Diane Abbott....racist comment or not?

[festi]

I think If you look and consider what she said in the context of the discussuion she was having. I believe she has a very valid point, she did make a generalised remark and by definition that was racist, but, it was in my opinion acceptable for her to generate discussion and break down the barriers that exist (the fear of counter accusations of racism) in discussuing the exposure openly.

That is obviously a fair point ohandanotherone particularly with reference to the childrens services in victorias case. Obviously institutional racism is not the main feature of the report into the death of victoria. I do believe it had a role to play, however, and contrasting to what you say I think it is eaqually lazy to not recognise that, (maybe not with individual social workers or teams involved) but the police, health, social care, education etc etc, has undeniable amounts of Institutional racism, The point I was probably quite poorly making is this is where the power that creats oppression and racism is evidant.

in an ideal world yes smallwhitecat but im not sure that is the reality. people are discriminated if they have not attended the right school, been part of the right "house" in an elite school and had oppertunities opened up due to socail circles and what money can buy in terms of respect and power.

On the level of an individual politician I agree with you. But it does bother me that so many of our rulers are public school/Oxbridge graduates. Not that many people go to, say, Eton as a proportion of the population, so why so many in cabinet?

As i said earlier, I feel that she has reached her position not through her abilities but because she fit a media need for a not only female but a minority female to boot.

I truely beleive that had she been a white male, or even a white female MP she would have been sacked.

It is not her first or even second "misunderstood" comment that has been deeply offensive and telling of her own arguably racist opinions.
her career has had a catalogue of cock ups like this. it is laughable that she should be hailed as a voice for the people of Hackney.

I think that Slimy Dave has laughed it off because he is himself a victim of this fear he was bleating on about recently. The fear of being called racist.

Abbott seems obsessed by the colour of skin. If she was sacked i doubt the sentence would finish ringing in her ears before she uttered the words "it is because i am black"

She infuriates me. as a "woman of colour" she had a fabulous opportunity to do so much good. Instead she ends up feeding arseholes like the EDL and BNP headlines for their next flyer telling their sheep that it is ok to be racist as they are only defending themselves and their "culture"

Like Barbarian said, it really bothers me that so many of our politicians are public school and Oxbridge educated. Sure, they are probably the best educated, but to me, well educated doesn't mean a good politician. I'd rather someone who has an idea how the vast majority of people in this country live.

If a white person had made the comment about blacks dividing etc there would be an uproar .... It was a racist comment and she should be sacked.

I agree about the significantly disproportionate number of "elite educated" politicians.

surely an MP is the "voice of their constituents" I very much doubt that the vast majority of the residents of most inner city constituencies are Eton graduates.

how can a government claim to be representative of its people when it is so clearly out of touch with the vast majority

Ah the joys of the social media age.

She said something racist in a thoughtless moment. She should know better and it's beyond stupid. Makes her and her party look bad.

She then gloriously apologised for any offence it might have caused. Not for saying it, but for the offence. It's a small thing but important.

Should she go - yes - if it was the other way round the howls of anguish would be heard on the other side of the solar system. I think we have come far enough to say that a white person has no more or less power than a person of colour. If all races are equal ANY opinion that states otherwise is racist.

Ed Milliband is weak, wasn't there a report yesterday that said he was weak? This proves it. He should grow a pair and sack her.

Will she go? No of course she won't because she's a black female MP, she's a grasping, power hungry, hypocrite and she's probably still more valuable to the Labour party in than out. Politics is great isn't it.

She loves complaining about the white man's club but falls over herself to revel in the trappings of it all.I remember an article in which she was practically wetting herself in excitement describing having had her son christened in the HofP.

It's in the same vien as the bigoted gaffs Prince Philip spouts. I think they are off a similar intellect (low) like most racists.

Well Cameron didn't sack himself for the ' calm down dear' gaffe, and nor did he sack Ken Clarke for suggesting there was such a thing as funny, not real, humorous rape, so I guess we can forgive Ed this one.

How ken Clarke survived the "not real rape" comment still astounds (and disgusts) me.

Quite.

Of course it wasnt rascist. Only white people can be rascist.

Racist...even........................

Yeah coz calm down dear and nasty vile racist comments about whites is eactly the same.

And funny rape is also fine? From someone who is actually in some position of responsibility for how this stuff actually works? And yet thinks there is such a thing as statutory rape and non serious rape? And he's in power? I think that is a s bad as any of Abbot's drivel.

i agree with the op

Diane's done this before - she can be extremely dippy

Far less offensive than BBC NEWS AT TEN ( yes i did mean to shout it) broadcasting the N word

my previous comments were based on single tweet for which I gave disproportionate benefit of doubt. Having read whole exchange I retract that and think she's definitely out of order and her views seem worrisome