Christmas party at Downing Street last year

I’m not keen on Kuenssberg either, I think she's biased. I don’t like Peston’s presentation style and I know for a fact that Nick Robinson told lies to enhance a story. Now I believe that all these people have somewhere in their history a Jewish connection. I can’t abide how Emily Morgan is an ambulance chaser, and I’ve no idea of her background. It doesn’t change how I feel about them.

Dr Google also told me that Kuenssberg’s great grandmother was descended from Jews. So GSM, I don’t know why you thought she was Jewish or had a Jewish “heritage”; her name perhaps? I’m speculating.

But in any case, not only is she not Jewish, you are making the fact that you think she is Jewish important in how you think about her. Would you say, I don’t like Clive Myrie, but its not because he’s black? I’m not fond of Rod Stewart but it’s not because he’s Scottish? (Which he’s not, so it’s a great analogy.)

Completely misplaced ideas about what we can and can’t say do not make someone careful and thoughtful. They perpetuate this idea that we can’t say anything when a wee bit of common sense would tell you what you can and can’t say.

PS. My mistake. Kuenssberg isn't an Oxbridge graduate.

The voice of common sense as always Alegrias. I don’t like her reporting style and couldn’t care less about her religious beliefs or lack of. Erroneously believing her to be Jewish I made sure that voicing my dislike of her wasn’t connected to that, knowing how quick people are to pounce and to perceive a slur where there is none. Anyway I’ve said it all several times over and can only add ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’.

My understanding, from a Jewish friend, is that being Jewish goes through the female line, so if your mother is Jewish you are Jewish, if your father is Jewish you aren't.

As her Jewish great grandmother was her grandfathers mother then she wouldn't be classed as Jewish.

Don't know if that varies e.g. if Orthodox and Reform interpret it differently but that is what I was told and by that token she is not Jewish.

Thank you GSM. I appreciate that.

The only way we'll get past this daft can't say anything anymore without offending somebody is if we realise that for most people, other people's religion, colour, ethnicity, whatever, doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

BTW, I didn't know Peston had a Jewish connection until I googled him this morning. I still dislike his style and think its "put on" and I'll tell that to anybody who asks me.

I can't stand Peston either. Very 'put on' style as you say, deliberately cultivated.

Like him or not, Peston has just tweeted that word is that there was a Secret Santa at the party that never was. This suggests planning,not spontaneity. I find Peston a bit irritating but at least he calls out Johnson occasionally.

I thought Peston spoke like that because he is a stammerer but he denies that, said it is a media myth.

If he's not controlling a stammer then his speech is affected and very annoying.
I'll stop making allowances for him.

Germanshepherdsmum

The voice of common sense as always Alegrias. I don’t like her reporting style and couldn’t care less about her religious beliefs or lack of. Erroneously believing her to be Jewish I made sure that voicing my dislike of her wasn’t connected to that, knowing how quick people are to pounce and to perceive a slur where there is none. Anyway I’ve said it all several times over and can only add ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’.

But nobody could have blamed you for being anti-Semitic because she's not Jewish. I don't know why you thought she is.

I had heard that she was growstuff and that that was why she had received death threats a while back. And the name sounds Jewish to me as well. So 2+2=4 to me. I have now been educated.

theworriedwell

My understanding, from a Jewish friend, is that being Jewish goes through the female line, so if your mother is Jewish you are Jewish, if your father is Jewish you aren't.

As her Jewish great grandmother was her grandfathers mother then she wouldn't be classed as Jewish.

Don't know if that varies e.g. if Orthodox and Reform interpret it differently but that is what I was told and by that token she is not Jewish.

Yes, that's true. Does that mean that people should stop criticising Ed Miliband? His mother is Jewish, although Miliband himself doesn't identify as a religious Jew. Just because one "inherits" a label doesn't mean that one can't reject it.

The journalist, Nick Cohen, wrote an article about being labelled as Jewish. Despite the surname, he isn't Jewish and he finds it strange that people treat him and his views differently because they think he is.

Germanshepherdsmum

I had heard that she was growstuff and that that was why she had received death threats a while back. And the name sounds Jewish to me as well. So 2+2=4 to me. I have now been educated.

No, she received death threats because people believe she's a government stooge. You should try reading her own words about the matter.

Calistemon

I thought Peston spoke like that because he is a stammerer but he denies that, said it is a media myth.

If he's not controlling a stammer then his speech is affected and very annoying.
I'll stop making allowances for him.

Peston has said that he doesn't speak like that all the time:

"My voice comes out stilted when I'm broadcasting. I can't explain it – something happens that makes me sound weird."

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2787865/my-voice-comes-stilted-bbc-s-not-speak-time-robert-peston-gives-definitive-answers-probing-questions.html

That doesn't sound to me like he chooses to speak that way, so
I for one will carry on making allowances for him.

