Andrew Boulton summarises Anne Widdicombe as ‘a spinster, an old maid and a virgin’

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Lots of comments about this news report from Andrew Boulton regarding Anne Widdicombe -he called her a “spinster,” an “old maid” and a “virgin” while speculating about her private life.
I couldn’t believe that as a mainstream broadcaster on Sky he chose language like this to remember her life, regardless of her politics.

Anne Widdicombe- Sky news Andrew Boulton’s misogyny

Saw that. What a vile man.

Wow! That’s quite shocking. He needs to be called out.

Fucking dickhead.

He’s always been a vile pig.

Ugh! Total lack of respect for a woman who didn't need a man.
I was reading about her life and she had a three-year relationship with a bloke while at university, iirc. But marriage just didn't happen, and she was resigned to that and happy with it. She wore a wedding ring, to fend off attention from annoying blokes.

He's just awful generally, especially when there are women on the panel. You can see him itching to talk over them. He's just a pompous windbag with a mindset stuck back in the 1950s. Old stock.

I always think he would have made a good Dickens Beadle, but as a political commentator, he's well past his sell by date. Odious pompous git.

He’s issued a barely satisfactory explanation/apology but his inability to see yesterday that his comments were inappropriate reveals his character.

x.com/adamboultontabb/status/2075893192872927456?s=46&t=omuKeAgAjscgni2jfxrNng

What are the male equivalents of Spinster and old maid?
I suppose bachelor but that doesn’t seem to have the same vibe.

Usually its the beeb who do this.
I've a feeling Andrew Boulton won't have long left at sky after that outburst.

The fact there isn’t one tells us all we need to know about the contempt society reserves for old single women. And that a fat, balding, adulterous old chauvinist feels it’s ok to say that out loud only underlines it

Absolutely. He's just doubled down like the bullying misogynist he is. Does anyone know if there is a 'joint complaint' going, or are individual complaints best?

Absolutely - And it certainly says more about the kind of person he is, than the kind of person she was!

He probably thought he was being clever. Or righteous. Or something.

I wonder if he would like to be remembered for this, when he dies? Because that's all that people will remember now, that he was an odious man who spoke ill of the dead.

Not a good look at all.

I was rather appalled - and then I thought what is wrong with any of those labels if you step back and think about it?

Time we just re-cast them in public opinion. There is no shame in any of them.

What she had was intellectual integrity - regardless of whether you agreed with her - and to me that is of far more interest than any of those names.

I think it was probably rudely meant, but then perhaps best taken as sticks and stones.

The establishment left discussing any right wing women is disgusting and dripping in misogyny.

All James O'Brien talks about in every LBC show now is how 'thick' Kemi Badenoch is.

She's 100 times more clever than him!

She has been treated badly across the media imo - the Times obit led with a comment on her ‘matronly manner’
Go fuck yourselves, male commentators.

I think it’s Adam Boulton. Just incase any Andrew’s get grief over this.

While they are allowed to disagree - as would I - with many of her politics and opinions, I suspect what the misogynists out there still can’t deal with, is the fact that Anne herself couldn’t give a shit. It’s all very burn the witch isn’t it?

The coverage of her murder has generally been appalling. There was a vile thread on here with countless posters displaying toddler levels of commentary about her and her beliefs that often matched the abuse from men like Heather Herbert & Peter Tatchell.

Very depressing all round.

She certainly is. He must be furious that a black woman dares to have opinions he doesn’t approve of - she must be put in her place.

AFAIK, individual complaints to Ofcom are best. If you’re complaining to Sky News it might be different. But raw numbers of Ofcom complaints can and do influence TV producers decisions to give someone serious airtime or whether to just trot them out occasionally for the car crash TV.

Poor Ann. I really respected her as a woman who stood up for what she believed would improve the world. Have Reform made a statement yet or is Nigel too busy trying to win a fight with a man with a bin on his head?

Does anyone know which sky news show it was on, for the ofcom complaint?

How the hell does a " political commentator" think it's relevant to refer to a woman as A Virgin?
I suppose maybe if your name was Gabriel or Herod it could be relevant. But that was a few thousand years ago.

Another disgusting man

Kemi is amazing

I guess because she didn't have a man to be defined by. No wife of or mother of to diminish her by so they need to find another way to reflect that she is support human rather than the superior male type.

Boulton is very much an establishment figure, I doubt Ofcom would be interested, as they are very much about protecting the old guard from new rivals (heavy interest in protecting BBC et al from social media etc).

It seems like his apology is attacking people for criticising him with his "just doing my job" schtick.

Seems like a lot of people are trying to justify her murder by stating her views and lifestyle. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

All too happy to demand others be cancelled.