AIBU to wonder if it was Dianne Abbott who banged on about sending your kids to state schools then smugly tried to defend herself when she sent hers to private schools?

[ssd]

it was a while ago, but I remember how she smugly tried to defend her choice, whilst telling us we should send our kids to the local state school

why is she still getting away with talking crap

I don't care if she is the first black woman in the house of commons, she is playing the black/race/feminist card way too much and she should shut up and go

Yes, that was her. Like you said, she gets away with it because she is a black female MP. It's wrong.

It was her - but it was alright because "West Indian mothers will always go that extra mile for their children" (or something like that - I haven't looked the exact quote up).

I remember that too. She is utterly vile.

Yep but white mums just put up and shut up and send our kids to the local failing comp as we clearly dont care about our kids education as much as a west indian mum does.

This is a clip of her being grilled by Andrew Neil on the subject:

On Newsnight last night, they played a load of her gaffes. If she were a white person, she'd have been out a long time ago. She's an absolute liability to the party. They only keep her on because she ticks one of their boxes

IslandMoose - that's close enough.

I was about to say she has got away with being a loon precisely because she is a black woman, but then I thought about some of the white men in parliament who are, let's face it, no less likely to say ridiculous, fatuous things.

Glad she had to retract her tweet though, most unpleasant.

Well, she was hoist on her own petard yesterday - I almost felt sorry for her watching all the Tories lining up to be less-racist-than-thou

True Vicky, but then they don't claim to be a voice against racism and inequality either!

That is brilliant!

I loved that clip of her talking to the TV cameras and then looking completely "Oh fuck" as the phone went and she had to move away to take it. I understand it was Mr Milliband tearing a strip off her.

And quite rightly too.

I'd love to see what would happen to me if I tweeted "Blacks...." and then some random unsubstantiated, or vaguely historically/culturally based, insult!

I think west indian mums must be shaking their heads at her, she does coloured women no favours at all

she sent her kids to private school cos she could afford it, nothing more

money gave her the choice, not the colour of her skin/where her family came from years ago

is everyone scared to say anything against her as they know she'll play the feminist/rascist card??

unbelievable

I'm guessing that were I an MP I'd be picking up my P45 around now.

just goes to show how she really thinks doesnt it

obviously a racist can only be white in her book

if i was a white constituent of hers, I would be seriously wondering how she felt about representing me in parliament

is everyone scared to say anything against her as they know she'll play the feminist/racist card??

pretty much. thats how some people carve out their careers

I think she believes a rascist can only be white and male

she seems to think being coloured and a woman makes it ok for her to say/do what she likes, as she therefore must spend her life being "repressed"

She is not wrong, of course - white colonial powers always sought to divide and conquer. What is interesting is that telling unpleasant truths about whitey is also un PC now

Coloured? Using outdated terms to refer to a black woman doesn't really enhance your argument.

I think making sweeping generalisations about anyone is unpleasant, Whatmeworry.

As is name calling.

Whatmeworry but she said White people love playing "divide & rule" We should not play their game .

She didn't say white colonial powers always sought to divide or quote any historial fact.

There is a big difference

Definitions of racism vary, and are related to the wider ordering of society.

I think her comments were racist, because of her representational position. But even if you don't, the comments were bigoted.

MPs don't just get sacked though, as they are paid representatives (so very much public servants) not employees.

But recalling how the BBC has sacked individuals for private comments deemed racist, I am less comfortable with the prospect of her ever continuing a TV career with the public-funded broadcaster. Particularly as her comments weren't even made in private and then becoming subject of complaint; she chose to publish them in a global medium.

She went on about how white teachers couldn't be effective with black boys, and then sent her boy to a school with most, of not all, white staff. And, unsurprisingly, mostly white students.

Bloody hypocrite.

What is interesting (and encouraging) is that casual racism is becoming increasingly unacceptable in our society.

where I live it is treated as most un pc to refer to someone as black, hence my use of coloured, sorry if thats outdated cog

although the term whitey would be considered rascist anywhere, I think