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Related: About this forum... And here it is, folks! Today's Daffy Daily Disaster from the Kameroon Kops!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/21/andrew-mitchell-police-tirade-labourAy - thang - you!
The Skin
LeftishBrit
(41,209 posts)Even taking account the unreliability of the Sun as to details, it's pretty clear that Mitchell behaved pretty outrageously.
If a Labour MP did that, you'd never hear the end of their being Soft on Crime and disrespectful to the Representatives of Law and Order!
A lot of these Tories seem to be juvenile delinquents in suits.
P.S. not really the best week to choose for a public tirade against the police.
fedsron2us
(2,863 posts)Mitchell's tantrum just shows a complete lack of class. Obviously, manners no longer maketh the Tory man. I find it strange that he managed to hold down a Commission in the army since the military most definitely do not approve of officers swearing at the other ranks.
Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)but did Gordon Brown keep his tantrums within his party and not to the police?
LeftishBrit
(41,209 posts)and this is not just about someone having a problem with anger management in general; it is about someone acting as though he has the right to order public servants about and bully them - people, moreover, who are prepared to risk their lives for people like him; and apparently he called them 'plebs'. And moreover he chose a time for it when the police are reeling from a particularly horrible double murder in the course of duty. Some Labour politicians have misbehaved badly (I'm thinking more of John Prescott here than Gordon Brown) but none, as far as I remember, with quite such arrogance and sense of entitlement.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)2011 Tory conference.
T_i_B
(14,745 posts)But it looks to me like Andrew Mitchell was stating basic Tory ideology. Not quite in the manner that Tories would normally do in public but there you go.
P.S. Anyone planning on buying the Nick Clegg autotune apology single on iTunes? Proceeds to Sheffield Children's Hospital.
non sociopath skin
(4,972 posts)The Lib Dems mopped up the student vote with their pledge and it's not good enough to say "Sorry pardon" when you're caught like a deer in the headlights IMHO.
Good cause, I'm sure, but I'm not prepared to laugh it off as a bit of sub-Red Nose Day fun.
There, that's my apology and I'm sticking to it!
The Skin
T_i_B
(14,745 posts)Although I've never really got auto-tune satire. One of my best friends is really into "Autotune The News" on YouTube but I've never really seen the point of that.
It says something when a half-arsed weaselly apology (for making the promise in the first place rather then breaking it) become known within hours for people queueing up to ridicule it.
Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)Any MP could haveben just as disrespectful.
LeftishBrit
(41,209 posts)To be fair, neither have most Tories - but it does seem to reflect the current Tory contempt for those who work in the public sector.
T_i_B
(14,745 posts)With the Tories this is a point of ideology, that the wealthy and powerful should have rights over and above the working man.
To be honest, Mitchell's alleged rant is not that all that different to the bile spewed by right wingers on local discussion forums.
What is of note here is the other stories just surfacing about Andrew Mitchell's bullying behaviour. It appears to have made him a few enemies and they are certainly using this moment to stick the knife in further.
Anarcho-Socialist
(9,601 posts)While Tory governments of the past fought ideological enemies they were (with some exceptions) strongly-backed by Britain's police and had their pay and conditions protected in return.
How times have changed. With the organised left buried the Tories feel strong enough to attack jobs, pay and working conditions in the police force.
The police are now considered "fucking plebs" with "gold-plated pensions" just like the rest of the public sector.
fedsron2us
(2,863 posts)At the end of the day the Diplomatic cops are there to protect his sorry arse and in extremis to take a bullet for him. He could at least be civil.
Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)If i recall the rules correctly, they'll probably let all ministers die in the line of fire but take bullets for Foreign, Home, DPM and PM.
fedsron2us
(2,863 posts)that they would be making that kind of distinction. And the police on the main gate would be the first in the firing line. Civility costs nothing and I am old enough to remember when it was considered to be the mark of a gentleman no matter how old hat that may seem. One of the abiding problems in the UK is that there are far too many uncouth bullies in managerial roles. In fact in recent years their behaviour worse than any street corner yob
Anarcho-Socialist
(9,601 posts)I was merely expressing that the Tories' contempt for public sector workers seems to include the police these days.
I read in the Guardian that his comments also included "know your fucking place" which is about as disrespectful as it gets.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)Mr Mitchells own account of the words he used during Wednesdays incident emerged for the first time last night. The Sunday Telegraph understands that the Chief Whips version of events is that after asking officers to open the main gates to Downing Street for his bicycle, and being refused, he said: You guys are supposed to f***ing help us.
A friend of Mr Mitchell said he was 100 per cent adamant he had not used the word plebs or morons, despite contradictory reports, although he was not calling anybody a liar. He lost it a bit, the friend said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9560271/Andrew-Mitchell-admits-swearing-in-spat-with-Downing-Street-police.html