Should Lucy Powell resign?

[Imnobody4]

I agree with every word in Brendan O'Neill's article about Lucy Powell's disgraceful attitude on Any Questions. This was not misspeaking it was a mask slipping.
I'm shocked.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-ugly-truth-about-lucy-powells-grooming-gangs-comments/

This isn't even close to an apology.

https://x.com/LucyMPowell/status/1918723444918661357?t=JKfnXO5ZtjGDtKVOlyj8aw&s=19

In the heat of a discussion on AQ, I would like to clarify that I regard issues of child exploitation & grooming with the utmost seriousness. I’m sorry if this was unclear. I was challenging the political point scoring around it, not the issue itself. As a constituency MP I’ve dealt with horrendous cases. This Gvt is acting to get to the truth, and deliver justice.

This is what worries me

I have concerns about grooming gangs.
But, at the same time, believe that other parties would cynically use this as, yes, dog-whistle politics.
And I believe that was the case here.

Yes, she basically sneered and dismissed raped children, people have resigned for less. Even if you can’t muster any empathy I would have thought that as an MP you should be concerned that crimes were committed, that laws were broken and that public servants just didn’t do their job. By not dealing with it people made it a race issue. It should be straightforward. You rape a child you are going to prison, everyone gets treated exactly the same.

Given the giant fuss around Adolescence I would have thought an actual documentary would have struck harder.

Dog whistle suggests that something is being blown out of proportion. People involved with victims are saying this is ongoing and in many areas there have not been any investigations.

Tbh the tories could have done something anytime about this and they didn’t. So I understand that perspective. BUT I’m at the point that I don’t care what anyone’s motives are, it needs to be dealt with.

I think MP’s should be made to read some of things that happened to these children. A child covered head to toe in bite marks with her knickers full of semen. A child who had her anus inflated so 4 men could rape her simultaneously.

This is not a dog whistle, these are horrific crimes against children. We should be chucking the kitchen sink at investigating and prosecuting people.

The level of disgust I feel towards anyone dismissing this is difficult to put into words.

What @User37482 said.

I think she should definitely resign. Anyone who doesn’t, should read the Judge’s sentencing remarks. Warning: there is upsetting graphic detail of violent rape in them.

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/JCO/Documents/Judgments/sentencing-remarks-r-v-dogar-others.pdf

What beggars belief is that she said it less than 24 hours after the local and by-elections. If even those results can’t put a rocket up Labour’s arse then I’m afraid I can’t see any hope for them.

No she shouldn't resign. She shouldn't get the chance to leave with honour. She should be sacked. The fact that she hasn't been speaks volumes.

There also needs to be pushback on the culture war narrative indulged in by certain elements of the self-id left. The term is meaningless anyway, it's no more than an attempt to shame anyone who pulls them up on their bizarre beliefs and behaviour.

Starmer not sacking her says as much about how he sees this as how she does. She should go. (So shots he bet that’s a different matter).

I think they've cottoned on now. The sooner the left drop the thought terminating 'dog whistle' phrase the better. Presumably they think the same of Channel 4 s documentary, old hat watch 'Adolescence' instead.
I've gone through all the stages of grief about the Labour Party, now I just feel contempt.

It just makes me really very sad, we are talking about children here. I remember reading an anonymous interview with some wives of men convicted of grooming, they had experienced domestic violence and rape themselves. I’m brown myself and know precisely how well male violence can be hidden in closed off communities. I guarantee that for some of the wives of the men who were convicted there was a quiet sigh of relief that their husband is no longer in their house, even if they can’t say it out loud or they have to publicly support him. Cousin marriage makes this even harder because you can’t even retreat to your “own” family.

I wish we had never got to the point where reform was an option but the reality is the mainstream parties have consistently failed on a number of fronts and this particularly is a glaring failure. People can complain all they want about how people vote but I would really struggle at a GE as a floating voter. But definitely not Labour, they’ve cancelled the compensation fund for the victims as well. Fucking bastards.

@User37482 There was also a report into Muslim victims of grooming gangs carried out by the Muslim Women’s Network, a really important document which people should read.

https://www.mwnuk.co.uk/go_files/resources/UnheardVoices.pdf

Well when in your opinion would be the appropriate time and place to discuss and debate the appalling grooming and abuse of our children?

Labour along with the Conservatives are walking into a Reform victory at the next GE.

Just like Gordon Brown’s ‘bigoted woman’ comment all those years ago revealed the depth of their contempt for the white working class.

Like @SpottedDonkey I thought about Gillian Duffy. I've also been thinking about the differences, e.g. that Gordon Brown hadn't realised he was being recorded and that afterwards, as I recall, he phoned her in person to apologise. I think (although I've not checked this) that Duffy was also invited to attend the next Labour Conference by way of further apology.

Now you can argue that Brown was only sorry he'd been caught out, and you might well be correct, but at least, in 2010, he and Labour had enough political sense to realise and acknowledge that he'd made a catastrophic blunder.

Compare and contrast with Lucy Powell, who was fully aware her words were being broadcast, and with her blustering 'I'm sorry if this was unclear' attempt at an apology.

Fifteen years and they've gone backwards.

Powell is a reminder of what the Labour party are these days. From Starmer down.

Well when in your opinion would be the appropriate time and place to discuss and debate the appalling grooming and abuse of our children?
In Parliament, not on a radio show.
I don't know why it is so difficult to understand that

• the grooming gangs were/are abhorrent and should be dealt with
• no government has managed it properly, and that is shocking

And

• people will use it as a dog-whistle

Yes exactly, it was not just white children. These men are monsters and should have been brought to book, the fact that it is probably still going on breaks my heart.

I’m not sure why it’s difficult to understand that batting it away so dismissively is a piss poor look for the party currently in government.

Like when Sadiq Khan did. He looked like a dick too.

Keep discussion to Parliament a pp says?

I'm sick of watching Starmer use Esther Ghey's previous visit to the House in an attempt to shut down debate about Women and Girls in Parliament. Pathetic.

As for Lucy Powell, shame on her. She will never be in Ann Cryer's league.

Ann Cryer was an exceptional MP with the courage to speak up for women and girls despite numerous death threats and is still serving her community well into her older years.

You do realise it was this same attitude of attempts to shut down discussion and claims of dog whistling that delayed authorities in initially investigating these cases. Lucy Powell has shown that those deep seated views remain. Starmer's silence shows us that the Labour Party are not interested. You also show us your intentions.

I’m not sure why it’s difficult to understand that batting it away so dismissively is a piss poor look for the party currently in government.
So you think an appropriate place is a radio programme? I don't.
And I'm not sure why posters aren't reading what I posted.
Yes- it must be discussed
No-it hasn't been done adequately
But
It is use as a dog whistle.

You also show us your intentions.
And, given my post above, what precisely are my intentions

It’s Lucy Powell’s conduct which is at fault here, not whether it should be brought up on the radio or not.