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.

you are being classist .

really there is loads I could write on this but I CBA as that’s the bottom line.

it’s not lazy, she’s not stupid. Those are your own prejudices and you’d do well to explore them

I don't particularly like her but I have nothing against the way she speaks. It's just her accent/dialect.

I AM exploring them! That’s why I have started an AIBU post.

I’m from Greater Manchester and “bad grammar” is just the way a lot speak here, I have to consciously phrase it differently at work or in writing.

(“I were sat there” for example, rather than “I was sitting there”).

My opinion is you are a snob who does not get that your accent reflects your upbringing, regional/national origin, family, education, many other factors - and is a part of who you are.

There's no such thing as lazy speech, only accents, idiolects, dialects, languages etc ... that aren't yours.

It wasn't her accent that was irritating it was not answering the questions. Mind you I did feel sorry for her, oh just pop onto Radio 4 Angela and talk about employment law. Oh hang on Trump has just paused all aid to Ukraine, in all likelihood sealing the fate of Ukraine and the western works? Don't worry Angela, just style it out, you'll be fine.

I don’t judge people by how they speak, it’s what the do that counts. I love an accent. It makes people real.

I can’t abide how Robson Green speaks. He’s a Geordie but has worked on acquiring a more southern accent.

I’ve probably contradicted myself there! 😂

She's not illiterate ffs. And what qualifications do you need to be a politician? In the past, it wasn't unusual for working class men to get into politics via trade unions, so qualifications haven’t always been necessary. Do you believe someone who has studied at a private school then onto Oxbridge is more qualified to represent the masses? She may not be 'statesman like' but she has her own valuable skills influenced by her real life experience (like first hand experience of poverty/being a young carer/teen mother) that is desperately needed in government.

I cannot abide Angela Rayners politics/opinions but we all have accents/dialects or unique ways of speech. Her speaking voice is the least irritating thing about her.

Great. The other posters on this thread would do well to do the same

some appalling comments on here

this is how we end up with upper class talentless buffoons running the country and all over the media - because of the pathetic hat doffing to people that talk “properly”. It’s so disappointing that so many people are sucked into it - so inured to it.

I am in awe of a WC northern girl becoming Deputy PM TBH! She is so different from any of the rest of govt .Yvette Cooper famously attended a comprehensive, She is in a minority ! Teresa May was well spoken and went to Oxford ,Amber Rudd was educated at Cheltenham Ladies college .The list goes on YABU OP

Wow, so many responses in such a short time! I didn’t appreciate what a can of worms I was opening. And some posters have made some hilarious assumptions about me. You are all forgiven.
I am reminded of George Bernard Shaw: “ It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.”

Do you even know what illiterate means?

You have your theories - what are they?

Rayner is a northern working class woman who didn't have much in the way of formal education - but I think she's done rather well in life through hard graft.

So yes you are being unreasonable.

Priti Patel dropping every single "g" at the ends of words annoys me more, it's like she can't be bothered to finish speaking.

Why does it anger me so much?

Because you’re a snob?

Why does it anger me so much? Because you have issues.

Seriously, it's not healthy to be so judgmental and angry about a perfectly normal accent.

Yes, and being a working class woman also makes some people really angry.

Obviously not!

I think you are being unreasonable, and I’m curious whether you were as distracted by Boris Johnson’s scruffiness. He also scoffed a lot when he spoke - did this bother you?

Angela Rayner is representation for so many young people who can identify with her background. She is the future of politics which is ‘normal’ people representing normal people. Personally I’d much prefer listening to Angela talk passionately about topics, than some of the politicians that have gone before us.

This country (and others) seems to have exceptionally high standards when it comes to female politicians and the way they look, walk and talk. Those standards are virtually non-existent for their male peers.

Yes, it is a hard question to answer and remain within talk guidelines!

I think she would be labelled fake if she changed her accent; her message might be ‘take me as you find me, warts and all.’ She could be saying she is genuine and won’t start sounding her t’s to please fuss pots. Maybe I am BU but why not get the details right, like knowing the difference between was/were?

I think this is a snobbish attitude. She is a leading politician who just happens to be working class.

It's what she says that counts. Not her accent.

We have an unnatural obessession with an RP accent here in the UK. I think it's decades of being ruled and being entertained by those with them and I think it does creep into judgements about speech even when the judgment is not about accents in the traditional form. Reminds me a bit of the sneering line in an Enid Blyton in which the naice RP girls bitch about someone's dad dropping his H's. It seemed like a reasonable judgement when I as a kid, but reread those books as an adult and you see just how naked and nasty Enid Blyton's views really were.

The content of speech is far more important.

Yes - YABU

Maybe get a life and get annoyed about something else?