflate having a cut crystal accent with being intelligent/educated. I don't speak with RP and have a faint Midlands accent, I think? But I enunciate clearly and my spoken grammar is perfect.

Isn't this just emphasising the point? She's over promoted and under qualified. I don't care about her accent. She's just not very good and doesn't come across as very bright. And she doesn't have what it takes to answer those questions on radio 4.

Not answering those questions was diplomacy not inability.

🙄

Your enunciation and spoken grammar has no bearing on your intelligence or ability to do your job.
Using regional dialectal grammar, or producing speech sounds with a regional accent bear no relation to your cognitive abilities.

Er, yes, that's what I said. I've already said I'm not bothered by her accent. But having seen AR interviewed many times she isn't articulate and certainly doesn't make me think she's quick witted, or especially intelligent? And we already know that she isn't educated beyond leaving school at 16.

I don't conflate being intelligent with being well educated either. But the fact is, the vast majority of elite politicians will be both intelligent and very well educated at some of the best universities in the world.

And, hats off to AR for getting this far. But I will never believe that she can hold her own, intellectually, with the above.

You don’t need to believe it. She can and that’s all that matters. 🤷‍♀️