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Frank Field

(258 Posts)
Anniebach Thu 30-Aug-18 16:35:07

Frank Field is resigning the party whip and will serve as an independent MP in protest of the party’s excuses over anti semitism and bullying in the party

After 39 years of being a labour MP

Shame on you Corbyn, shame on you

maddyone Sat 01-Sept-18 14:17:47

Incidentally, I don’t belong to any political party, and I never have.

nigglynellie Sat 01-Sept-18 14:29:37

I think everyone on here is well aware of the different groups of people labelled for particular attention by the Nazi regime, all of which were quite atrocious. The Jewish people however as the war progressed were persecuted with much more vigour, the main aim being to completely eradicate them from the face of the earth; much like the Japanese with regard to the Chinese. I know this as my stepfather was a POW with the Japanese after the fall of Singapore, and he said, and he said very little, that brutality was particularly severe for all the Chinese prisoners who unfortunately came into their path. The Europeans especially, had to watch or 'join in'.?! This is how the Nazi's treated the Jews. Meeting this sort of menacing attitude in your own political party must be very unnerving and, bearing in mind your family history deeply upsetting to say the least. All the films, documentaries, intellectual chat in the world can never fully portray the feeling of extra horror that family members actually suffered in this unspeakable way, something that others have difficulty in understanding.

maddyone Sat 01-Sept-18 14:34:50

Yes,indeed Nellie.

trisher Sat 01-Sept-18 14:36:30

It did begin in Germany but not as many believe with the Jewish community. The first people targeted were the disabled. In 1933 the ‘Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring’ was passed, allowing for the forced sterilisation of those regarded as ‘unfit’. This included people with conditions such as epilepsy, schizophrenia and alcoholism. Prisons, nursing homes, asylums, care homes for the elderly and special schools were targeted to select people for sterilisation. It has been estimated that between 1933 and 1939, 360,000 individuals were subjected to forced sterilisation.
In 1939 the killing of disabled children and adults began. All children under the age of three who had illnesses or a disability, such as Down’s syndrome, or cerebral palsy were targeted under the T4 programme. A panel of medical experts were required to give their approval for the ‘euthanasia’, or supposed ‘mercy-killing’, of each child.
Many parents were unaware of the fate of their children, instead being told that they were being sent for improved care. After a period of time parents were told their children had died of pneumonia and their bodies cremated to stop the spread of disease.
Incidently sterilisation of the disabled was practised in some USA states as well

Anniebach Sat 01-Sept-18 14:43:00

What is so wrong in my opinion is to accuse Margaret Hodge of using the holocaust, claiming she said things she didn’t say .

We speak of the suffering of the Jews and I was uncomfortable with the - it wasn’t only the Jews , i am sure this wasn’t said to dismiss the suffering of the Jews but it did come to mind.

If we spoke of Gays being subjected to the atrocities because we were discussing the Gay community how would ‘it wasn’t only the Gays’ come across

Anniebach Sat 01-Sept-18 14:48:48

I wonder if Frank Field will remain MP after the vote next week, if it goes the way it should go. If he does it won’t be for long because the knives will be sharpened already . Criticise Corbyn and the anger of the extreme left will be let lose.

trisher Sat 01-Sept-18 14:50:08

I think it would reinforce the idea that regimes that suppress one part of society also oppress others. Which leads to a feeling of unity and support.

Jalima1108 Sat 01-Sept-18 14:55:31

I think that most of us are aware of these dreadful events trisher and that other groups were targeted but the point of the discussion is anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, not ethnic cleansing of other groups.

Incidently sterilisation of the disabled was practised in some USA states as well
If we're widening the discussion and getting away from the original OP (which I thought you had objected to on other threads) then a so-called 'civilised' country like Sweden practised eugenics until fairly recently.
Compulsory sterilisation in Sweden were sterilisations which were carried out in Sweden, without a valid consent of the subject, during the years 1906–1975 on eugenic, medical and social grounds. Between 1972 and 2012 sterilisation was also a condition for sex change.

Jalima1108 Sat 01-Sept-18 14:59:49

As the daughter of a man who helped liberate one of the camps, and who never recovered from the terror of the sights he saw
Grandemashe Those kinds of sights would live with him forever.

