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..posted by a good friend of mine on Facebook, thought I'd share it on here. He's a former professional footballer (briefly for Birmingham City) and a former copper, working mainly out of Camden police station. He grew up in Kilburn/Queens Park. He's now a writer (among other things).
Worth a read I think, hope you enjoy, whether you agree with him or not, even when he veers off-topic...
"Thoughts of the Week (part 1)
Let’s start with a subheading. ‘Dear, oh dear Diane Abbot!’
In the upcoming General Election campaign and apart from the ‘Leader’ (no, not Gary Glitter) no one is more important for the Labour Party campaign than the Shadow Home Secretary. Why’s this? You ask. The reason is obvious: Theresa May —the strong woman, Ms subtle, but steely - was the former Home Secretary. A position which she used to inflict near terminal ravages of the nation’s police forces. Under her auspices we saw numbers cut, benefits cut and police stations closed willy-nilly to cash in, short-term, on the booming (especially in London) property market.
The short-sightedness of this policy is astounding. No matter the so-called austerity budget (which only seems to apply to the working classes, while the privileged elite continue to live the life of Riley) the question must be asked as to what will happen when there’s some serious social unrest — and you can feel it stirring. Remember 2011 when the riots broke out? We had anarchy and nihilism on the streets and the police force didn’t cope with it at all. Instead we had a grand mopping up campaign. Suddenly all those poor silly students who had been demonised as hard-core criminals after they smashed the windows of the Tory HQ — and received ridiculously harsh prison sentences for what were in the main first offences - were kicked out of the pokey and replaced by the new batch of rioters. The Criminal Justice system ground to a halt, the prison’s overflowed. The courts were as ram-jam packed as a back-in-the-day David Rodigan dance. In response what did the great Theresa May do? She further decimated the police force. She did the same to the prison service. The vaunted Border Force, our first defence, is comically short of manpower and morale as they attempt to hire staff on Mickey-Mouse contracts. Labour should be slaughtering Theresa May on what she’s done. Instead we got that car crash of an interview on LBC.
To be honest I resisted calls to listen to it for a time. Some of my more right-leaning pals were raving about it, but I thought they were overreacting due to a general contempt for the Hackney MP. I was wrong. When I actually got round to listening to it I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was stunningly incompetent, mind-blowingly nonsensical, embarrassing and shocking. Is this the Shadow Home Secretary who’s going to lead the challenge to Theresa May’s record? She should have stood down immediately and if not the great leader should have forced her hand, no matter past rendezvous in the sack. Of course it didn’t happen and Labour under Jeremy Corbyn has no hope in this election. What a shame it all is because there are loads of issues that they should be taking the government to task on. Just look at that bumbling Tommy Cooper impersonator of a Foreign Secretary, a million miles removed from a serious statesman: Mr Retraction — an embarrassment to the nation.
I’m voting Labour in the coming election, but not for Jeremy, more for the thought of the millions of people who are going to suffer under the coming five years of Tory rule: the working men and women who haven’t seen their wages rise, in real terms, for the last thirty years, while the fat cats, sharks and speculators are minted; the students starting out life saddled with debt; the millions who’ll never be able to afford a home; and in honour of the National Health Service, soon to be dismantled further, but remaining the brightest light in the nation’s modern history. What a rotten, unfair and unbalanced society we’ve become.
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 10:06 - Jun 7 by Brightonhoop
I dont like her at all, Abbot, but it just looks like old fashioned play ground bullying to me. Something very distasteful about white men sticking the boot in. Even with her incompetencies and being ill prepared for i/v's she's a better option than Boris. I guess that's what all the bullying is about, deflect attention from the fact the current Foreign Sec is a comlete 4rse.
The only old-fashioned playground bullying I've seen, from day one, is towards Corbyn. From the Blairities in his own party, the Tories, the mainstream press, and all those people spouting the self-perpetuating 'he's no leader' line. Corbyn's stuck to his guns and is proving them wrong. Abbott has been stood down because of incompetence (due to ill-health? Quite possibly). I appreciate what her local constituents say about her being a good MP but nationally she's losing votes. Sure people will always add their own agenda to any issue but Abbott being subbed with 10 minutes to go is about merit and performance not race.
[Post edited 7 Jun 2017 10:33]
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 10:30 - Jun 7 with 1802 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 10:30 - Jun 7 by Northernr
Oh I'm loving all this hand ringing and worthiness this morning. Poor Diane, unfairly targeted, bullying, racism.
This is a bog standard example of somebody standing for election for high office who isn't up to the job getting found out.
No hand wringing from me, she has highlighted her own incompetencies. The great british Media are not applying the same level of assault on that Tory bastion of brilliance on Benny Hill/Boris J (delete as approriate). That's old fashioned bullying, and nothing to do with race I believe, but it still looks two yards short of a KKK lynching. owerful white men villyfying a black female whilst not applying the same princiles to Johnstone. It's very ugly and speaks for itself, not aluding to race. Just scum. Nothing wrong in holding her to account but do it 360.
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 10:45 - Jun 7 with 1745 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 10:34 - Jun 7 by FDC
Imagine a country where this was on the front page rather than stories knowingly fabricating myths about Corbyn and Hamas.
Abdul-Hakim Belhaj was the one seized in Thailand in 2004 in a joint MI6-CIA operation and handed over to Gaddafi for torture. It was the case that led to MI6 and MI5 falling out with each other. He used to be our enemy then he was our friend. Things get complicated when you've got your MI5 Libyans, your MI6 Libyans, your Labour Party Libyans and your Conservative Party Libyans.
