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Original poster

to think this is just OTT

35 replies

2shoes · 22/03/2009 15:15

surelt the primeminister has work to do

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 22/03/2009 15:16

It's a sunday. Perhaps he has the day off.

mrsmaidamess · 22/03/2009 15:16

I think its fine. Its just a quote.

Nabster · 22/03/2009 15:17

i just knew what the link would be before I clicked on it.

If he had said nothing someone would have complained..

Original poster
2shoes · 22/03/2009 15:18

so will he now comment on every mum that dies?

OP posts:
Nabster · 22/03/2009 15:20

Of course not.

BitOfFun · 22/03/2009 15:54

It's better than Blair asking about fictional soap characters in parliament...

hereidrawtheline · 22/03/2009 16:02

I understand what you mean 2shoes but it isnt communism where everyone gets the same doled out to them, he cant possibly comment on everyone who has a struggle but the ones who get highlighted to the country at large then fair enough. If it had been a child (non celebrity) who reached fame through an illness (like the Ryan with HIV in the 90's in America) no one would begrudge a tribute sentence. No she wasnt a world mover & leader but it doesnt hurt either to just say something nice.

When my nephew died of cancer it was widely publicised in his local papers etc, not because he was the only child with cancer, but because he had become a sort of rallying point to a cause.

Buda · 22/03/2009 16:07

I strongly suspect that what happens in cases like this is that he and his staff know he will be asked and they have a quote ready for the inevitable phonecall from the press.

Is it OTT? No - I don't think so. This particular young mum was in the public eye and then got cancer. When diagnosed she spoke out about cervical cancer. She called for the age of testing to be lowered. She wanted it talked about publicly so that more young women went for testing. I would imagine that when Jane Tomlinson died there would have been a comment from the Prime Minister too.

psychomum5 · 22/03/2009 16:12

I can only assume that the press rang him and asked his thoughts.

he can hardly say 'no comment', as then he would be slated as being a complete uncaring bastard of a PM!!!

herbietea · 22/03/2009 16:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

KayHarkerIsPlayingWithMitchell · 22/03/2009 16:17

She's in the public eye, and didn't have a long drawn out fight with cancer, she had a short sharp losing battle which, among other choices, she used to raise awareness of the realities of her predicament.

I haven't enjoyed the media circus, for very personal reasons, but it's not OTT for the PM to comment on a public figure who has died in these circumstances.

violethill · 22/03/2009 16:28

As others have said, he had no choice - he would have been asked for a response and had to say something.

Hopefully this whole media circus will now leave town quickly - the whole thing is really distasteful.

Original poster
2shoes · 22/03/2009 16:47

BitOfFun and hereidrawtheline good pointsI hadnt thought of it that way

OP posts:
Gorionine · 22/03/2009 17:00

Buda's post makes a lot of sense to me as does Heridrawtheline's one. Not OTT IMO.

Blu · 22/03/2009 17:26

Isn't it because he was forced to answer questions about her to the Indian Gvt when he was there and the whole BB thing blew up?

Original poster
2shoes · 22/03/2009 17:44

surely Jane Tomlinson was different in the fact that she was famous as she had talent, I suppose I am surprised a prime minister would want to associate himself in this way

OP posts:
juneybean · 22/03/2009 18:42

"She was a courageous woman both in life and death and the whole country has admired her determination to provide a bright future for her children."

Umm...no we haven't

BabyBaby123 · 22/03/2009 18:44

why is it ott? he can comment on whatever he wants. Why does it bother you anyway?

AreyouDancing · 22/03/2009 18:47

I can#t understand why people slate someone for saying something kind. So what if it isn't for EVERY young mother who dies - the sentiment is there for all of them. Just this one was in the public eye. She may have made some errors of judgement - the poor girl was ONLY 27 years old.

Go and play with your children you sad cynical old cows.

herbietea · 22/03/2009 18:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

KarlWrenbury · 22/03/2009 18:48

she was a racist bully wasnt she
or was that not the general concensus a few years ago?

AreyouDancing · 22/03/2009 18:48

Hear hear herbietea

Lulumama · 22/03/2009 18:50

like her or not, and i really think that we can do without any denigration of her today of all days, she has given a huge number of women the push they needed to get to their docs and get a smear test, or follow up abnormal results

she has galvanised a lot of women and will have saved lives

that is worth a comment from teh Prime Minister IMO

you just have a look through the archives on here for two things : women avoiding their smear tests and women dying or losing family members to ovarian/cervical/breast cancer.

women die of gynaecological cancers everyday, Jade Goody was a 27 year old mother of two, who spent her last few months, not bemoaning her fate, but doing all she could to be brave for her hcildren and do all she could to provide them with a good future.

like what she did or not, she has saved lives.

one of those lives could be a friend, a neighbour or family member who went for their overdue smear test

put aside all teh things oyu could criticise and pick over about how she lived, at the end of the day, she has done a huge amount for women in the UK

Ronaldinhio · 22/03/2009 18:50

It's Mother's Day.
He has a young family too.
Couldn't he think it was sad and something that he wanted to comment on?
Perhaps he and his wife empathised with her and her family and the families of lots of other people in the world losing members of their family and friends.
I don't think he was over the top in what he said...just that it was sad and her determination to provide for her kids was admired by many.

Isn't he allowed to be a human too?

nkf · 22/03/2009 18:51

I imagine his office was contacted for a comment and what else could he say? No comment? Who is she? So, out comes some platitude.