Grandmashe43 Sat 01-Sept-18 15:10:05

They did Jalima, it effected him for the rest of his life.

Grandmashe43 Sat 01-Sept-18 15:14:53

Sorry sent to soon,
He would be appalled at the way his beloved Labour Party is dismissing anti semit behaviour.

lemongrove Sat 01-Sept-18 15:35:42

yes, he would Grandmashe and many people feel the same way, others seek to dismiss it all as 'fake news' and 'anti Corbyn smears' [remind anyone of Donald?!]

trisher Sat 01-Sept-18 15:46:31

Many of us were appalled when the Labour Party under Tony Blair took us into an illegal war where thousands of people died and which resulted in a backlash that is still killing people. Some demonstrated to try and prevent it. Then we voted with our feet and supported other parties. Now we have returned and there are those who still don't want us because we are socialists. Well tough. You can try all the slurs you want, you can believe a right wing press, you can think up conspiracy theories and allegations of bullying. All will be investigated. But what isn't going to happen is that the younger generation and the confiirmed socialist are going to go away. We've claimed back a socialist party.

lemongrove Sat 01-Sept-18 15:54:31

aha! and there goes a poster who fits my post above.Who thinks anti Semitism doesn't exist within the LP and it is all ' a smear' is that what a socialist is, a fantasist?

Grandmashe43 Sat 01-Sept-18 15:56:09

Trisher, don’t you consider Frank Field to be a socialist?

Anniebach Sat 01-Sept-18 15:56:14

139 labour MP’s opposed the Irac war and not one was de selected, that is socialism , disagree with Corbyn and the bullies are out, that is not socialism

lemongrove Sat 01-Sept-18 15:58:50

exactly Grandmashe and annie socialists are not the types that need to be weeded out of the LP, it's the others, Momentum and those of the same ilk.

Anniebach Sat 01-Sept-18 16:09:38

The Labour Party is not in the hands of socialists, the leader supports terrorists , lies, anti semetism, allows bullying, place Venezuela as a country the world can admire.

trisher Sat 01-Sept-18 16:23:09

No one has been "weeded out" no one has been "deselected'. Some constituency parties are asking their MPs to account for their actions. Frank Field's constituency party took a vote of "No confidence" in him, because of his vote which kept the Tories in power. Now I wasn't at the meeting. I'm not a member of his constituency, but it does seem strange to me that when his local party are not supporting him he should then go on to resign the whip, and resurrect accusations of anti-semitism which are under investigation and which had slipped out of the news. At the best he has timed things badly at the worst he is trying to drum up support and sympathy in his constituency because he fears for his future. I really don't know which. I have mixed feelings about Frank Field. I believe in a Welfare state- he doesn't. He admired Thatcher-I don't. He wants to reduce child hunger-so do I.I really find him difficult to understand.

trisher Sat 01-Sept-18 16:25:57

I said it would be investigated lemon would you rather it wasn't? and people were just kicked out (isn't that a bit like....)

lemongrove Sat 01-Sept-18 16:31:42

be honest trisher….. you don't believe there is any antisemitism problem within the LP today, and every post you make on here proclaims that fact [even though you haven't actually said so in so many words.]
So, be clear?

Anniebach Sat 01-Sept-18 16:32:09

Frank Field should have gone against his beliefs? This is your political stance trisher? Seems it has change since you claimed and praised Corbyn for doing the same

nigglynellie Sat 01-Sept-18 16:35:44

Fear for his future? at 76?!! I imagine his future is reasonably secure if it isn't now, it never will be!!!!

lemongrove Sat 01-Sept-18 16:36:37

the real problem with the present narrow way of thinking within the LP today is much as you illustrate trisher when you say that [of Frank Field] you find him 'difficult to understand'.In other words he doesn't follow others like a sheep.All goats will be weeded out, as they are not like sheep and may cause problems.

Anniebach Sat 01-Sept-18 16:46:17

All trisher says I heard in 1981 - 1983 , then a disastrous election loss followed by 14 years in the wilderness