Air hostess clique
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 10:50 - Jun 7 with 1716 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 10:40 - Jun 7 by Brightonhoop
No hand wringing from me, she has highlighted her own incompetencies. The great british Media are not applying the same level of assault on that Tory bastion of brilliance on Benny Hill/Boris J (delete as approriate). That's old fashioned bullying, and nothing to do with race I believe, but it still looks two yards short of a KKK lynching. owerful white men villyfying a black female whilst not applying the same princiles to Johnstone. It's very ugly and speaks for itself, not aluding to race. Just scum. Nothing wrong in holding her to account but do it 360.
As ever on LFW, clouded by whether you're left wing or right wing when actually that's completely irrelevant. If you're left wing you think the broadcast media, the BBC and the message board is horribly biased against you. If you're right wing you think exactly the same. (not including print here because they obviously do have fierce party lines drawn as shown by the disgraceful front pages this morning)
If politicians are incompetent they will be set upon, regardless of the side. It's not bullying, it's holding people to account who want important jobs.
The most bizarre one of the whole election was UKIP restricting pub opening hours. Almost as incredible as the Tories going after elderly people with dementia for their life savings in the 'alienate your core audience' stakes.
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:03 - Jun 7 with 1666 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:00 - Jun 7 by robith
I disagree.
She's done a number of calamitous media appearances which have shown her not up to this roll.
But take a look at her twitter mentions and tell me a lot of people's vigour for hating her isn't motivated by race
Madness lies in Twitter mentions. Look at all the replies to all of them - every Tory MP or post, every Labour, every UKIP, all the same, reams and reams of abuse and insults. Twitter is a festering, seething mass of cnts.
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:14 - Jun 7 with 1630 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:03 - Jun 7 by Northernr
Madness lies in Twitter mentions. Look at all the replies to all of them - every Tory MP or post, every Labour, every UKIP, all the same, reams and reams of abuse and insults. Twitter is a festering, seething mass of cnts.
That's true, but Robith's correct imo. No-one is arguing that other politicians aren't scrutinised and made to look foolish, and pilloried for it. But it's simply not true to say that were she not a plus-sized black lady the reaction to her cock-ups would have been as gleeful and vicious. That's not hand-wringing, it's an observation.
I'll get hammered for this but I think a significant proportion of the Tory-right vote base would be deeply uncomfortable at Dianne Abbott being in the cabinet even if she were meticulously competent, based on her race and appearance. Again, that's just an observation of the 'seething mass of cnts' on Twitter. Yes they're cnts on Twitter, but they exist in the real world too and have a vote. That being the case, the constant 'Vote Labour, get Abbott' messaging implicitly has a racial edge to it.
[Post edited 7 Jun 2017 11:15]
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:17 - Jun 7 with 1615 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:14 - Jun 7 by FDC
That's true, but Robith's correct imo. No-one is arguing that other politicians aren't scrutinised and made to look foolish, and pilloried for it. But it's simply not true to say that were she not a plus-sized black lady the reaction to her cock-ups would have been as gleeful and vicious. That's not hand-wringing, it's an observation.
I'll get hammered for this but I think a significant proportion of the Tory-right vote base would be deeply uncomfortable at Dianne Abbott being in the cabinet even if she were meticulously competent, based on her race and appearance. Again, that's just an observation of the 'seething mass of cnts' on Twitter. Yes they're cnts on Twitter, but they exist in the real world too and have a vote. That being the case, the constant 'Vote Labour, get Abbott' messaging implicitly has a racial edge to it.
[Post edited 7 Jun 2017 11:15]
We'll have to agree to disagree. For a minority of racist people yeh, but the rest of us just look at her and see somebody who's massively, massively incompetent. Corbyn's loyalty to her will have cost him votes.
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:19 - Jun 7 with 1609 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:14 - Jun 7 by FDC
That's true, but Robith's correct imo. No-one is arguing that other politicians aren't scrutinised and made to look foolish, and pilloried for it. But it's simply not true to say that were she not a plus-sized black lady the reaction to her cock-ups would have been as gleeful and vicious. That's not hand-wringing, it's an observation.
I'll get hammered for this but I think a significant proportion of the Tory-right vote base would be deeply uncomfortable at Dianne Abbott being in the cabinet even if she were meticulously competent, based on her race and appearance. Again, that's just an observation of the 'seething mass of cnts' on Twitter. Yes they're cnts on Twitter, but they exist in the real world too and have a vote. That being the case, the constant 'Vote Labour, get Abbott' messaging implicitly has a racial edge to it.
[Post edited 7 Jun 2017 11:15]
Just say it straight and fect the pc A lot of tories are racists
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:17 - Jun 7 by Northernr
We'll have to agree to disagree. For a minority of racist people yeh, but the rest of us just look at her and see somebody who's massively, massively incompetent. Corbyn's loyalty to her will have cost him votes.
Sure, I'm not trying to tarnish everyone with the same brush of course - I totally get that there are legitimate criticisms, I have plenty of my own. Hence agreeing with Robith, that's what he said I think.
[Post edited 7 Jun 2017 11:26]
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:25 - Jun 7 with 1576 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:32 - Jun 7 by 2Thomas2Bowles
Are you making excuses for them, you know the ones that have been in power and could have done a lot more in the last 7 years
No. Just pointing out that there are racists to be found in supporters of all political parties. I don't like your way of insinuating that only Tories are racists. It's a cheap shot from you to back up your political belief.
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