Matt Hancock not only a donkey but sexist and deeply unpleasant

[Theduchessstill]

So following on from the thread last week about his ''donkiness/ineptitude' he gives us this appalling response to Dr Rosena Allin-Kahn today:

twitter.com/DrRosena/status/1257644583158251522

What a disgusting way to speak to someone who is actually working as a Dr in A & E during this crisis. Nasty, lacking in empathy, just wrong.Just when you think these people can't sink any lower they do just that.

I don’t like him at all, and he reacted very badly here. HOWEVER. He is being made to carry the can for the incompetence of his colleagues past and present. He’s not one of ‘them’ really (not posh enough) and is visibly being fitted up as the fall guy for the mistakes that have occurred recently. If the Mail have it in for him it’s because they are following that line. Meanwhile he’s working flat out. Snapping at her like that was nasty and I’ve no confidence in the general beauty of his soul or whatever but it’s no wonder he’s cracking a bit.

Fucking ridiculous.

This kind of thing is what makes feminists look stupid.

You have no proof that he said what he did because she was a woman or he wouldn't have said the same thing to a man.

Oh and deaths of NHS workers are pretty much in line with the general population (maybe a little lower now) so considering the risk and the fact the NHS is the countries biggest employer it seems like the safest place to work at the moment.

Using right wing language such as " doing your duty" when discussing how we all need to download an extremely suspect app, sums him (and the rest of the government) up exactly.

I really dont think he would have said the same to a man.he would fave been to scared to get a thumping.

In a theatre where the occupants regularly jeer and bray accusing someone making valid criticisms of having an unacceptable tone is laughable.

Her tone was absolutely fine. If she’d stood up and screamed expletives at him then obviously her tone would be off. Instead she clearly asked a question he didn’t like, so in the same way that Trump likes to try and dismiss female journalists, he hoped he could patronise and minimise her. Test.

Twat - that should have said 🤭

I'm surprised that MN tolerate the personal abuse in the thread title.

Says more about the poster than the target of the abuse imo.

He sounded like Trump who also tells women that they are disrespectful when they ask something he doesn't like.

Oh and deaths of NHS workers are pretty much in line with the general population (maybe a little lower now) so considering the risk and the fact the NHS is the countries biggest employer it seems like the safest place to work at the moment.
The obvious difference is that deaths in the general population is mainly in the 75+ age bracket, while NHS casualties are obviously younger and in better than average health, to be able to do the job they do. So no, on a comparable basis NHS workers seem to be at a much higher risk.

I thought it was awful. He’s not the kind of person I want in charge.

If people want to blame someone, perhaps they ought to point the finger at the country of origin where the virus emerged, due to either a) cruel and unsanitary practices at live meat markets and/or b) release of a virus from a laboratory.

Oh god - there’s always one

I completely disagree. This is politics...in the House of Commons. If there's one thing you can guarantee it's that the opposition will try to throw grenades at you. The opposition are supposed to hold government to account for things, that's their job.

Exactly - and who better to do it than an A&E doctor?

*Fucking ridiculous.

This kind of thing is what makes feminists look stupid.
You have no proof that he said what he did because she was a woman or he wouldn't have said the same thing to a man.
*
It's plain to see. His arrogance is all over his face and yes, it's sexism. The one looking stupid is matt Hancock for making his response personal and not professional.

she used very emotive language to make sweeping generalisations that do not reflect the opinions of all frontline workers. It is a very different tone from that taken by the new Labour shadow cabinet to date, who I think have largely been working with government, rather than being combative.

This
Tone doesn’t just refer to the pitch of voice, it can also refer to the language used. She did use incredibly emotive language in a highly politicised statement.

I thought Keri Starmer said Labour were going to work constructively with the government??

His comment annoyed me too and I agree that it was the kind of comment men make to put women down. Matt Hancock has consistently lied through this crisis - about PPE, testing and care homes.

He will no doubt be the fall guy when this all ends as Boris has shielded himself as much as possible.

Fuck yeah! He got covid19 badly and his child arrived early (possibly). He hid well!!!

My Hancock arc has been: 1. oh he's trying, 2. Tim nice but dim is doing his best, 3. something's going to your head Tim, 4. you are part of the problem Tim with your empty promises, misguided policies and nastiness coming through.

CuriousaboutSamphire

He was back at work on Monday but not seen since. We are all having to step up in this crisis. Many ordinary people are struggling to work full time from home and look after their children at the same time. He needs to step up too.

I've seen articles saying the risk for a young woman working in healthcare is twice that of one in the general population.

I think it's been reported in a way that sounds more inflammatory than it was. "Watch your tone" has an unspoken "young lady" after it. Those weren't the words he used but people keep using them.

However, it doesn't matter how hard he's working or how stressed he is, it just won't compare to the stress of working in A&E at the moment. It's too much to expect her to switch into dispassionate mp mode and he chose the wrong moment to lose his cool. It's a quirk of how our system works that our ministers don't have to be particularly talented.

Many consultants do have a tone they use when they think someone is impacting good care, often deployed against managers who are not delivering what they expect. Sounds perfectly polite but it's not easy being on the receiving end of it. I've seen normally very good managers wound up to ridiculous behaviour over it. You need to stay calm and be confident of your own ground.

I'm surprised that MN tolerate the personal abuse in the thread title. Says more about the poster than the target of the abuse imo

The 'donkey' comment wasn't originally mine and the OP title tells you nothing about me other than that I expect people in positions of power to conduct themselves respectfully and, crucially, to be up to the job. If they're not they need to stand aside or at least show some humility, especially when a crisis is underway. I swear every time he ends one of his briefings with, "So please , stay at home , protect the NHS and save lives...thank you" in his head he hears thunderous applause. It's all just an attempt to take the emphasis away from what the latest piece of evidence that UK is not handling this pandemic at all well.

This kind of thing is what makes feminists look stupid

It really isn't you know.

He will no doubt be the fall guy when this all ends as Boris has shielded himself as much as possible

Totally agree with this and it's plain to see what the Mail's agenda is. Hancock is just a useful idiot really. If he reads the Crace piece and decides to do the right thing I would dearly love to see his blistering resignation speech . He'd go right up in my estimation if he did something like that!

Monday not seen? OK!

As far as I can tell, from a 2 minute Google, he has been in a variety of meetings, spoken to various media and been generally busy.

I don't expect him to take the daily briefings. I do expect him to take one when things change.

And no, not a Tory voter...

Was yesterday not a big enough or important enough change for you CuriousaboutSamphire?

I would like to see him do the briefings every day.

Do we know yet if Johnson is doing PMQs today? He bloody better be.

Hancock just isn't very bright.

He's been a rabbit in the headlights in this crisis. Promoted above his ability. DH and I were discussing how long it would be before BJ threw him under the bus so he could return as the bloodied but unbowed leader, and dodge the blame for the shitshow. Turns out, not long.