I rely on GN for all my information growstuff.

growstuff

theworriedwell

My understanding, from a Jewish friend, is that being Jewish goes through the female line, so if your mother is Jewish you are Jewish, if your father is Jewish you aren't.

As her Jewish great grandmother was her grandfathers mother then she wouldn't be classed as Jewish.

Don't know if that varies e.g. if Orthodox and Reform interpret it differently but that is what I was told and by that token she is not Jewish.

Yes, that's true. Does that mean that people should stop criticising Ed Miliband? His mother is Jewish, although Miliband himself doesn't identify as a religious Jew. Just because one "inherits" a label doesn't mean that one can't reject it.

The journalist, Nick Cohen, wrote an article about being labelled as Jewish. Despite the surname, he isn't Jewish and he finds it strange that people treat him and his views differently because they think he is.

I'm not sure why that has anything to do with people not criticising Ed Miliband. I was explaining what I had been told about how being Jewish is passed through the maternal line so didn't apply to LK.

Oldnproud

Calistemon

I thought Peston spoke like that because he is a stammerer but he denies that, said it is a media myth.

If he's not controlling a stammer then his speech is affected and very annoying.
I'll stop making allowances for him.

Peston has said that he doesn't speak like that all the time:

"My voice comes out stilted when I'm broadcasting. I can't explain it – something happens that makes me sound weird."

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2787865/my-voice-comes-stilted-bbc-s-not-speak-time-robert-peston-gives-definitive-answers-probing-questions.html

That doesn't sound to me like he chooses to speak that way, so
I for one will carry on making allowances for him.

I don't listen to him very often but I just assumed he was thinking carefully about what he is saying.

theworriedwell

growstuff

theworriedwell

My understanding, from a Jewish friend, is that being Jewish goes through the female line, so if your mother is Jewish you are Jewish, if your father is Jewish you aren't.

As her Jewish great grandmother was her grandfathers mother then she wouldn't be classed as Jewish.

Don't know if that varies e.g. if Orthodox and Reform interpret it differently but that is what I was told and by that token she is not Jewish.

Yes, that's true. Does that mean that people should stop criticising Ed Miliband? His mother is Jewish, although Miliband himself doesn't identify as a religious Jew. Just because one "inherits" a label doesn't mean that one can't reject it.

The journalist, Nick Cohen, wrote an article about being labelled as Jewish. Despite the surname, he isn't Jewish and he finds it strange that people treat him and his views differently because they think he is.

I'm not sure why that has anything to do with people not criticising Ed Miliband. I was explaining what I had been told about how being Jewish is passed through the maternal line so didn't apply to LK.

Kuenssberg isn't Jewish because she just isn't. Anybody can choose not to believe in a religion, whatever their ancestry.

I find this whole thing baffling. No wonder the Labour Party is tying itself up in knots about anti-Semiticism.

theworriedwell Ed Miliband is by ancestry Jewish - no doubt about it. Using germanshepherdmum's logic, he couldn't be criticised because people would be labelled anti-Semitic.

It never occurs to me to consider anybody's religion or anything else, if I disagree with them. It's bizarre.

I'm not sure about it, I thought being Jewish could be considered a race and if not why would there be anything racist about it. So is it just a religion or is a religion and a race?

Just about to have dinner so I will try to have a read about it later. I do know my Jewish friend considered herself Jewish although she was not religious.

My logic is that criticising someone from a particular ethnic or non-Christian group gives people on here a reason to have a go if you say something they don’t like.

My family are from the two sides in Ireland, one parent Orange from the North one parent Catholic from the South. One considered themself Irish one considered themself British. I don't think about people's religion or race, my husband is a different race to me but I was quite surprised when I was watching a programme on iplayer set in Northern Ireland and I was working out who was and who wasn't Catholic.

I was quite shocked at myself when I realised, not that I think one is better than the other but I do see them as divided.

I criticise people on here everyday, who happen to be English. I've never been accused of....

oh, wait....

theworriedwell

My family are from the two sides in Ireland, one parent Orange from the North one parent Catholic from the South. One considered themself Irish one considered themself British. I don't think about people's religion or race, my husband is a different race to me but I was quite surprised when I was watching a programme on iplayer set in Northern Ireland and I was working out who was and who wasn't Catholic.

I was quite shocked at myself when I realised, not that I think one is better than the other but I do see them as divided.

We are all members of the human race. Much of the thinking about race is based on a nineteenth century obsession with labelling people.

Germanshepherdsmum

My logic is that criticising someone from a particular ethnic or non-Christian group gives people on here a reason to have a go if you say something they don’t like.

It shouldn't matter. You don't like Kuenssberg. It doesn't matter if she's Christian, Jewish or Klingon.

Crikey.
www.itv.com/news/2021-12-07/no-10-staff-joke-in-leaked-recording-about-christmas-party-they-later-denied

FGS growstuff, how many times do I have to explain myself? It’s not about me.