Home Secretary James Cleverly apologises for 'ironic joke' about spiking wife's drink

[IwantToRetire]

Home Secretary James Cleverly has apologised for making an "ironic joke" about spiking his wife's drink at a Downing Street reception.

He reportedly said the ideal spouse was "someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there".

According to the Sunday Mirror, he also mentioned Rohypnol - a so-called "date rape" drug.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67813689

I couldn't believe this when I heard it on the news. Like something from the 50s or music hall.

I wonder what his wife thinks.

Lets be honest, the only reason that Jimmy Dimly hasn't resigned is because just about every member of the Tory party has had a crack at one of the big jobs now, so who do they have left. I guess the next logical step is to bring back Liz Truss now that she is in the house of Lords, or go for the hat trick and see if Suella can get fired from the same position for a 3rd time!
Oh fuck, I am probably giving ToryHQ ideas now, so I will shut up!

Here is Kathleen Stock's comment in the Times today. I've not followed this story at all (yet) but anyway, here is KS' take on it:

Hardly surprising she supports Cleverly.

Bring in such whataboutery as Hamas & Gaza, closer to home, Uk grooming gangs, prostitution, men in womens prisons and even Londons Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan.

No Kathleen Stock, its solely about the Home Secretary "joking" about drink spiking, in order to have sex with a woman.

Then again, i ve long realised there is no limit to what Troy supporters will stoop too to defend the 'party, you can bet your house that should this "joke" had been made by David Lammy her article would have been all about how Labour are not ready for Govt and Starmer must sack him.

Brilliant article from Kathleen Stock, there's far too much purity spiralling in here nowadays.

I thought we'd got over that.

KS would have sniggered and she thinks it’s all “a fuss”. I don’t know who KS is but that article is bizarre. As people say on here, you are allowed to care about more than one thing at a time, world problems affecting women AND things happening closer to home. Poor show.

I don’t know who KS is but that article is bizarre

Odd board to find yourself on if youve never heard of her.

@ZuttZeVootEeeVo not at all. Why do you think I need to know names in order to be here? I don’t have to parrot the same phrases as everyone else.

Perhaps with some distance, you’d also read the article and see how odd it is. Or should I fuck off and not make “a fuss”.

Or should I fuck off and not make “a fuss”.

You could try not being so melodramatic.

He made a crap joke. It wasnt part of a speech in Parliament or part of government policy.

“Melodramatic”, how nice, my sister.

Isn't this about the point of the thread where "pearl clutching" needs to be deployed ?

Or is this just a distraction away from women rights?

I know this board gets overrun by party politics around every election, but is this stupid joke really the key to misogyny within the tory party? Or is it labour party faithfuls just trying using this board to down another home secretary for non feminist reasons?

Or is it just Tory party faithfuls trying to prop up another failed Tory politician.

How good that to every Tory who knows what a woman is (a slogan on these boards) you can retort with “so they can bung a Rohypnol in the drinks”. Jokes! So funny.

Right, I’m busy getting ready for a party and Cleverly can FO by himself and I don’t need to spoil my day on him. Bye till 2024!

I haven’t heard of her either and I’m a politically active old Feminist. Because you are familiar with her, you are making assumptions that are not sound.

The 'i havent heard of her' is often used as a way to dismiss what a woman says. Shes unknown therefore her experiences and insight is irrelevant. Why say whether you know her or not? Either what she says has a point or not.

If cleverly was indroducing laws to make drugging women legal, id be calling for his resignation. But a bad joke alone, its a distraction.

But I thought KS had been cancelled? Isn't that what she's always saying? And yet here she is again.
And why are we having to point out here of all places that rape culture is NOT funny. Cleverly's comment was disgusting and shows just how (un)seriously they take violence against women.

a bad joke alone, its a distraction

It's not a distraction when part of the actual official statement was that jokes contribute to the problem.

@ZuttZeVootEeeVo - I think that jokes are often an indicator of someone’s deeper views - I feel that Cleverly must believe, on some level that date rape drugs are not completely abhorrent, and I cannot see how that makes him fit for his current position. So, for me, this isn’t a distraction from more important things - it is part of those important things.

But I thought KS had been cancelled? Isn't that what she's always saying? And yet here she is again.

Professor Stock was hounded out of her job at Sussex University by an aggressive group of misogynistic activists who relentlessly bullied and hounded her.

Since then, she has been offered writing gigs by different publications, including the Sunday Times.

The fact that some publications are happy to offer her work doesn't mean that the original bullying and hounding didn't happen.

I'm sorry if that's a complicated concept to grasp - trans activists seem to have a great deal of difficulty understanding ideas that most of us find straightforward.

They also appear to think that once someone has been "cancelled" they should never be allowed to work again, demonstrating that they are as vindictive as they are stupid.

Maybe, or it could be a stupid joke. Has he a record of trying to reduced drugging laws?

If he made people present feel uncomfortable at work, that needs dealing with. But thats an HR issue, not a mob issue. People dont just want an apology they want him sacked for a joke they werent present for.

Just be careful what we are wishing for here. As dreadful as we may find this joke, you can bet the TRA crowd are going to find womens jokes about men worse, and the punishment will be worse for us.

TRA almost died hearing about women referring to a man in a wig as 'a man in a wig'. If theres no difference between a joke, a speech in Parliament and official policy, we are heading down the road of stopping all speech completely.

How on earth are people excusing this? Seriously! Jokes like this are part of rape culture. Part of what we're fighting. Anyone involved in education ignoring a comment like this from another teacher would have serious questions to answer.
Rohypnol isn't funny. As someone who was threatened with it and had that threat excused as 'just a joke' I can tell you that it isn't bloody funny.

If a teacher said it in classroom, they should be sacked, if cleverly said it in a speech he should lose his job.

But this was neither of these things.

The idea that he said a crappy joke and that means he supports rape is bonkers. Someone somewhere is going to find a joke offensive. What are we going to do about it? Ban all jokes?

It was a work event. He attended, I assume, in a ministerial capacity and I very much doubt those journalists would have been talking to him if he wasn't Home Secretary.

But the rules, guidance and laws are only for the little people. Not those in government!