Adam Boulton summarises Ann Widdecombe as ‘a spinster, an old maid and a virgin’

[PeachOctopus]

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

It's Bro Code for some man should have given her a good fuck years ago then she would have been a proper women, not the sort women this obnoxious prick objects too.

@IrnBruAndDietCokeThanks that's helpful. It's definitely not an acceptable thing for a female to be spoken about this way.

Boulton is a professional, many decades in the business, he knew what he was doing. Clear misogyny.

I some respects martial and family status is important to murder investigations as it can rule out family members etc. But a brief "she lived on her own and had no children" would be sufficient, not his tawdry comments.

But I do see this attitude with both men and women who live a celibate life, there is an incredulous and dismissive attitude in the media, particular when they are the victim to a heinous crime.

AB left Sky in 2021, on the basis that people of his vintage no longer had a place in the changing news industry.'
"I've just got to accept to a certain point that you and I, we're tail-end baby boomers, and there's a kind of move against the baby boomers,"
Adam Boulton: Sky News veteran to leave station after 32 years

I was surprised to see him popping up again recently on Sky News review of the papers, and I noticed that he was saying some eyebrow-raising things.

If he's identifying as some sort of leftover from an older, more genteel generation which was replaced by a younger, tough, ruthless 24 hr news cycle, I'm surprised he doesn't remember the tradition that is usually observed when someone dies:
'Of the dead, nothing but good is to be said'
at least until after they have been laid to rest.

The media is full of people who disagreed vehemently with most if not all of AW's opinions and attitudes, who nonetheless had the decency and dignity to find positive things to say about the sincerity of her beliefs, her commitment to public life etc.

Shame on AB.

Kevin McGuire on the same side as him politically yet gave a gave a lovely summary of his experience with her, it wasn’t about politics I think he sees single older unmarried women as lesser.

Jeremy vine Kevin McGuire tribute

That is just utterly disgusting

That's interesting. McGuire's often very intolerant and dismissive of women so it's it's good to see him channelling his grown up human side.

Disgraceful comment. Ofcom wont do anything though as they are useless.

Horrified by the Adam Boulton comment. Even without the fact that she appears to have been murdered, it is despicable.

Richard Coles's comment on FB was a much better attempt (I thought anyway) at reconciling the fact that he liked her as a person but hated her politics.

Prayers offered for the soul of Ann Widdecombe who I knew a bit, both as an adversary and as an inconveniently congenial acquaintance.

I have never felt quite so drawn to someone personally and repulsed politicially simultaneously. It happens not infrequently now but she was the first.

I would like to say this all works out in the end, and it does in eternity. In this life it is hard to see.

But the old order has passed away.

Heavenly Father
You have called your servant Ann
out of this world;
release her from the bonds of sin,
and welcome her into your presence,
so that she may enjoy eternal light and peace
and be raised up in glory
And dance with all your saints.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

EDIT: I’ve heard the news. Awful. I’m so sorry.

What has happened to common decency in this country? The poor woman has just been murdered ffs. There are people all over social media & the MSM pulling her private and professional reputation apart. It's appalling and they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. But it would appear that shame is also passé these days.

*I'm a steadfast leftist. Just to be clear.

My opinion of Coles went up a notch based on that kind, honest and mature statement.

How horribly rude and dismissive. I think they seem pretty sound choices for an intelligent woman.

I saw it on the 4pm - 5pm news hour yesterday, Friday 10 July, and I think that was the first time he was on because I'd been watching since the news of the murder investigation broke. It's a long time since I've shouted at the TV. He's vile. If he's what women can expect from a life with men, it's a wonder more of us aren't "old maids".

Her "opinions" are all lifted from Nigel Farage and Reform though because that is where the political winds are blowing, like Boris she will jump on any train that furthers her career, we don"t really know what she really thinks, her delivery is excellent but it is like a good musician in a covers band, it isn"t really them.

He isn"t though, he is a clown on a biased news station designed to push an agenda, just ignore him, unfortunately if we trawl through comments AW has made in her life about people there is also likely to be some nasty stuff? As other posters said she had relationships when at Uni etc. she just didn"t get married, so what?

"Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion"

RIP

To steal someone else's words

"We shouldn’t be surprised that representatives of a cult like ideology built on envy, grievance and collective victimhood, with burning resentment on contrived injustices that breeds hatred of the people they think are responsible, can display such regular abhorrent inhumanity."

Well said. I'm fed up with hearing people repeatedly looking to blame / smaer AW for her thoughts, beliefs and lifestyle. I know it says far more about them than her, but it's fucking irritating and very typical of a mysoginistic streak that currently runs through our society

Bit of a dinosaur move. Aren't we over that kind of description of Anne Widdecombe? Why is her life entirely boiled down to her relationship to the male species?!

Politics and hard work was the love of her life and that has been far more interesting.

She was also undeniably someone who the public reacted positively to. And much admired. Certainly by me. I'm proud of women like her, she was never afraid to be who she wanted or say what she wanted.

I'm extremely saddened by the news, it's horrendous.

Anne was a very clever lady and a great orator. Adam Bolton doesn't have a quarter of her wit.

What a nasty man. Spinster actually used to be a positive word, referring to a woman who had the skill to support herself independently from her spinning without needing marriage. Sadly typical that it's since shifted into something derogatory.

there was something on the radio recently (maybe in Woman’s Hour) about some women reclaiming the term as an honourable one which didn’t define them in relation to men.

Good god. It’s like the mask drops.

Not sure why this comes to mind, but I have had a couple of experiences in more traditional Mediterranean cultures where I will be treated very courteously when with my husband and DC but if I happen to go to the same places alone, then I will get very poor service or turned away. This is in hotels btw, where we are paying good money to stay there. Obviously I complain to management each time but it’s as if, without a man, the real view of you is revealed…

Thanks for starting this thread.

I hadn't been aware of this until I saw a post about it on facebook and was just astonished that in this day an age someone in the MSM could think it okay to talk like this. Not sure who his actual employer is but he should certainly be disciplined if not sacked.

Decades ago in the era of Women's Liberation there used to phrases like MCP (male chauvinist pig) and DWM (dead white male) meaning men who had grown up in the 40s and 50s "didn't know any better".

I haven't had time to read other comments, but probably like many I didn't agree with a lot of what Ann Widdecombe said but always admired her for her integrity. And ability to not allow bullies to silence her.

If anyone knows of any sort of petition re getting rid of that disgusting human being off our screens, please post links.

Although am tempted to add, which I wouldn't normally say out loud, but each time I have seen AB on screen he made me want to vomit.

Have now had time to read other's comments and am sorry to hear that on some other part of MN there are disrespectful comments.

Also had not realised AB had been "let go" by Sky. Well done them. And he has no right to say it is about baby boomers or whatever.

Its the sort of thing that that other arrogant male Jeremy Paxman might have said thinking it made him look edgy and clever, rather than a complete twat.

If anything sounds like some "bounder" in a 1930s film or something.

Dont men like this have families who can tell them just grow up. You aren't a silly schoolboy thinking being rude is the same as being clever.

So sorry for Anne Widdecombe's life to end like this, and for all the other women who have died from men's violence.

RIP

I am a right winger but I did not agree with all her views. I liked and admired Anne as a character and a powerful independent woman.She was one in a million and the world is poorer for her passing.

RIP Anne.